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1 Samuel 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Samuel 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
1 And Hannah prayed:[a]
“My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted by my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in your victory.(A)
2 There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.(B)
3 Speak boastfully no longer,
Do not let arrogance issue from your mouths.[b]
For an all-knowing God is the Lord,
a God who weighs actions.(C)
4 “The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.(D)
5 The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry no longer have to toil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.(E)
6 “The Lord puts to death and gives life,
casts down to Sheol and brings up again.(F)
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich,
humbles, and also exalts.
8 He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and he has set the world upon them.(G)
9 He guards the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness;
for not by strength does one prevail.
10 The Lord’s foes shall be shattered;
the Most High in heaven thunders;
the Lord judges the ends of the earth.
May he give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed!”(H)
11 When Elkanah returned home to Ramah, the child remained in the service of the Lord under the priest Eli.
Wickedness of Eli’s Sons. 12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked; they had respect neither for the Lord 13 nor for the priests’ duties toward the people. When someone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork, while the meat was still boiling,(I) 14 and would thrust it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They treated all the Israelites who came to the sanctuary at Shiloh in this way. 15 In fact, even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one offering the sacrifice, “Give me some meat to roast for the priest. He will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.” 16 And if this one protested, “Let the fat be burned first, then take whatever you wish,” he would reply, “No, give it to me now, or else I will take it by force.”(J) 17 Thus the young men sinned grievously in the presence of the Lord, treating the offerings to the Lord with disdain.
The Lord Rewards Hannah. 18 Meanwhile the boy Samuel, wearing a linen ephod,[c] was serving in the presence of the Lord. 19 His mother used to make a little garment for him, which she would bring him each time she went up with her husband to offer the customary sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, as they were leaving for home. He would say, “May the Lord repay you with children from this woman for the gift she has made to the Lord!” 21 The Lord favored Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three more sons and two daughters, while young Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.(K)
Eli’s Futile Rebuke. 22 When Eli was very old, he kept hearing how his sons were treating all Israel, and that they were behaving promiscuously[d] with the women serving at the entry of the meeting tent. 23 So he said to them: “Why are you doing such things? I hear from everyone that your behavior is depraved. 24 Stop this, my sons! The report that I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. 25 If someone sins against another, anyone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who can intercede[e] for the sinner?” But they disregarded their father’s warning, since the Lord wanted them dead. 26 Meanwhile, young Samuel was growing in stature and in worth in the estimation of the Lord and the people.(L)
The Fate of Eli’s House.[f] 27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him: “Thus says the Lord: I went so far as to reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt as slaves to the house of Pharaoh. 28 I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod[g] in my presence; and I assigned all the fire offerings of the Israelites to your father’s house.(M) 29 Why do you stare greedily at my sacrifices and at the offerings that I have prescribed? Why do you honor your sons more than you honor me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel? 30 (N)This, therefore, is the oracle of the Lord, the God of Israel: I said in the past that your family and your father’s house should minister in my presence forever. But now—oracle of the Lord: Far be it from me! I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me shall be cursed. 31 Yes, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your family lives to old age. 32 You shall witness, like a disappointed rival, all the benefits enjoyed by Israel, but no member of your household shall ever grow old. 33 I will leave you one man at my altar to wear out his eyes and waste his strength, but the rest of your family shall die by the sword. 34 This is a sign for you—what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Both of them will die on the same day.(O) 35 I will choose a faithful priest who shall do what I have in heart and mind. I will establish a lasting house for him and he shall serve in the presence of my anointed forever. 36 Then whoever is left of your family will grovel before him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, saying: Please assign me a priestly function, that I may have a crust of bread to eat.”(P)
Footnotes
- 2:1–10 Hannah appeals to a God who maintains order by keeping human affairs in balance, reversing the fortunes of the arrogant, who, like Peninnah, boast of their good fortune (vv. 1, 3, 9) at the expense of those like Hannah who receive less from the Lord. Hannah’s admission places her among the faithful who trust that God will execute justice on their behalf. The reference “his king…his anointed” (v. 10) recalls the final sentence of the Book of Judges and introduces the kingship theme that dominates the Books of Samuel.
- 2:3 Speak…mouths: addressed to the enemies mentioned in v. 1.
- 2:18 Linen ephod: not the same as the high priest’s ephod (Ex 28:6–14) or the ephod used in divination (v. 28). Samuel wore the same kind of a ceremonial garment as the priests did (1 Sm 22:18). David also wore an ephod when he danced before the ark (2 Sm 6:14).
- 2:22 Behaving promiscuously: this part of the verse, which recalls Ex 38:8, is a gloss; it is lacking in the oldest Greek translation, and in 4QSama.
- 2:25 Who can intercede: Eli’s sons fail to understand that their crime is directly against God and that God will punish them for it. Their behavior is set in sharp contrast to Samuel’s, which meets with God’s approval.
- 2:27–36 These verses describe the punishment of Eli from a point of view contemporary with the reform of Josiah (2 Kgs 23:9; cf. v. 36); they hint at the events recorded in 1 Sm 22:18–23 and 1 Kgs 2:27. The older story of this divine warning occurs in 1 Sm 3:11–14. A man of God: often an anonymous figure whose speech foreshadows events in the near future. Cf. 1 Sm 9:6; 1 Kgs 13:1; 2 Kgs 23:16–17.
- 2:28 Ephod: a portable container, presumably of cloth, for the lots used in ritual consultation of God during the days of the Judges (Jgs 17:5; 18:14–15) and into the time of David (1 Sm 14:3; 23:6–9; 30:7–8). Attached to the ephod of the high priest described in Ex 28:6–8 is a “breastpiece of decision” which symbolized, but did not facilitate, such consultation. The Exodus text codifies a later form of the tradition.
Shmuel Alef 2
Orthodox Jewish Bible
Shmuel Alef 2
Orthodox Jewish Bible
2 And Channah davened, and said, My lev rejoiceth in Hashem, mine keren is exalted in Hashem; my mouth is opened wide over mine oyevim; because I rejoice with simchah in Thy Yeshuah (Salvation).
2 There is none kadosh like Hashem; for there is none besides Thee; neither is there any Tzur like Eloheinu.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not atak (insolence) come out of your mouth; for Hashem is El De’ot (a G-d -who intensively knows), and by Him alilot (actions) are weighed.
4 Keshet gibborim are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with chayil (strength).
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for lechem; and they that were hungry are such no more; so that the barren hath born shivah; and she that hath rabbat banim withers in grief.
6 Hashem bringeth mot, and maketh chayyim; He bringeth down to Sheol, and raiseth up.
7 Hashem maketh poor, and bringeth oisher; He bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the dal (poor) out of the aphar (dust), and lifteth up the evyon (needy) from the dunghill, to seat them among nedivim (nobles), and to make them inherit the kisse kavod; for the pillars of the earth belong to Hashem, and He hath set the tevel (world) upon them.
9 He is shomer over the feet of His chasidim, and the resha’im shall be silenced in choshech; for by ko’ach shall no ish prevail.
10 Those striving against Hashem shall be shattered; out of Shomayim shall He thunder upon him [the contentious]; Hashem shall judge the afsei eretz (ends of the earth); and He shall give oz (strength) unto His Melech, and exalt the keren (horn, power) of His Moshiach.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his bais. And the na’ar was mesharet (minister) unto Hashem under Eli HaKohen.
12 Now the Bnei Eli were Bnei Beliyaal; they knew not Hashem.
13 And the mishpat hakohanim (kohen’s custom) with the people was, that, when any ish offered zevach, the na’ar hakohen came, while the basar was cooking, with a mazleg (fork) of shlosh hashineayim (three prongs, lit. teeth) in his yad;
14 And he would plunge it into the kiyyor (basin) or dud (kettle) or kalakhat (caldron) or parur (pot); all that the mazleg brought up the kohen took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto kol Yisroel that came there.
15 Also before they burned the chelev, the na’ar hakohen came, and said to the ish hazove’ach (man making the sacrifice), Give basar to roast for the kohen; for he will not accept cooked basar of thee, only raw.
16 And if any ish said unto him, Let them first not fail to burn the chelev, and then take as much as thy nefesh desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt hand it over to me now; and if not, I will take it by chazakah (force).
17 Wherefore the chattat hane’arim was gedolah me’od before Hashem; for the anashim treated with contempt the minchat Hashem.
18 But Shmuel was mesharet (minister) before Hashem, being a na’ar, girded with an ephod bad (linen robe).
19 Moreover immo made him a me’il katon (a little robe), and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her ish to offer the zevach hayamim (yearly or annual sacrifice, Ex. 28:31f).
20 And Eli put on Elkanah and his isha a brocha, and said, Hashem give thee zera of this isha in place of the she’elah (asked for [one] of) Hashem that was lent. And they went unto his makom (place, home).
21 And Hashem visited Channah, so that she conceived, and bore three banim and two banot. And the na’ar Shmuel grew before Hashem.
22 Now Eli was zaken me’od, and heard all that his banim did unto kol Yisroel; and how they lay with the nashim hatzove’ot (women in ministry service) at the petach Ohel Mo’ed.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil deeds from kol HaAm (all the People).
24 Nay, my banim; for it is no good report that I hear; ye make Am Hashem to transgress.
25 If one ish sin against another ish, Elohim shall intervene as arbiter for him; but if an ish sin against Hashem, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they paid heed not unto the kol avihem (voice of their father), because Hashem willed to execute them.
26 And the na’ar Shmuel was growing, and was in favor both with Hashem and also with anashim.
27 And there came an Ish Elohim unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith Hashem, Did I not plainly reveal Myself unto the Bais Avicha, when they were in Mitzrayim under Bais Pharaoh?
28 And did I not choose him out of kol Shivtei Yisroel to be Kohen to Me, to ascend Mine Mizbe’ach, to burn ketoret, to wear an Ephod in My presence? And did I give unto the Bais Avicha all the fire offerings of the Bnei Yisroel?
29 Why kick scornfully at My zevach and My minchah, which I have commanded in My ma’on (habitation, dwelling [See Yn 14:2 OJBC]); and honorest thy banim above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of kol minchat Yisroel, before Ami (My People).
30 Therefore Hashem Elohei Yisroel saith, I said indeed that thy Bais, and the Bais Avicha, should walk before Me ad olam (forever); but now Hashem saith, Be it far from Me; for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Hinei, the yamim are coming, that I will cut off thine zero’a, and the zero’a of the Bais Avicha, that there shall not be a zaken in thine Bais.
32 And thou shalt see Tzar Ma’on [See 1Sm 4:11 and Jer 7:12-14] in spite of all that He will do of tov to Yisroel; and there shall not be a zaken in thine Bais kol hayamim.
33 And the ish of thine, whom I shall not cut off from Mine Mizbe’ach, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine nefesh; and all the increase of thine Bais shall die anashim [i.e., not zekenim].
34 And this shall be HaOt unto thee, that shall come upon thy two banim, on Chophni and on Pinchas: in one day they shall die both of them.
35 And I will raise up for Me a Kohen Ne’eman, that shall do according to that which is in Mine lev and in My nefesh; and I will build for him a Bais Ne’eman; and he shall walk before Mine Moshiach kol hayamim.
36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine Bais shall come and bow before him [i.e., the Kohen Ne’eman] to get an agorat kesef (a silver coin) and a kikar lechem (loaf of bread), and shall say, Put me please into one of the Kehunnot (Divisions of the Kehunah), that I may get a piece of lechem to eat.
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
Hannah’s Prayer
2 Then Hannah prayed and said:(A)
“My heart rejoices(B) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn[a](C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(D) over my enemies,(E)
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock(H) like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(J)
and by him deeds(K) are weighed.(L)
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(P) has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
he humbles and he exalts.(T)
8 He raises(U) the poor(V) from the dust(W)
and lifts the needy(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.(Y)
“For the foundations(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet(AA) of his faithful servants,(AB)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AC)
“It is not by strength(AD) that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AE)
The Most High will thunder(AF) from heaven;
the Lord will judge(AG) the ends of the earth.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AJ) but the boy ministered(AK) before the Lord under Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard(AL) for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice(AM) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat(AN) was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat(AO) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.(AP)
18 But Samuel was ministering(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.(AR) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual(AS) sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed(AT) for and gave to[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;(AU) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew(AV) up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(AW) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(AX) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(AY) intercede(AZ) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(BA) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(BB)
Prophecy Against the House of Eli
27 Now a man of God(BC) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(BD) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(BE) and to wear an ephod(BF) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(BG) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering(BH) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(BI) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(BJ)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(BK) but those who despise(BL) me will be disdained.(BM) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(BN) 32 and you will see distress(BO) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(BP) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(BQ) will die in the prime of life.
34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(BR) to you—they will both die(BS) on the same day.(BT) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(BU) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(BV) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(BW) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(BX)”’”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
- 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
- 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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