¹³ And when he came, Eli was seated by the wayside watching: and in his heart was fear for the ark of God. And when the man came into the town and gave the news, there was a great outcry.

⁹ So after they had taken food and wine in the guest room, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was seated by the pillars of the doorway of the Temple of the Lord.

¹⁸ And at these words about the ark of God, Eli, falling back off his seat by the side of the doorway into the town, came down on the earth so that his neck was broken and death overtook him, for he was an old man and of great weight. He had been judging Israel for forty years.

⁹ For when the news comes to the Canaanites and all the people of the land, they will come up, shutting us in and cutting off our name from the earth: and what will you do for the honour of your great name?

³ They said to me, The small band of Jews now living there in the land are in great trouble and shame: the wall of Jerusalem has been broken down, and its doorways burned with fire.

⁴ Then, after hearing these words, for some days I gave myself up to weeping and sorrow, seated on the earth; and taking no food I made prayer to the God of heaven,

⁸ Lord, your house has been dear to me, and the resting-place of your glory.

¹ <A Psalm. Of Asaph.> O God, the nations have come into your heritage; they have made your holy Temple unclean; they have made Jerusalem a mass of broken walls.

² They have given the bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, and the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

³ Their blood has been flowing like water round about Jerusalem; there was no one to put them in their last resting-place.

⁴ We are looked down on by our neighbours, we are laughed at and made sport of by those who are round us.

⁵ How long, O Lord? will you be angry for ever? will your wrath go on burning like fire?

⁶ Let your wrath be on the nations who have no knowledge of you, and on the kingdoms who have not made prayer to your name.

⁷ For they have taken Jacob for their meat, and made waste his house.

⁸ Do not keep in mind against us the sins of our fathers; let your mercy come to us quickly, for we have been made very low.

⁴ How may we give the Lord's song in a strange land?

⁵ If I keep not your memory, O Jerusalem, let not my right hand keep the memory of its art.

⁶ If I let you go out of my thoughts, and if I do not put Jerusalem before my greatest joy, let my tongue be fixed to the roof of my mouth.