1   My hart hath reioysed in our Lord, and my horne is exalted in my God: my mouth is dilated vpon myn enemies: because I haue ioyed in thy saluation. ^note

2   There is none holie as our Lord is: for neither is there an other beside thee, and there is none so strong as our God.

3   Doe not multiplie to speake high thinges, boasting: ^note let old matters depart from your mouth: because our Lord is a God of al knowlege, and to him cogitations are prepared.

4   The bow of the strong men is ouercome, and the weake are girded with strength.

5   They that before were filled haue hyred out them selues for bread: and the hungrie are filled, vntil ^note the barren woman bare verie manie: and ^note she that had manie children, was weakened.

6   Our Lord mortifieth and quickeneth, bringeth downe to hel and fetcheth backe agayne.

7   Our Lord maketh poore and enricheth, humbleth and lifteth vp.

8   He rayseth the needie man from the dust, and from the dung he lifteth vp the poore: that he may sitte with princes, and hold the throne of glorie. For the poles of the earth are our Lords, and vpon them he hath sette the world.

9   The feete of his Saintes he wil keepe, and the impious shal be silent in darknes: because in his owne force man shal

Heli. Samuel not be strengthned.

10   Our Lord shal his aduersaries feare: and vpon them shal he thunder in the heauens: our Lord shal iudge the endes of ^note the Earth, and shal geue empire to his king, and shal exalt the horne of his Christ.

11   And Elcana went into Ramatha, vnto his house: but the childe ministered in the sight of our Lord before the face of Heli the priest.

12   Moreouer the sonnes of Heli, were the sonnes of Belial, not knowing our Lord,

13   nor the office of priestes to the people: but whosoeuer had immolated a victime, the seruant of the priest came, whiles the flesh was in boyling, and had a flesh hooke with three teeth in his hand,

14   and thrust it into the kettle, or into the caudron, or into the potte, or into the panne: and al, that the flesh hooke brought vp, the priest tooke to him selfe. so did they to al Israel that came into Silo.

15   Yea before they burnt the fatte, the seruant of the priest came, and sayd to him that immolated: Geue me flesh, that I may boyle it for the priest: for I wil not take flesh of thee sodde, but raw.

16   And he that immolated sayd to him: Let the fatte first be burnt to day according to the maner, and take vnto thee how much soeuer thy soule desireth. Who answering said to him: Not so: for thou shalt geue it now, or els I wil take it away by force.

17   Therfore the sinne of the yong men was exceding great before our Lord: because men detracted from the sacrifice of our Lord.

18   But Samuel ministred before the face of our Lord: a child, girded with an ephod of linnen.

19   And his mother made him a litle tunike, which she brought vpon the ordinarie daies, going vp with her husband, to immolate the solemne host.

20   And Heli blessed Elcana and his wife: and he saied to him: Our Lord render thee seede of this woman, for the vsurie that thou hast geuen our Lord. And they went into their place.

21   Our Lord therfore visited Anna, and she conceiued, and bare three sonnes, and two daughters: and the childe Samuel was magnified before our Lord.

22   And Heli was very old, and heard al thinges which his sonnes did to al Israel: and how they slept with the wemen that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle:

23   and he sayd to them: Why doe you these kinde of thinges, which I heare, very naughtie thinges, of al the people?

24   Doe not so my sonnes: for it is not a good report, which I doe heare, that you make the people of our Lord to transgresse.

25   If man shal sinne against

Heli. Samuel man, God may be pacified toward him: but if a man shal sinne against our Lord ^note who shal pray for him? And they heard not the voice of their father, ^note because our Lord would kil them.

26   But the childe Samuel prospered, and grew, and pleased both our Lord and men.

27   And there came a man of God to Heli, and said to him: Thus sayth our Lord: Was not I openly reueled to thy fathers house, when they were in Ægypt in the house of Pharao?

28   and I chose him of al the tribes of Israel for my priest, that he might ascend to my altar, and burne to me incense, and might carie the ephod before me: and I gaue to thy fathers house al thinges of the sacrifices of the children of Israel.

29   Why haue you with your heele reiected my victime, and my giftes which I commanded to be offered in the temple: and hast rather honoured thy sonnes then me, that you would eate the first fruites of euerie sacrifice of Israel my people?

30   Therfore sayeth our Lord the God of Israel: Speaking I speake that thy house, and the house of thy father should minister in my sight, for euer. But now sayeth our Lord: Be this farre from me: but whosoeuer shal glorifie me I wil glorifie him: and they that contemne me, shal be base.

31   Behold the daies come: and I wil cut of thy arme, and the arme of thy fathers house, that there may not be an old man in thy house.

32   And thou shalt see ^note whom thou enuiest in the temple, in al prosperities of Israel and there shal not be an old man in thy house for euer.

33   Notwithstanding I wil not altogether take away a man of thee from myn altar: but that thyne eyes may fayle, and thy soule melt: and a great part of thy house shal die when it is come to mans age.

34   And this shal be a signe to thee, which shal come vpon thy two sonnes, Ophni, and Phinees: In one day they shal both die.

35   And I wil rayse vp vnto me a faithful priest, which shal doe according to my hart, and my soule: and I wil build him a faythful house, and the same shal walke before my Christ al daies.

36   And it shal come to passe, that whosoeuer shal remayne in thy house, shal come that he may be prayed for, and shal offer a peece of siluer, and a manchet of bread, and shal say: Leaue me I besech thee to one priestly part, that I may eate a morsel of bread.

Heli. Samuel.

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