1 Samuel 2

1 “My heart exults in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies. For I have rejoiced in 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 Nothing is holy as the Lord is holy. For there is no other beside you. And nothing is strong as our God is strong.

There is none holy like Yahweh, Nay! there, is none, except Thee, Nor, is, there a rock, like our God.

3 Do not continue speaking of great things, boasting. Let what is old depart from your mouth. For the Lord is the God of knowledge, and thoughts are prepared for him.

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 bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.

The bow of the mighty, is dismayed, —While, the fainting, are girded with strength;

5 Those who before were filled, have hired themselves out for bread. And the starving have been filled, so that the barren have given birth to many. But she who had borne many sons has become unable.

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 brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again. (Sheol h7585)

Yahweh, doth kill, and make alive, —Taketh down to hades, and bringeth up: (Sheol h7585)

7 The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.

Yahweh, maketh poor, and enricheth, —Layeth low, yea exalteth;

8 He raises up the indigent from the dust, and he lifts up the poor from filth, so that they may sit with princes, and take hold of a throne of glory. For the hinges of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the globe upon 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 preserve the feet of his holy ones, and the impious will be silenced in darkness. For no man will prevail by his 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 adversaries of the Lord will dread him. And over them, he will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the parts of the earth, and he will give dominion to his king, and he will lift up the horn of his Christ.”

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 And Elkanah went away to Ramah, to his house. But the boy was a minister in the sight of the Lord, before the face of Eli, the priest.

Then went Elkanah to Ramah, unto his own house, —but, the boy, remained ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli the priest.

12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,

Now, the sons of Eli, were abandoned men, —they knew not Yahweh.

13 nor the priestly office for the people. And so, no matter who had immolated a victim, the servant of the priest would arrive, while the flesh was still cooking, and he would take a three-pronged hook in his hand,

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 and put it into the vessel, or into the cauldron, or into the cooking pot, or into the pan, and all that the hook lifted up, the priest took for himself. So they did to all of Israel who arrived at 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 addition, before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would arrive, and he would say to the one who was immolating: “Give me the flesh, so that I may boil it for the priest. For I will not accept cooked meat from you, but 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 And the one who was immolating would say to him, “First, allow the fat to be burned today, according to custom, and then take for yourself whatever your soul desires.” But in response, he would say to him: “By no means. For you will give it to me now, otherwise I will 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 Therefore, the sin of the servants was exceedingly great before the Lord. For they drew men away from the sacrifice of the Lord.

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 was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.

But, as for Samuel, he was ministering before Yahweh, —a boy girded with an ephod of linen.

19 And his mother fashioned a little tunic for him, which she brought to him on the appointed days, ascending with her husband, so that he might immolate the solemn 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 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And he said to him, “May the Lord repay to you offspring from this woman, on behalf of the loan that you offered to the Lord.” And they went away to their own place.

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 Then the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the youth Samuel was magnified with 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 Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and how they were sleeping with the women who were waiting at the door of the tabernacle.

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 And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?

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 My sons, do not be willing. For it is no good report that I am hearing, so that you would cause the people of the Lord to transgress.

Nay, my sons! for it is no good report that I do hear: leading into transgression the people of Yahweh.

25 If a man has sinned against a man, God may be able to be appeased over him. But if a man has sinned against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, that the Lord was willing to kill them.

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 But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.

But, the boy Samuel, went on growing in stature, and in favour, —both with Yahweh, and also with men.

27 Then a man of God went to Eli, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Was I not revealed openly to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?

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 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel for myself as priest, so that he might ascend to my altar, and burn incense to me, and wear the ephod before me. And I gave to the house of your father all the sacrifices of the sons of Israel.

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 Why have you kicked away my victims and my gifts, which I instructed to be offered in the temple? And why have you given more honor to your sons than to me, so that you eat the first-fruits of every sacrifice of 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 Because of this, the Lord God of Israel says: I have spoken clearly, so that your house, and the house of your father, may minister in my sight, even forever. But now the Lord says: May this be far from me. Instead, whoever will have glorified me, I will glorify him. But whoever despises me, they will be despised.

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 Behold the days are arriving, when I will cut off your arm, and the arm of the house of your father, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

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 And you will see your rival in the temple, amid all the prosperity of Israel. And there will not be an old man in your house for all days.

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 Yet truly, I will not entirely take away a man of you from my altar, but such that your eyes may fail, and your soul may melt away, and a great part of your house may die out, as it pertains to the state of men.

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 But this will be a sign to you, which will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on one day they both will die.

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 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will act in accord with my heart and my soul. And I will build a faithful house for him. And he will walk before my Christ for all days.

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 Then this will be in the future, that whoever will have remained of your house, he will approach so that he may pray on his behalf. And he will offer a coin of silver, and a twist of bread. And he will say: ‘Permit me, I beg you, one part of the priestly office, so that I may eat a mouthful of bread.’”

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.