8
He raises the poor from the dust, lifts up the needy from the trash pile; he gives them a place with leaders and assigns them seats of honor. "For the earth's pillars belong to ADONAI; on them he has placed the world.
9
He will guard the steps of his faithful, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. For it is not by strength that a person prevails -
10
those who fight ADONAI will be shattered; he will thunder against them in heaven ADONAI will judge the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and enhance the power of his anointed."
11
Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the child began ministering to ADONAI under the direction of 'Eli the cohen.
12
'Eli's sons were scoundrels who had no regard for ADONAI.
13
The rule these cohanim followed in dealing with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the cohen's servant would come, while the meat was stewing, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
14
He would stick it in the pan, kettle, caldron or pot; and the cohen would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they dealt with all the people of Isra'el who came there to Shiloh.
15
The cohen's servant would actually come before the fat had burned to smoke and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the cohen meat he can roast; because he doesn't want your meat stewed, but raw."
16
If the man answered, "First let the fat burn to smoke, then take as much as you want," he would say, "No, give it to me now, or I'll take it by force."
17
The sin of these young men was very serious in ADONAI's view, because they treated offerings made to ADONAI with contempt.
18
But Sh'mu'el ministered in the presence of ADONAI, wearing a linen ritual vest even though he was only a child.