< 1 Samuel 2 >

1 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh. My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
[There is] none holy as the LORD: for [there is] none beside thee: neither [is there] any rock like our God.
3 Boast no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come out of your mouth. For Yahweh is a God of knowledge; by him actions are weighed.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let [not] arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD [is] a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bow of the mighty men are broken, but those who stumble put on strength like a belt.
The bows of the mighty men [are] broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread; those who were hungry have stopped being hungry. Even the barren one gives birth to seven, but the woman who has many children languishes.
[They that were] full have hired out themselves for bread; and [they that were] hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
6 Yahweh kills and brings to life. He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (Sheol h7585)
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. (Sheol h7585)
7 Yahweh makes some people poor and some rich. He humbles, but he also lifts up.
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit the seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh's and he has set the world upon them.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set [them] among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth [are] the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful people, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness, for no one will prevail by strength.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 Those who oppose Yahweh will be broken to pieces; he will thunder against them from heaven. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. The child served Yahweh in the presence of Eli the priest.
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know Yahweh.
Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand, while the meat was boiling.
And the priests’ custom with the people [was, that], when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14 He would stick it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. They did this in Shiloh with all the Israelites that came there.
And he struck [it] into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15 Worse, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 If the man said to him, “They must burn the fat first, and then take as much as you want.” Then he would say, “No, you will give it me now; if not, I will take it by force.”
And [if] any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and [then] take [as much] as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, [Nay; ] but thou shalt give [it me] now: and if not, I will take [it] by force.
17 The sin of these young men was very great before Yahweh, for they despised Yahweh's offering.
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
18 But Samuel served Yahweh as a child clothed with a linen ephod.
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, [being] a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19 His mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought [it] to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh give you more children by this woman because of the request she made of Yahweh.” Then they would return to their own home.
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
21 Yahweh again helped Hannah, and again she became pregnant. She bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 Now Eli was very old; he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled [at] the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 He said to them, “Why do you such things? For I hear of your evil actions from all these people.”
And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear. You make Yahweh's people disobey.
Nay, my sons; for [it is] no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’s people to transgress.
25 “If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will speak for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
26 The child Samuel grew up, and increased in favor with Yahweh and also with men.
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, 'Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?
And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor all the offerings of the people of Israel made with fire.
And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel [to be] my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
29 Why, then, do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings that I required in the place where I live? Why do you honor your sons above me by making yourselves fat with the best of every offering of my people Israel?'
Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded [in my] habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'I promised that your house, and the house of your ancestor, should walk before me forever.' But now Yahweh says, 'Far be it from me to do this, for I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed [that] thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 See, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will no longer be any old man in your house.
Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 You will see distress in the place where I live. Although good will be given to Israel, there will no longer be any old man in your house.
And thou shalt see an enemy [in my] habitation, in all [the wealth] which [God] shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your eyes to fail, and I will cause grief for your life. All the men born in your family will die.
And the man of thine, [whom] I shall not cut off from mine altar, [shall be] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 This will be the sign for you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
And this [shall be] a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build him a sure house; and he will walk before my anointed king forever.
And I will raise me up a faithful priest, [that] shall do according to [that] which [is] in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36 Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him, asking for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priests' positions so I can eat a piece of bread.”'”
And it shall come to pass, [that] every one that is left in thine house shall come [and] crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

< 1 Samuel 2 >