1 Samuel 2
2
Hannah’s song
1Then Hannah prayed:
My heart rejoices in the LORD.
My strength#2.1 Or my horn; also in 2:10 rises up in the LORD!
My mouth mocks my enemies
because I rejoice in your deliverance.
2No one is holy like the LORD—
no, no one except you!
There is no rock like our God!
3Don’t go on and on, talking so proudly,
spouting arrogance from your mouth,
because the LORD is the God who knows,
and he weighs every act.
4The bows of mighty warriors are shattered,
but those who were stumbling now dress themselves in power!
5Those who were filled full now sell themselves for bread,
but the ones who were starving are now fat from food!
The woman who was barren has birthed seven children,
but the mother with many sons has lost them all!
6The LORD!
He brings death, gives life,
takes down to the grave,#2.6 Heb Sheol and raises up!
7The LORD!
He makes poor, gives wealth,
brings low, but also lifts up high!
8God raises the poor from the dust,
lifts up the needy from the garbage pile.
God sits them with officials,
gives them the seat of honor!
The pillars of the earth belong to the LORD;
he set the world on top of them!
9God guards the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked die in darkness
because no one succeeds by strength alone.
10The LORD!
His enemies are terrified!
God thunders against them from heaven!
The LORD!
He judges the far corners of the earth!
May God give strength to his king
and raise high the strength of his anointed one.
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy served the LORD under Eli the priest.
Corruption of Eli’s sons
12Now Eli’s sons were despicable men who didn’t know the LORD. 13This was how the priest was supposed to act with the people: Whenever anyone made a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s assistant would come with a three-pronged fork in hand. 14He would thrust it into the cauldron or the pot.#2.14 Cf DSS (4QSama); Heb has four different words for pots. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. This is how it was done for all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15But with Eli’s sons,#2.15 MT lacks with Eli’s sons. even before the fat was burned, the priest’s assistant would come and say to the person offering the sacrifice, “Give the priest some meat to roast. He won’t accept boiled meat from you.”#2.15 LXX; MT adds only raw. 16If anyone said, “Let the fat be burned off first, as usual, then take whatever you like for yourself,” the assistant would reply, “No, hand it over now. If not, I’ll take it by force.” 17The sin of these priestly assistants was very serious in the LORD’s sight because they were disrespecting the Lord’s own offering.
18Now Samuel was serving the LORD. He was a young boy, clothed in a linen priestly vest.#2.18 Heb ephod 19His mother would make a small robe for him and take it to him every year when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife: “May the LORD replace#2.20 DSS (4QSama); MT give the child of this woman that you gave back to the LORD.” Then they would return home. 21The LORD paid attention to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the LORD’s service.
22Eli was very old, but he heard everything his sons were doing to the Israelites, and how they had sex with the women who served at the meeting tent’s entrance. 23Eli said to his sons, “Why are you doing these terrible things that I’m hearing about from everybody? 24No, my sons. Don’t do this.#2.24 LXX, DSS (4QSama); MT lacks Don’t do this. The report I hear spreading among God’s people isn’t good. 25If someone sins against someone else, God can intercede; but if someone sins against the LORD, who will intercede then?” But they wouldn’t obey their father because the LORD wanted to kill them. 26Meanwhile, the boy Samuel kept growing up and was more and more liked by both the LORD and the people.
27Now a man of God came to Eli and said, “This is what the LORD says: I revealed myself very clearly to your father’s household when they were slaves#2.27 DSS (4QSama), LXX; MT lacks slaves. in Egypt to the house of Pharaoh. 28I chose your father from all of Israel’s tribes to be my priest, to go up onto my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest#2.28 Heb ephod in my presence. I also gave all of the Israelites’ food offerings to your father’s household. 29Why then do you kick my sacrifices and my offerings—the very ones I commanded for my dwelling place? Why do you respect your sons more than me, getting fat off the best parts of every offering from my people Israel? 30Because of all that, this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: I had promised that your household and your father’s household would serve me forever. But now—this is what the LORD declares: I’ll do no such thing! No. I honor those who honor me, and whoever despises me will be cursed. 31The days are coming soon when I will eliminate both your children#2.31 LXX; MT arm or power and the children of your father’s household. There won’t be an old person left in your family tree. 32You’ll see trouble in my dwelling place, though all will go well for Israel.#2.32 Heb uncertain; LXX and DSS (4QSama) omit 2:31b-32a. But there will never be an old person in your family tree. 33One of your descendants whom I don’t eliminate from serving at my altar will cry his#2.33 DSS (4QSama), LXX; MT your eyes out and be full of grief. Any descendants in your household will die by the sword.#2.33 LXX, DSS (4QSama); MT die by men or die as men 34And what happens to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas will be a sign for you: they will both die on the same day. 35Then I will establish for myself a trustworthy priest who will act in accordance with my thoughts and desires. I will build a trustworthy household for him, and he will serve before my anointed one forever. 36Anyone left from your household will come and beg him for a bit of silver or a loaf of bread, saying: ‘Please appoint me to some priestly duty so I can have a scrap of bread to eat.’”
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1 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.