1 Samuel 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (A)prayed and said,
“My heart exults in Yahweh;
(B)My [a]horn is exalted in Yahweh;
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (C)I am glad in Your salvation.
2 (D)There is no one holy like Yahweh;
Indeed, (E)there is no one besides You,
(F)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 Do not multiply speaking so very proudly;
(G)Let arrogance not come out of your mouth;
(H)For Yahweh is a God of knowledge,
(I)And with Him actions are weighed.
4 (J)The bows of the mighty are shattered,
(K)But those who stumble gird on strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
(L)Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But (M)she who has many children languishes.
6 (N)Yahweh puts to death and makes alive;
(O)He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 (P)Yahweh makes poor and rich;
(Q)He brings low; He also exalts.
8 (R)He raises the poor from the dust;
(S)He exalts the needy from the ash heap
(T)To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of glory;
(U)For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 (V)He keeps the feet of His holy ones,
(W)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness,
(X)For not by power shall a man prevail.
10 (Y)Those who contend with Yahweh will be dismayed;
(Z)Against them He will thunder in the heavens;
(AA)Yahweh will render justice to the ends of the earth,
(AB)And He will give strength to His king,
(AC)And He will exalt the [c]horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his home at (AD)Ramah. (AE)But the young boy ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were [d](AF)vile men; they did not know Yahweh. 13 (AG)And this was the legal judgment for the priests with the people: when any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s young man 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 would bring up the priest would take for himself. Thus they would do in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before (AH)they offered up the fat in smoke, the priest’s young man would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting; he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 Then the man would say to him, “They must surely offer up the fat in smoke [e]first, and then take as much as your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, you shall give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh, for the men (AI)spurned the offering of Yahweh.
Samuel Before Yahweh as a Boy
18 Now (AJ)Samuel was ministering before Yahweh, as a [f]young boy (AK)girded with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little (AL)robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer (AM)the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would (AN)bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh establish for you a seed from this woman in place of [g]the one she (AO)dedicated to Yahweh.” And they went to their own [h]home.
21 (AP)Yahweh indeed visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (AQ)the young boy Samuel grew before Yahweh.
Eli Hears About His Sons’ Evils
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard (AR)all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with (AS)the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good (AT)which I hear the people of Yahweh [i]passing about. 25 If one man sins against another, (AU)God will mediate for him; but (AV)if a man sins against Yahweh, who can pray for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for (AW)Yahweh desired to put them to death.
26 Now the young boy (AX)Samuel [j]was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.
Eli Honors His Sons Above Yahweh
27 Then (AY)a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘(AZ)Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, enslaved to Pharaoh’s house? 28 (BA)And did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not (BB)give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 Why do you (BC)kick at My sacrifice and at My offering (BD)which I have commanded in My (BE)habitation, and (BF)honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [k]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, declares, ‘(BG)I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now Yahweh declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for (BH)those who honor Me I will honor, and those (BI)who despise Me will be cursed. 31 Behold, (BJ)the days are coming, and I will break your [l]strength and the [m]strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will look upon (BK)the distress of My habitation, in spite of all the good that [n]I do for Israel; and an (BL)old man will not be in your house all the days. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar [o]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will be put to death [p]in the prime of life. 34 Now this will be (BM)the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: (BN)on the same day both of them will be put to death. 35 But (BO)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and (BP)I will build him a faithful house, and he will walk before (BQ)My anointed always. 36 And it will be that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a [q]piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [r]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 A symbol of strength and power
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
- 1 Samuel 2:10 A symbol of strength and power
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial, cf. 2 Cor 6:15
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit like the day
- 1 Samuel 2:18 Or young man, cf. 2:17
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit the one asked for which was lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
- 1 Samuel 2:24 Or making Yahweh’s people transgress
- 1 Samuel 2:26 Lit was going on both great and good
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to waste away your eyes and to grieve your soul
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach
1 Samuel 2
American Standard Version
2 And Hannah prayed, and said:
My heart exulteth in Jehovah;
My horn is exalted in Jehovah;
My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as Jehovah;
For there is none besides thee,
Neither is there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly;
Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth;
For Jehovah is a God of knowledge,
[a]And by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken;
And they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread;
And they that were hungry [b]have ceased to hunger:
Yea, the barren hath borne seven;
And she that hath many children languisheth.
6 Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive:
He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.
7 Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich:
He bringeth low, he also lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,
He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill,
To make them sit with princes,
And inherit the throne of glory:
For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s,
And he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his [c]holy ones;
But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
10 They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces;
Against them will he thunder in heaven:
Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth;
And he will give strength unto his king,
And exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; [d]they knew not Jehovah. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat [e]first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then [f]he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah.
18 But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah. And they went unto their own home. 21 [g]And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report [h]that I hear: ye make Jehovah’s people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, [i]God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [j]in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 [k]and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to [l]go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? [m]and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Wherefore [n]kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt behold [o]the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 [p]And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die [q]in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:3 According to another reading, Though actions be not weighed.
- 1 Samuel 2:5 Or, have rest
- 1 Samuel 2:9 Or, godly ones Another reading is, holy one.
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Or, they know not Jehovah, nor the due of the priests from the people. When any man etc.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Hebrew to-day.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Another reading is, he would say unto him, Thou etc.
- 1 Samuel 2:21 The Hebrew has, For.
- 1 Samuel 2:24 Or, which I hear Jehovah’s people do spread abroad
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Or, the judge
- 1 Samuel 2:27 Or, in Pharaoh’s house
- 1 Samuel 2:28 Or, And I chose
- 1 Samuel 2:28 Or, offer upon
- 1 Samuel 2:28 Or, and gave
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Or, trample ye upon . . . and upon
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Or, an adversary in my habitation
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Or, Yet will I not cut off every man of thine from mine altar, to consume etc.
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Hebrew when they are men.
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