1 Samuel 2
1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD in whom my horn is exalted. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none beside thee; and there is not any rock like our God.
There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth; for a God of knowledge is the Lord, and by him are actions weighed.
Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.
4 The bow of the mighty is broken, and those that stumbled are girded with strength.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.
5 They that were full hire themselves out for bread; and they that were hungry cease [from labor]: while the barren hath born seven, she that hath many children fadeth away.
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.
The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (Sheol h7585)
7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: he bringeth low and also lifteth up.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
8 He raiseth up out of the dust the poor, from the dunghill he lifteth up the needy, to set them among nobles, and he assigneth them the throne of glory; for the Lord's are the pillars of the earth, on which he hath set the world.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.
9 He ever guardeth the feet of his pious ones, and the wicked shall be made silent in darkness; for not by strength can man prevail.
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
10 The Lord—his adversaries will be crushed; out of heaven will he thunder upon them: the Lord will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and lift up the horn of his anointed.
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the lad was ministering unto the Lord before 'Eli the priest.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 And the sons of 'Eli were worthless men: they knew not the Lord.
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD
13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while [the man] was seething the flesh, with a fork with three teeth in his hand;
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
14 And he struck it into the pan, or the kettle, or the caldron, or the pot; [and] all that the fork brought up the priest took away with it. So did they unto all the Israelites that came thither, to Shiloh.
and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 Even before they had yet burnt the fat, the priest's servant would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not take from thee sodden flesh, but raw.
Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely presently burn the fat, and then take whatever thy soul may long for: then would he say, No; but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force.
And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”
17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord.
Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the Lord, being a lad, girded with a linen ephod.
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little overcoat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20 And 'Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, May the Lord give thee seed from this woman instead of the loan who is lent to the Lord. And they went back unto his place.
And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home.
21 And truly the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the lad Samuel grew up before the Lord.
So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
22 Now 'Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel; and how they would lie with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
23 And he said unto them, Why will ye do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.
24 No, my sons; for the report that I hear is not good, which the Lord's people spread abroad.
No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if against the Lord a man should sin, who shall pray for him? Nevertheless would they not hearken unto the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to slay them.
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.
26 And the lad Samuel was constantly growing and increasing in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.
27 And there came a man of God unto 'Eli, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Did I [not] appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?
Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house?
28 And did I [not] choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to me as a priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I [not] give unto the house of thy father all the fire-offerings of the children of Israel?
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.
29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my meat-offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation? and [why] honoredst thou thy sons above me, to fatten yourselves with the first of every offering of Israel my people?
Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’
30 Therefore saith the Lord the God of Israel, I had indeed said, Thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever; but now, saith the Lord, Be it far from me; for those that honor me will I honor, and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
31 Behold, days are coming, that I will hew off thy arm, and the arm of thy father's house, so that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no older man will be left in your house.
32 And thou shalt behold a rival in my habitation, in all that by which he will do good for Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thy house in all times.
You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
33 And yet I will not cut off the men descended from thee from my altar, to consume thy eyes, and to grieve thy soul: and all the increase of thy house shall die as [vigorous] men.
And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, your eyes will fail and your heart will grieve. All your descendants will die by the sword of men.
34 And this shall be unto thee the sign, that shall happen on thy two sons, on Chophni and Phinehas: On one day shall they, both of them, die.
And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
35 And I will raise up to me a faithful priest, who shall do in accordance with what is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build for him an enduring house; and he shall walk before my anointed in all times.
Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.
36 And it shall come to pass, that whoever is left in thy house shall come to bow down to him for a gera of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Attach me, I pray thee, unto one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”
