Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 2
2
1Then Hannah prayed; she said:
“My heart exults in Adonai!
My dignity has been restored by Adonai!
I can gloat over my enemies,
because of my joy at your saving me.
2“No one is as holy as Adonai,
because there is none to compare with you,
no rock like our God.
3“Stop your proud boasting!
Don’t let arrogance come from your mouth!
For Adonai is a God of knowledge,
and he appraises actions.
4The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the feeble are armed with strength.
5The well-fed hire themselves for bread,
while those who were hungry hunger no more.
The barren woman has borne seven,
while the mother of many wastes away.
6“Adonai kills and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave, and he brings up.
7Adonai makes poor, and he makes rich;
he humbles, and he exalts.
8He raises the poor from the dust,
lifts up the needy from the trash pile;
he gives them a place with leaders
and assigns them seats of honor.
“For the earth’s pillars belong to Adonai;
on them he has placed the world.
9He will guard the steps of his faithful,
but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.
For it is not by strength that a person prevails —
10those who fight Adonai will be shattered;
he will thunder against them in heaven —
Adonai will judge the ends of the earth.
He will strengthen his king
and enhance the power of his anointed.”
11Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the child began ministering to Adonai under the direction of ‘Eli the cohen.
12‘Eli’s sons were scoundrels who had no regard for Adonai. 13The rule these cohanim followed in dealing with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the cohen’s servant would come, while the meat was stewing, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14He would stick it in the pan, kettle, caldron or pot; and the cohen would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they dealt with all the people of Isra’el who came there to Shiloh. 15The cohen’s servant would actually come before the fat had burned to smoke and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the cohen meat he can roast; because he doesn’t want your meat stewed, but raw.” 16If the man answered, “First let the fat burn to smoke, then take as much as you want,” he would say, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17The sin of these young men was very serious in Adonai’s view, because they treated offerings made to Adonai with contempt.
18But Sh’mu’el ministered in the presence of Adonai, wearing a linen ritual vest even though he was only a child. 19Each year his mother would make him a little coat and bring it when she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20‘Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Adonai give you children from this woman because of the boy you have loaned to Adonai”; then they would go home. 21So Adonai took notice of Hannah, and she conceived and bore three more sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Sh’mu’el grew in the presence of Adonai.
22When ‘Eli was very old, he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Isra’el, and that they were having sex with the women doing service at the door of the tent of meeting. 23He asked them, “Why are you doing things like this? I am hearing bad reports about you from all these people. 24No, my sons, I don’t hear Adonai’s people spreading a single good report! 25If a person commits a sin against another person, the judges can mediate between them. But if a person commits a sin against Adonai, who can intercede for him?” However, they wouldn’t pay attention to what their father said, because Adonai had decided to kill them.
26The child Sh’mu’el kept growing and gaining favor both with Adonai and with people.
27A man of God came to ‘Eli and told him, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your ancestor’s clan when they were in Egypt, serving as slaves in Pharaoh’s household? 28Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Isra’el to be my cohen, go up to my altar, burn incense and wear a ritual vest in my presence? Didn’t I assign to your ancestor’s clan all the offerings of the people of Isra’el made by fire? 29So why are you showing such disrespect for my sacrifices and offerings, which I ordered to be made at my dwelling? Why do you show more honor to your sons than to me, making yourselves fat with the choicest parts of all the offerings of Isra’el my people?’
30“Therefore Adonai the God of Isra’el says, ‘I did indeed say that your family and your father’s family would walk in my presence forever.’ But now Adonai says, ‘Forget it! I respect those who respect me, but those who despise me will meet with contempt. 31The day is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s family, so that no one in your family will live to old age. 32At a time when Isra’el is prospering, you will see a rival in my Dwelling; and never will anyone in your family live to old age. 33Still, I won’t cut off every one of your men from my altar; because that would make your eyes grow dim, and you would waste away. Nevertheless, all your descendants will die young. 34Your sign that this will occur will be what happens to your two sons Hofni and Pinchas — they will both die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful cohen who will do what I want and what I intend. I will make his family faithful, and he will serve in the presence of my anointed one forever. 36Everyone left in your family will come, prostrate himself before him for a silver coin or a loaf of bread, and say, “Please, won’t you give me some work as a cohen, so I can have a scrap of bread to eat?”’”
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Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 2: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Kings 2
2
1My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I have joyed in thy salvation.
2There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee, and there is none strong like our God.
3Do not multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters depart from your mouth. For the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to him are thoughts prepared.
4The bow of the mighty is overcome: and the weak are girt with strength.
5They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled; so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.
6The Lord killeth and maketh alive: he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again.
7The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: he humbleth and he exalteth.
8He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord's, and upon them he hath set the world.
9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness: because no man shall prevail by his own strength.
10The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he thunder in the heavens. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth: and he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ.
11And Elcana went to Ramatha, to his house: but the child ministered in the sight of the Lord before the face of Heli the priest.
12Now the sons of Heli were children of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
13Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14And thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the pot, or into the pan: and all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took to himself. Thus did they to all Israel that came to Silo.
15Also before they burnt the fat, the servant of the priest came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give me flesh to boil for the priest: for I will not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw.
16And he that sacrificed said to him: Let the fat first be burnt to-day according to the custom, and then take as much as thy soul desireth. But he answered and said to him: Not so; but thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it by force.
17Wherefore the sin of the young men was exceeding great before the Lord: because they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord.
18But Samuel ministered before the face of the Lord: being a child girded with a linen ephod.
19And his mother made him a little coat, which she brought to him on the appointed days, when she went up with her husband, to offer the solemn sacrifice.
20And Heli blessed Elcana and his wife. And he said to him: The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for the loan thou hast lent to the Lord. And they went to their own home.
21And the Lord visited Anna, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel became great before the Lord.
22Now Heli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel: and how they lay with the women that waited at the door of the tabernacle.
23And he said to them: Why do ye these kinds of things, which I hear, very wicked things, from all the people?
24Do not so, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, that you make the people of the Lord to transgress.
25If one man shall sin against another, God may be appeased in his behalf: but if a man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him? And they hearkened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26But the child Samuel advanced, and grew on, and pleased both the Lord and men.
27And there came a man of God to Heli, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Did I not plainly appear to thy father's house, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharao?
28And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, and burn incense to me, and to wear the ephod before me: and I gave to thy father's house of all the sacrifices of the children of Israel.
29Why have you kicked away my victims, and my gifts which I commanded to be offered in the temple: and thou hast rather honoured thy sons than me, to eat the first-fruits of every sacrifice of my people Israel?
30Wherefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should minister in my sight, for ever. But now saith the Lord: Far be this from me. But whosoever shall glorify me, him will I glorify; but they that despise me, shall be despised.
31Behold, the days come: and I will cut off thy arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
32And thou shalt see thy rival in the temple, in all the prosperity of Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.
33However I will not altogether take away a man of thee from my altar: but that thy eyes may faint and thy soul be spent. And a great part of thy house shall die when they come to man's estate.
34And this shall be a sign to thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, Ophni and Phinees: In one day they shall both of them die.
35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according to my heart, and my soul; and I will build him a faithful house; and he shall walk all days before my anointed.
36And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall remain in thy house shall come that he may be prayed for; and shall offer a piece of silver, and a roll of bread; and shall say: Put me, I beseech thee, to somewhat of the priestly office, that I may eat a morsel of bread.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.