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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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1 Samuel 2
Christian Standard Bible

Hannah’s Triumphant Prayer

2 Hannah prayed:(A)

My heart rejoices in the Lord;(B)
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.(C)
2 There is no one holy like the Lord.(D)
There is no one besides you!(E)
And there is no rock like our God.(F)
3 Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.(G)
4 The bows of the warriors are broken,(H)
but the feeble are clothed with strength.(I)
5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,(J)
but the woman with many sons pines away.(K)
6 The Lord brings death and gives life;(L)
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.(M)
7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;(N)
he humbles and he exalts.(O)
8 He raises the poor from the dust(P)
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.(Q)
He seats them with noblemen(R)
and gives them a throne of honor.[a]
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;(S)
he has set the world on them.(T)
9 He guards the steps[b] of his faithful ones,(U)
but the wicked perish in darkness,(V)
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.(W)
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;[c](X)
he will thunder in the heavens against them.(Y)
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.(Z)
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.[d](AA)

11 Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AB) but the boy served the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.(AC)

Eli’s Family Judged

12 Eli’s sons were wicked men;(AD) they did not respect the Lord(AE) 13 or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14 and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot.(AF) The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before the fat was burned,(AG) the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” 16 If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,”(AH) the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!” 17 So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because the men treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.(AI)

18 Samuel served in the Lord’s presence(AJ)—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.(AK) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe(AL) and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.(AM) 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife:(AN) “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she[e] has given to the Lord.”(AO) Then they would go home.

21 The Lord paid attention to Hannah’s need,(AP) and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.(AQ)

22 Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel(AR) and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.(AS) 23 He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. 24 No, my sons, the news I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” (AT) But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to kill them.(AU) 26 By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(AV)

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him,(AW) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s family[f] when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace?(AX) 28 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your house[g] to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence.(AY) I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings. 29 Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship?(AZ) You have honored your sons more than me,(BA) by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’

30 “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever.(BB) But now,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor,(BC) but those who despise me will be disgraced.(BD) 31 Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age.(BE) 32 You will see distress in the place of worship,(BF) in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.(BG) 33 Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief[h] and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.[i][j] 34 This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas:(BH) both of them will die on the same day.(BI)

35 “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest(BJ) for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him,(BK) and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.(BL) 36 Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2:8 DSS, LXX add He gives the vow of the one who makes a vow and he blesses the years of the just.
  2. 2:9 Lit feet
  3. 2:10 DSS, LXX read The Lord shatters those who dispute with him
  4. 2:10 Or Messiah
  5. 2:20 DSS; MT reads he
  6. 2:27 Lit the house of your father
  7. 2:28 Lit selected him
  8. 2:33 Lit grief to your eyes
  9. 2:33 DSS, LXX read die by the sword of men
  10. 2:33 Lit die men
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