5. Those who once had plenty of food now must work for food,but people who were hungry are hungry no more.The woman who could not have children now has seven,but the woman who had many children now is sad.
6. “The Lord sends death,and he brings to life.He sends people to the grave,and he raises them to life again.
7. The Lord makes some people poor,and others he makes rich.He makes some people humble,and others he makes great.
8. The Lord raises the poor up from the dust,and he lifts the needy from the ashes.He lets the poor sit with princesand receive a throne of honor.“The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,and the Lord set the world upon them.
9. He protects those who are loyal to him,but evil people will be silenced in darkness.Power is not the key to success.
10. The Lord destroys his enemies;he will thunder in heaven against them.The Lord will judge all the earth.He will give power to his kingand make his appointed king strong.”
11. Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy continued to serve the Lord under Eli the priest.
12. Now Eli’s sons were evil men; they did not care about the Lord.
13. This is what the priests would normally do to the people: Every time someone brought a sacrifice, the meat would be cooked in a pot. The priest’s servant would then come carrying a fork that had three prongs.
14. He would plunge the fork into the pot or the kettle. Whatever the fork brought out of the pot belonged to the priest. But this is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices.