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.
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 like the Lord; for there is none beside thee; and there is not any rock like our God.
There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, 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.
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 of the mighty is broken, and those that stumbled are girded with strength.
The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
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.
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 poor and maketh rich: he bringeth low and also lifteth up.
The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
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 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 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 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 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.
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 lad was ministering unto the Lord before 'Eli the priest.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
12 And the sons of 'Eli were worthless men: they knew not the Lord.
Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time 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 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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised 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 But Samuel was ministering before the Lord, being a lad, girded with a linen ephod.
But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, 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.
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, 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.
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 truly the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the lad Samuel grew up 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 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.
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 he said unto them, Why will ye do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.
He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
24 No, my sons; for the report that I hear is not good, which the Lord's people spread abroad.
No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
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 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 And the lad Samuel was constantly growing and increasing in favor 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 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?
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 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?
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.’”
