1 Samuel 2
1 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine 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 as the LORD; for there is none beside thee: neither is there 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 arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are 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 bows of the mighty men are broken, and they 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 have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased: yea, the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children languisheth.
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, he also lifteth up.
The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and he hath set the world upon 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 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for by strength shall no 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 They that strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them shall he thunder in heaven: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt 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 child did minister 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 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; 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 sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of 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 kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
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 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.
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 burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, 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 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 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, 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 made him a little robe, 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, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which was lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
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, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew 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 he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.
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 do ye 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 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.
No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
25 If one man sin against another, God shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice 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 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour 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 saith the LORD, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to 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 choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
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 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?
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 the LORD, the 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.
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, 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.
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 the affliction of [my] habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
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 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.
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 the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
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 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.
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 every one that is left in thine house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel 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.’”
