1 Samuel 2
1 And Hannah prayed, and said, Mine heart reioyceth in the Lord, mine horne is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged ouer mine enemies, because I reioyce in thy saluation.
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!
2 There is none holy as the Lord: yea, there is none besides thee, and there is no god like our God.
There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, no Rock like our God!
3 Speake no more presumptuously: let not arrogancie come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him enterprises are established.
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?
4 The bow and the mightie men are broken, and the weake haue girded themselues with strength.
The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
5 They that were full, are hired foorth for bread, and the hungrie are no more hired, so that the barren hath borne seuen: and shee that had many children, is feeble.
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 Lord kills and he revives; he sends some down to the grave, but he raises others up. (Sheol h7585)
7 The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich: bringeth lowe, and exalteth.
The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
8 He raiseth vp ye poore out of the dust, and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherite the seate of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lordes, and he hath set the world vpon them.
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.
9 Hee will keepe the feete of his Saintes, and the wicked shall keepe silence in darkenes: for in his owne might shall no man be strong.
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.
10 The Lordes aduersaries shall be destroyed, and out of heauen shall he thunder vpon them: the Lord shall iudge the endes of the worlde, and shall giue power vnto his King, and exalt the horne of his Anoynted.
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.”
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the childe did minister vnto the Lord before Eli the Priest.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
12 Now the sonnes of Eli were wicked men, and knewe not the Lord.
Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time for the Lord
13 For the Priestes custome towarde the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priestes boy came, while the flesh was seething, and a fleshhooke with three teeth, in his hand,
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.
14 And thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the panne, or into the potte: all that the fleshhooke brought vp, the Priest tooke for himselfe: thus they did vnto all the Israelites, that came thither to Shiloh.
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.
15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priests boy came and saide to the man that offered, Giue me flesh to rost for the priest: for he wil not haue sodden flesh of thee, but rawe.
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.”
16 And if any man saide vnto him, Let them burne the fatte according to the custome, then take as much as thine heart desireth: then hee would answere, No, but thou shalt giue it nowe: and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force.
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.”
17 Therefore the sinne of the yong men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
The sins of these young men were extremely serious from the Lord's perspective because they were treating with contempt the Lord's offerings.
18 Now Samuel being a yong childe ministred before the Lord, girded with a linen Ephod.
But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, wearing a linen ephod.
19 And his mother made him a litle coat, and brought it to him from yeere to yeere, when she came vp with her husband, to offer the yerely sacrifice.
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.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord giue thee seede of this woman, for the petition that she asked of the Lord: and they departed vnto their place.
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.
21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceiued, and bare three sonnes, and two daughters. And the childe Samuel grewe before the Lord.
The Lord blessed Hannah with three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 So Eli was very olde, and heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel, and howe they laye with the women that assembled at the doore of the tabernacle of the Congregation.
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.
23 And hee saide vnto them, Why doe ye such things? for of all this people I heare euill reportes of you.
He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
24 Do no more, my sonnes, for it is no good report that I heare, which is, that ye make the Lords people to trespasse.
No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
25 If one man sinne against another, the Iudge shall iudge it: but if a man sinne against the Lord, who will pleade for him? Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voyce of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
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.
26 (Nowe the childe Samuel profited and grewe, and was in fauour both with the Lord and also with men)
The boy Samuel grew physically, and also grew in the approval of both the Lord and the people.
27 And there came a man of God vnto Eli, and said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did not I plainely appeare vnto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaohs house?
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?
28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my Priest, to offer vpon mine altar, and to burne incense, and to weare an Ephod before me, and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the offrings made by fire of the children of Israel.
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.
29 Wherefore haue you kicked against my sacrifice and mine offering, which I commanded in my Tabernacle, and honourest thy children aboue mee, to make your selues fatte of the first fruites of all the offerings of Israel my people?
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.
30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I saide, that thine house and the house of thy father should walke before mee for euer: but nowe the Lord saith, It shall not be so: for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, shall be despised.
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.
31 Beholde, the dayes come, that I will cut off thine arme, and the arme of thy fathers house, that there shall not be an olde man in thine house.
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.
32 And thou shalt see thine enemie in the habitation of the Lord in all thinges wherewith God shall blesse Israel, and there shall not be an olde man in thine house for euer.
You will see tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
33 Neuerthelesse, I will not destroy euery one of thine from mine altar, to make thine eyes to faile, and to make thine heart sorowfull: and all ye multitude of thine house shall die when they be men.
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.
34 And this shalbe a signe vnto thee, that shall come vpon thy two sonnes Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both.
Here is a sign for you that this will happen regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both will die on the same day.
35 And I will stirre me vp a faithfull Priest, that shall do according to mine heart and according to my minde: and I wil build him a sure house, and he shall walke before mine Anointed for euer.
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.
36 And all that are left in thine house, shall come and bowe downe to him for a piece of siluer and a morsell of bread, and shall say, Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the priestes offices, that I may eate a morsell of bread.
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.’”
