< 1 Samuel 2 >

1 Hannah prayed, “I'm so happy in the Lord! He has empowered me! Now I have plenty to say in answer to those who hate me. I celebrate your salvation!
Then prayed Hannah, and said, My heart hath leaped for joy in Yahweh, My horn is exalted in Yahweh, My mouth is opened wide, o’er my foes, Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, no Rock like our God!
There is none holy like Yahweh, Nay! there, is none, except Thee, Nor, is, there a rock, like our God.
3 Don't speak so conceitedly! Don't talk so arrogantly! For the Lord is a God who knows everything—doesn't he judge what you do?
Do not multiply words, so loftily—loftily, Nor let arrogance proceed from your mouth, —For, a GOD of knowledge, is Yahweh, And, for himself, are great doings made firm.
4 The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
The bow of the mighty, is dismayed, —While, the fainting, are girded with strength;
5 Those who used to have plenty of food now have to work to earn a crust, while those who used to be hungry now have become fat. The woman who was childless now has seven children, while the woman with many children fades away.
The sated, have, for bread, taken hire, But, the famished, have left off their toil, —So that, the barren, hath given birth unto seven, While, she that hath many sons, languisheth:
6 The Lord kills and he revives; he sends some down to the grave, but he raises others up. (Sheol h7585)
Yahweh, doth kill, and make alive, —Taketh down to hades, and bringeth up: (Sheol h7585)
7 The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
Yahweh, maketh poor, and enricheth, —Layeth low, yea exalteth;
8 He helps the poor up from the dust; he raises the lowborn from the trash pile and seats them with the upper class in places of honor. For the foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them.
Raiseth, from the dust, the poor, From the dunghill, uplifteth the needy, To give them a dwelling with nobles, And, a throne of glory, to make them inherit. For, to Yahweh, belong the pillars of the earth, And he setteth thereon the habitable world.
9 He will take care of those who trust him, but the wicked vanish into the darkness, for people don't succeed through their own strength.
The feet of his loving ones, he doth guard, But, the lawless, in darkness shall be silent, —For, by strength, shall no man prevail.
10 The Lord crushes his enemies, he thunders against them from heaven. He rules the whole earth; he strengthens his king, and gives power to the one he has anointed.”
As for Yahweh, —they shall be shattered who contend with him, Over him, in the heavens will he thunder, Yahweh, will judge the ends of the earth, —That he may give strength to his King, And exalt the horn of his Anointed One.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
Then went Elkanah to Ramah, unto his own house, —but, the boy, remained ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli the priest.
12 Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time for the Lord
Now, the sons of Eli, were abandoned men, —they knew not Yahweh.
13 or their role as priests to the people. They would send one of their servants over with a fork when anyone came to offer a sacrifice.
And, the custom of the priests with the people, was—when any man offered a sacrifice, then would come the priests young man, as the flesh was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand;
14 The servant would stick the fork into the pot while the meat from the sacrifice was being boiled, and would take whatever meat came up on the fork to Eli's sons. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
and would strike it into the boiler, or into the trough, or into the kettle, or into the pot, all that the fork would bring up, the priest took for himself. Thus and thus, used they to do unto all Israel, who came thither, in Shiloh.
15 In fact even before the fat of the sacrifice was burned up the servant would come and would demand from the man sacrificing, “Give me meat to roast for the priest. He doesn't want boiled meat from you—he wants it raw.”
Also, before any could make perfume with the fat, the priests young man would come in and say to the person who was sacrificing, Come! give flesh for the priest’s roastings, —for he will not take of thee boiled flesh—only raw.
16 The man might answer, “Let me first burn up all the fat, and then you can have as much as you want.” But the priest's servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me now. If you don't, I'll take it by force.”
And, if the man said to him, Let them at least, make incense, at once with the fat, then take thou as much as thy soul craveth, Then said he to him, But, at once, shalt thou give it; or else, I will take it by force.
17 The sins of these young men were extremely serious from the Lord's perspective because they were treating with contempt the Lord's offerings.
And so it was, that, the sin of the young men, was exceeding great, before Yahweh, —for men scorned the offerings of Yahweh.
18 But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, wearing a linen ephod.
But, as for Samuel, he was ministering before Yahweh, —a boy girded with an ephod of linen.
19 Every year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
Also, a little robe, used his mother to make for him, and bring it up to him, from year to year, —when she came up with her husband, to offer the sacrifice of the year.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to replace the one she prayed for and dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return home.
And Eli used to bless Elkanah and his wife, and to say—Yahweh give thee seed of this woman, instead of the loan that hath been lent unto Yahweh. So they went their way to his own place.
21 The Lord blessed Hannah with three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
And Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons, and two daughters. Thus did the boy Samuel grow up with Yahweh.
22 Eli was very old, however he had heard about all the things his sons were doing to the people of Israel, and how they were seducing the women who were serving at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Now, Eli, was very old, —but he used to hear all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they even lay with the women who did service, at the opening of the tent of meeting.
23 He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
So he said to them, Wherefore should ye do such things as these? for I keep hearing of your wicked doings, from all these people.
24 No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
Nay, my sons! for it is no good report that I do hear: leading into transgression the people of Yahweh.
25 If a man sins against someone, God can intercede for him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who is going to intercede for him?” But they didn't pay attention to what their father said, for the Lord was planning to put them to death.
If one man sin against another, God will interpose, but, if, against Yahweh, a man sin, who will intercede, for him? But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for Yahweh was pleased to put them to death.
26 The boy Samuel grew physically, and also grew in the approval of both the Lord and the people.
But, the boy Samuel, went on growing in stature, and in favour, —both with Yahweh, and also with men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Didn't I very clearly reveal myself to your forefather's family when they were ruled by Pharaoh in Egypt?
And there came a man of God, unto Eli, —and said unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, I, did indeed reveal myself, unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, as servants unto the house of Pharaoh;
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel as my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave to your forefather's family all the Israelites' offerings made with fire.
choosing him out of all the tribes of Israel unto myself, to minister as priest, to offer upon mine altar, to perfume with incense to bear an ephod before me, —Therefore gave I unto the house of thy father all the altar-flames of the sons of Israel.
29 So why have you treated with contempt my sacrifices and offerings that I have ordered for my place of worship? You honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves with the best parts of all the offerings from my people Israel.
Wherefore have ye been kicking at my sacrifices, and my presents, which I commanded, to serve for a home, —and shouldest have honoured thy sons more than me: fattening yourselves, with the first of every present of Israel, before me?
30 Consequently, this is the declaration of the Lord: I made a definite promise that your family and your father's family would always serve me as priests. But now the Lord declares: Not anymore! Instead I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me I will treat with contempt.
Hence, the oracle of Yahweh God of Israel, I, said, that, thy house, and the house of thy father, should go to and fro in my presence, unto times age-abiding: But, now, (is the oracle of Yahweh)—Be it far from me! For, them who honour me, will I honour, but, they who despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.
31 The time is coming when I will bring your family and your father's family to an end. No one will live to an old age.
Lo! days are coming, when I will hew off thine arm, and the arm of the house of thy father, —that there shall be no elder in thy house;
32 You will see tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
But thou shalt descry distress at home, in all that shall gladden Israel, —and there shall not be an elder in thine own house, all the days.
33 Anyone of your family not cut off from serving at my altar will make your eyes weep and cause you grief. All your descendants will die when full of life.
But, any man of thine whom I may not cut off from mine altar, it shall be—to consume his eyes, and grieve his soul; Howbeit, all the multitude of thy house, shall die, by the sword of men.
34 Here is a sign for you that this will happen regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both will die on the same day.
And, this, for thee is the sign, which shall come upon thy two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas, —In one day, shall they, both of them, die;
35 I will choose for myself a trustworthy priest who will do what I really want, what I have in mind. I will make sure he and his descendants are trustworthy and they will always serve my anointed one.
And I will raise me up a faithful priest, According to that which is in my heart and in my soul, will he do; Therefore will I build for him an assured house, and he shall go to and fro in presence of mine Anointed, all the days.
36 Every one of your descendants who is left will come and bow down to him, asking for money and food, saying, ‘Please give me work as a priest so that I can have food to eat.’”
And it shall be, that, any that is left in thy house, shall come bowing down to him for a small coin of silver, and for a cake of bread, and shall say: Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

< 1 Samuel 2 >