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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. 1 Samuel 2:1 A symbol of strength and power
  2. 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
  3. 1 Samuel 2:10 A symbol of strength and power
  4. 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial, cf. 2 Cor 6:15
  5. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit like the day
  6. 1 Samuel 2:18 Or young man, cf. 2:17
  7. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit the one asked for which was lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
  8. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
  9. 1 Samuel 2:24 Or making Yahweh’s people transgress
  10. 1 Samuel 2:26 Lit was going on both great and good
  11. 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
  12. 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
  13. 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
  14. 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
  15. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to waste away your eyes and to grieve your soul
  16. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
  17. 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
  18. 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach
Close NRSVUE

1 Samuel 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my strength is exalted in my God.[a]
My mouth derides my enemies
    because I rejoice in your victory.(A)

2 There is no Holy One like the Lord,
    no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.(B)
3 Talk no more so very proudly;
    let not arrogance come from your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.(C)
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble gird on strength.(D)
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
    but she who has many children is forlorn.(E)
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.(F)
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low; he also exalts.(G)
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
    and on them he has set the world.(H)

9 He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will perish in darkness,
    for not by might does one prevail.(I)
10 The Lord! His adversaries will be shattered;
    the Most High[b] will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    and exalt the power of his anointed.”(J)

Eli’s Wicked Sons

11 Then they left him there before the Lord and went[c] home to Ramah, while the boy remained to minister to the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.(K)

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord(L) 13 or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,(M) 14 and he would thrust it into the pan, kettle, caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself.[d] This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.”(N) 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first and then take whatever you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now; if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for they treated the offerings of the Lord with contempt.(O)

The Child Samuel at Shiloh

18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy wearing a linen ephod.(P) 19 His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.(Q) 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord repay[e] you with children by this woman for the loan that she made to[f] the Lord,” and then they would return to their home.(R)

21 And[g] the Lord took note of Hannah; she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.(S)

Prophecy against Eli’s Household

22 Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(T) 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad.(U) 25 If one person sins against another, someone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord,[h] but if someone sins against the Lord, who can make intercession?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to kill them.(V)

26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.(W)

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus the Lord has said: I revealed[i] myself to the family of your ancestor in Egypt when they were slaves[j] to the house of Pharaoh.(X) 28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to offer incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave to the family of your ancestor all my offerings by fire[k] from the Israelites.(Y) 29 Why then look[l] with greedy eye at my sacrifices and my offerings[m] and honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?(Z) 30 Therefore the Lord the God of Israel declares: I promised that your family and the family of your ancestor should go in and out before me forever, but now the Lord declares: Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt.(AA) 31 See, a time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your ancestor’s family.[n](AB) 32 No one in your family shall ever live to old age.(AC) 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep out his[o] eyes and grieve his[p] heart; all the members of your household shall die by the sword.[q] 34 The fate of your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.(AD) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed one forever.(AE) 36 Everyone who is left in your family shall come and prostrate himself before him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, ‘Please put me in one of the priest’s places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.’ ”(AF)

Footnotes

  1. 2.1 Gk: Heb the Lord
  2. 2.10 Cn: Heb against him he
  3. 2.11 Gk: Heb Then Elkanah went
  4. 2.14 Gk Syr Vg: Heb with it
  5. 2.20 Q ms Gk: MT give
  6. 2.20 Q ms Gk: MT for the request that she asked of
  7. 2.21 Q ms Gk: MT When
  8. 2.25 Gk Q ms: MT another, God will intercede for him
  9. 2.27 Gk Tg Syr: Heb Did I reveal
  10. 2.27 Q ms Gk: MT lacks slaves
  11. 2.28 Or my gifts
  12. 2.29 Q ms Gk: MT then kick
  13. 2.29 Q ms Gk: MT adds that I commanded at this dwelling
  14. 2.31–32 Q ms Gk: MT adds so that no one in your family will live to old age. Then in a distressed place you will look upon all the prosperity of Israel. No one
  15. 2.33 Q ms Gk: MT your
  16. 2.33 Q ms Gk: MT your
  17. 2.33 Q ms Gk: MT die like mortals
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New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.