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1 Samuel 2
World English Bible
1 Samuel 2
World English Bible
2 Hannah prayed, and said:
“My heart exults in Yahweh!
My horn is exalted in Yahweh.
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh,
for there is no one besides you,
nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly.
Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth,
for Yahweh is a God of knowledge.
By him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken.
Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
Those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
She who has many children languishes.
6 “Yahweh kills and makes alive.
He brings down to Sheol[a] and brings up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich.
He brings low, he also lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust.
He lifts 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 Yahweh’s.
He has set the world on them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness;
for no man will prevail by strength.
10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces.
He will thunder against them in the sky.
“Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16 If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering. 18 But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with 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. 20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring[b] from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home. 21 Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30 “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31 Behold,[c] the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes[d] and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34 This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. 36 It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
Hannah’s Prayer
2 Then Hannah prayed and said:(A)
“My heart rejoices(B) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn[a](C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(D) over my enemies,(E)
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock(H) like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(J)
and by him deeds(K) are weighed.(L)
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(P) has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
he humbles and he exalts.(T)
8 He raises(U) the poor(V) from the dust(W)
and lifts the needy(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.(Y)
“For the foundations(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet(AA) of his faithful servants,(AB)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AC)
“It is not by strength(AD) that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AE)
The Most High will thunder(AF) from heaven;
the Lord will judge(AG) the ends of the earth.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AJ) but the boy ministered(AK) before the Lord under Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard(AL) for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice(AM) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat(AN) was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat(AO) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.(AP)
18 But Samuel was ministering(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.(AR) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual(AS) sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed(AT) for and gave to[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;(AU) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew(AV) up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(AW) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(AX) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(AY) intercede(AZ) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(BA) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(BB)
Prophecy Against the House of Eli
27 Now a man of God(BC) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(BD) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(BE) and to wear an ephod(BF) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(BG) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering(BH) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(BI) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(BJ)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(BK) but those who despise(BL) me will be disdained.(BM) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(BN) 32 and you will see distress(BO) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(BP) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(BQ) will die in the prime of life.
34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(BR) to you—they will both die(BS) on the same day.(BT) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(BU) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(BV) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(BW) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(BX)”’”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
- 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
- 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
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