3. "Boast no more so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed.
4. "The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeble gird on strength.
5. "Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.
6. "The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7. "The Lord makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts.
8. "He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He set the world on them.
9. "He keeps the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail.
10. "Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed."
11. Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.
12. Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord
13. and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
14. Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
15. Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw."
16. If the man said to him, "They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."
17. Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord.
18. Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.