1 Samuel 2
World English Bible
2 Hannah prayed, and said:
“My heart exults in Yahweh!
My horn is exalted in Yahweh.
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh,
for there is no one besides you,
nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly.
Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth,
for Yahweh is a God of knowledge.
By him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken.
Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
Those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
She who has many children languishes.
6 “Yahweh kills and makes alive.
He brings down to Sheol[a] and brings up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich.
He brings low, he also lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust.
He lifts 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 Yahweh’s.
He has set the world on them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness;
for no man will prevail by strength.
10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces.
He will thunder against them in the sky.
“Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16 If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering. 18 But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed 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 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring[b] from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home. 21 Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 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; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30 “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31 Behold,[c] the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes[d] and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34 This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. 36 It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
1 Samuel 2
New American Standard Bible
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (A)prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
(B)My [a]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (C)I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 (D)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (E)there is no one besides You,
(F)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 Do not go on [c]boasting so very proudly,
(G)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(H)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(I)And [d]with Him actions are weighed.
4 (J)The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
(K)But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
(L)Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
But (M)she who has many children languishes.
6 (N)The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
(O)He brings down to [e]Sheol and brings up.
7 (P)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(Q)He humbles, He also exalts.
8 (R)He raises the poor from the dust,
(S)He lifts the needy from the garbage heap
(T)To seat them with nobles,
And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
(U)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 (V)He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
(W)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(X)For not by might shall a person prevail.
10 (Y)Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified;
(Z)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(AA)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(AB)And He will give strength to His king,
(AC)And will exalt the [f]horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his home at (AD)Ramah. (AE)But the boy continued to attend to the service of the Lord before Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were [g](AF)useless men; they did not know the Lord. 13 (AG)And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 And he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They did so in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before (AH)they [h]burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “They must [i]burn the fat [j]first, then take as much as [k]you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you must give it to me now; and if not, I am taking it by force!” 17 And so the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men (AI)treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.
Samuel before the Lord as a Boy
18 Now (AJ)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy (AK)wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make for him a little (AL)robe and bring it up 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 the Lord give you [l]children from this woman in place of the [m]one she (AO)requested of the Lord.” And they went to their own [n]home.
21 [o](AP)The Lord indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (AQ)the boy Samuel grew up [p]before the Lord.
Eli Rebukes His Sons
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard about (AR)everything that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they slept with (AS)the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, 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 Lord’s people circulating. 25 If one person sins against another, (AU)God will mediate for him; but (AV)if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the (AW)Lord desired to put them to death.
26 Now the boy (AX)Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the Lord and with people.
27 Then (AY)a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(AZ)Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 (BA)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 are you [q](BC)showing contempt for My sacrifice and My offering (BD)which I have commanded for My (BE)dwelling, and why are you (BF)honoring your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [r]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘(BG)I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father was to walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for (BH)those who honor Me I will honor, and those (BI)who despise Me will be insignificant. 31 Behold, (BJ)the days are coming when I will eliminate your [s]strength and the [t]strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will look at (BK)the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that [u]I do for Israel; and there will never be an (BL)old man in your house. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar, [v]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the [w]increase of your house will die [x]in the prime of life. 34 And this will be (BM)the sign to you which will come in regard to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: (BN)on the same day both of them will die. 35 But (BO)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and (BP)I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before (BQ)My anointed always. 36 And everyone who is left in your house will come to bow down to him for a [y]silver coin or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [z]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 I.e., strength
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
- 1 Samuel 2:3 Lit talk much
- 1 Samuel 2:3 Or disgraceful actions have no place
- 1 Samuel 2:6 I.e., the netherworld
- 1 Samuel 2:10 I.e., strength
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial
- 1 Samuel 2:15 Lit offered up in smoke
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit offer up in smoke
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit as the day
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit your soul desires
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit seed
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit request
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
- 1 Samuel 2:21 Or When the Lord visited...then she; DSS And the Lord visited
- 1 Samuel 2:21 Lit with
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Lit giving a kick to
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to make your eyes fail and to grieve your soul
- 1 Samuel 2:33 I.e., new children
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach
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