1 Samuel 2
2
Hannah’s Prayer
1Then Hannah prayed. She said,
“The Lord has filled my heart with joy.
He has made me strong.
I can laugh at my enemies.
I’m so glad he saved me.
2“There isn’t anyone holy like the Lord.
There isn’t anyone except him.
There isn’t any Rock like our God.
3“Don’t keep talking so proudly.
Don’t let your mouth say such proud things.
The Lord is a God who knows everything.
He judges everything people do.
4“The bows of great heroes are broken.
But those who trip and fall are made strong.
5Those who used to be full have to work for food.
But those who used to be hungry aren’t hungry anymore.
The woman who couldn’t have children has seven of them now.
But the woman who has had many children is sad now because hers have died.
6“The Lord causes people to die. He also gives people life.
He brings people down to the grave. He also brings people up from death.
7The Lord makes people poor. He also makes people rich.
He brings people down. He also lifts people up.
8He raises poor people up from the trash pile.
He lifts needy people out of the ashes.
He lets them sit with princes.
He gives them places of honor.
“The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord.
On them he has set the world.
9He guards the paths of his faithful servants.
But evil people will lie silent in their dark graves.
“People don’t win just because they are strong.
10Those who oppose the Lord will be totally destroyed.
The Most High God will thunder from heaven.
The Lord will judge the earth from one end to the other.
“He will give power to his king.
He will give honor to his anointed one.”
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli the priest.
Eli’s Evil Sons
12Eli’s sons were good for nothing. They didn’t honor the Lord. 13When any of the people came to offer a sacrifice, here is what the priests would do. While the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a large fork in his hand. 14He would stick the fork into the pan or pot or small or large kettle. Then the priest would take for himself everything the fork brought up. That’s how Eli’s sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come over. He would speak to the person who was offering the sacrifice. He would say, “Give the priest some meat to cook. He won’t accept boiled meat from you. He’ll only accept raw meat.”
16Sometimes the person would say to him, “Let the fat be burned first. Then take what you want.” But the servant would answer, “No. Hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it away from you by force.”
17That sin of Eli’s sons was very great in the Lord’s sight. That’s because they were not treating his offering with respect.
18But the boy Samuel served the Lord. He wore a sacred linen apron. 19Each year his mother made him a little robe. She took it to him when she went up to Shiloh with her husband. She did it when her husband went to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman. May they take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21The Lord was gracious to Hannah. Over a period of years she had three more sons and two daughters. During that whole time the boy Samuel grew up serving the Lord.
22Eli was very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to all the Israelites. He also heard how his sons were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23So Eli said to his sons, “Why are you doing these things? All the people are telling me about the evil things you are doing. 24No, my sons. The report I hear isn’t good. And it’s spreading among the Lord’s people. 25If a person sins against someone else, God can help that sinner. But if anyone sins against the Lord, who can help them?” In spite of what their father Eli said, his sons didn’t pay any attention to his warning. That’s because the Lord had already decided to put them to death.
26The boy Samuel continued to grow stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to the Lord and to people.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Family
27A man of God came to Eli. He told him, “The Lord says, ‘I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s rule. 28At that time, I chose Aaron from your family line to be my priest. I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29Why don’t you treat my sacrifices and offerings with respect? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?’
30“The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, ‘I promised that members of your family line would serve me as priests forever.’ But now the Lord announces, ‘I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. 31The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family line of priests. No one in your family line will grow old. 32You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no one in your family line will ever grow old. 33I will prevent the members of your family from serving me at my altar. I will destroy the eyesight of all of you I allow to live. I will also cause you to lose your strength. And everyone in your family line will die while they are still young.
34“ ‘Something is going to happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line of priests very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. 36Everyone left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread. They will say, “Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat.” ’ ”
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1 Samuel 2: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Samuel 2
2
Hannah’s Triumphant Prayer
1Hannah prayed: # Ps 72:20; Hab 3:1; Lk 1:46-55
My heart rejoices in the Lord; # Ps 75:4-5,10; 92:10
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in Your salvation. # Is 12:2-3
2There is no one holy like the Lord. # Ex 15:11
There is no one besides You! # 2Sm 22:32
And there is no rock like our God. # 2Sm 7:22; Ps 18:31
3Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by Him. # Pr 16:2; 24:12
4The bows of the warriors are broken, # Ps 37:15; 46:9
but the feeble are clothed with strength. # Ps 18:39; Heb 11:32-34
5Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, # Ru 4:15; Ps 113:9
but the woman with many sons pines away. # Jr 15:9
6The Lord brings death and gives life; # Dt 32:39
He sends some to Sheol, and He raises others up. # Is 26:19
7The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth; # Dt 8:17-18
He humbles and He exalts. # Jb 15:11; Jms 4:10
8He raises the poor from the dust # Jb 42:10-12; Ps 75:7
and lifts the needy from the garbage pile. # 2Sm 7:8; Dn 2:48; Jms 2:5
He seats them with noblemen # Jb 36:7
and gives them a throne of honor. # DSS, LXX add He gives the vow of the one who makes a vow and He blesses the years of the just
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; # Jb 38:4-6; Ps 75:3
He has set the world on them. # Ps 113:7-8
9He guards the steps # Lit feet of His faithful ones, # Ps 91:11-12; 1Pt 1:5
but the wicked perish in darkness, # Mt 8:12
for a man does not prevail by his own strength. # Ps 33:16-17
10Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered; # DSS, LXX read The Lord shatters those who dispute with Him # Ps 2:9
He will thunder in the heavens against them. # 1Sm 7:10; Ps 18:13-14
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. # Ps 96:13; 98:9
He will give power to His king;
He will lift up the horn of His anointed. # 1Sm 2:35; 12:3; 16:6; Ps 89:24
11Elkanah went home to Ramah, # 1Sm 1:1,19 but the boy served the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest. # 1Sm 1:28; 2:18; 3:1
Eli’s Family Judged
12Eli’s sons were wicked men; # 1Sm 1:15 they had no regard for the Lord # Jr 2:8; 9:3,6 13or for the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14and plunge it into the container or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. # Lv 7:29-34 The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15Even before the fat was burned, # Lv 3:3-5,16 the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you — only raw.” 16If that man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,” # Lv 7:25 the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force! ” 17So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt. # Mal 2:7-9
18The boy Samuel served in the Lord’s presence # 1Sm 2:11; 3:1 and wore a linen ephod. # 1Sm 2:28 19Each year his mother made him a little robe # Ex 28:31 and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. # 1Sm 1:3,21 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: # Lk 2:34 “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she # DSS; MT reads he has given to the Lord.” # 1Sm 1:11,22,28 Then they would go home.
21The Lord paid attention to Hannah’s need, # Gn 21:1 and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. # 1Sm 2:26; 3:19-21; Lk 2:40
22Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel # 1Sm 2:13-17 and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. # Ex 38:8 23He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. 24No, my sons, the report I hear from the Lord’s people is not good. 25If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? ” # Nm 15:30-31; Heb 10:26-27 But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to kill them. # Ex 5:2; 14:17-18; Jos 11:18-20 26By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men. # Lk 2:52
27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, # Dt 33:1; Jdg 13:6 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal Myself to your ancestral house when it was in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace? # Ex 4:14-16; 12:1,43 28Out of all the tribes of Israel, I selected your house # Lit selected him to be priests, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. # Ex 28:1-4 I also gave your house all the Israelite fire offerings. 29Why, then, do all of you despise My sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship? # Dt 12:5-7 You have honored your sons more than Me, # Mt 10:37 by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of My people Israel.’
30“Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel:
‘Although I said
your family and your ancestral house
would walk before Me forever, # Ex 29:9; 40:12-15; Nm 25:10-13
the Lord now says, “No longer! ”
I will honor those who honor Me, # Ps 50:23
but those who despise Me will be disgraced. # 1Kg 2:26-27
31“ ‘Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your ancestral family, so that none in your family will reach old age. # 1Sm 4:11-18; 22:17-20 32You will see distress in the place of worship, # 1Kg 2:26-27 in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age. # Zch 8:4 33Any man from your family I do not cut off from My altar will bring grief # Lit grief to your eyes and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently. # DSS, LXX read die by the sword of men # Lit die men 34This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: # 1Sm 10:7-9; 1Kg 13:3 both of them will die on the same day. # 1Sm 4:11
35“ ‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest # 1Sm 3:20 for Myself. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him, # 1Sm 8:3-5; 1Kg 11:38 and he will walk before My anointed one for all time. # 1Sm 10:9-10; 12:3; 16:13 36Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’ ”
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