1 Samuel 2
2
1And Hannah prayed:#Hannah appeals to a God who maintains order by keeping human affairs in balance, reversing the fortunes of the arrogant, who, like Peninnah, boast of their good fortune (vv. 1, 3, 9) at the expense of those like Hannah who receive less from the Lord. Hannah’s admission places her among the faithful who trust that God will execute justice on their behalf. The reference “his king…his anointed” (v. 10) recalls the final sentence of the Book of Judges and introduces the kingship theme that dominates the Books of Samuel.
“My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted by my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in your victory.#Dt 33:17; 2 Sm 22:3; Ps 18:2; 89:18; Is 61:10; Lk 1:47, 69.
2There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.#2 Sm 22:3; Ps 18:2.
3Speak boastfully no longer,
Do not let arrogance issue from your mouths.#Speak…mouths: addressed to the enemies mentioned in v. 1.
For an all-knowing God is the Lord,
a God who weighs actions.#Ps 75:5–6.
4“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.#Is 40:29.
5The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry no longer have to toil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.#Ru 4:15; Jer 15:9.
6“The Lord puts to death and gives life,
casts down to Sheol and brings up again.#Dt 32:39; Tb 4:19; Jb 5:11; Ps 30:4; Wis 16:13; Lk 1:52.
7The Lord makes poor and makes rich,
humbles, and also exalts.
8He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and he has set the world upon them.#Jb 9:6; 38:6; Ps 75:4; 104:5; 113:8; 121:3.
9He guards the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness;
for not by strength does one prevail.
10The Lord’s foes shall be shattered;
the Most High in heaven thunders;
the Lord judges the ends of the earth.
May he give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed!”#Ps 98:9.
11When Elkanah returned home to Ramah, the child remained in the service of the Lord under the priest Eli.
Wickedness of Eli’s Sons. 12Now the sons of Eli were wicked; they had respect neither for the Lord 13nor for the priests’ duties toward the people. When someone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork, while the meat was still boiling,#Ex 29:27–28; Lv 7:29–36; Dt 18:3. 14and would thrust it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They treated all the Israelites who came to the sanctuary at Shiloh in this way. 15In fact, even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one offering the sacrifice, “Give me some meat to roast for the priest. He will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.” 16And if this one protested, “Let the fat be burned first, then take whatever you wish,” he would reply, “No, give it to me now, or else I will take it by force.”#Lv 3:3–5; Nm 18:17. 17Thus the young men sinned grievously in the presence of the Lord, treating the offerings to the Lord with disdain.
The Lord Rewards Hannah. 18Meanwhile the boy Samuel, wearing a linen ephod,#Linen ephod: not the same as the high priest’s ephod (Ex 28:6–14) or the ephod used in divination (v. 28). Samuel wore the same kind of a ceremonial garment as the priests did (1 Sm 22:18). David also wore an ephod when he danced before the ark (2 Sm 6:14). was serving in the presence of the Lord. 19His mother used to make a little garment for him, which she would bring him each time she went up with her husband to offer the customary sacrifice. 20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, as they were leaving for home. He would say, “May the Lord repay you with children from this woman for the gift she has made to the Lord!” 21The Lord favored Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three more sons and two daughters, while young Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.#1 Sm 3:19.
Eli’s Futile Rebuke. 22When Eli was very old, he kept hearing how his sons were treating all Israel, and that they were behaving promiscuously#Behaving promiscuously: this part of the verse, which recalls Ex 38:8, is a gloss; it is lacking in the oldest Greek translation, and in 4QSama. with the women serving at the entry of the meeting tent. 23So he said to them: “Why are you doing such things? I hear from everyone that your behavior is depraved. 24Stop this, my sons! The report that I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. 25If someone sins against another, anyone can intercede for the sinner with the Lord; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who can intercede#Who can intercede: Eli’s sons fail to understand that their crime is directly against God and that God will punish them for it. Their behavior is set in sharp contrast to Samuel’s, which meets with God’s approval. for the sinner?” But they disregarded their father’s warning, since the Lord wanted them dead. 26Meanwhile, young Samuel was growing in stature and in worth in the estimation of the Lord and the people.#Lk 2:52.
The Fate of Eli’s House.#These verses describe the punishment of Eli from a point of view contemporary with the reform of Josiah (2 Kgs 23:9; cf. v. 36); they hint at the events recorded in 1 Sm 22:18–23 and 1 Kgs 2:27. The older story of this divine warning occurs in 1 Sm 3:11–14. A man of God: often an anonymous figure whose speech foreshadows events in the near future. Cf. 1 Sm 9:6; 1 Kgs 13:1; 2 Kgs 23:16–17. 27A man of God came to Eli and said to him: “Thus says the Lord: I went so far as to reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt as slaves to the house of Pharaoh. 28I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod#Ephod: a portable container, presumably of cloth, for the lots used in ritual consultation of God during the days of the Judges (Jgs 17:5; 18:14–15) and into the time of David (1 Sm 14:3; 23:6–9; 30:7–8). Attached to the ephod of the high priest described in Ex 28:6–8 is a “breastpiece of decision” which symbolized, but did not facilitate, such consultation. The Exodus text codifies a later form of the tradition. in my presence; and I assigned all the fire offerings of the Israelites to your father’s house.#1 Sm 23:9; 30:7–8; Jgs 17:5. 29Why do you stare greedily at my sacrifices and at the offerings that I have prescribed? Why do you honor your sons more than you honor me, fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel? 30#2 Sm 22:26; 1 Kgs 2:27; Ps 18:25. This, therefore, is the oracle of the Lord, the God of Israel: I said in the past that your family and your father’s house should minister in my presence forever. But now—oracle of the Lord: Far be it from me! I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me shall be cursed. 31Yes, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your family lives to old age. 32You shall witness, like a disappointed rival, all the benefits enjoyed by Israel, but no member of your household shall ever grow old. 33I will leave you one man at my altar to wear out his eyes and waste his strength, but the rest of your family shall die by the sword. 34This is a sign for you—what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Both of them will die on the same day.#1 Sm 4:11. 35I will choose a faithful priest who shall do what I have in heart and mind. I will establish a lasting house for him and he shall serve in the presence of my anointed forever. 36Then whoever is left of your family will grovel before him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, saying: Please assign me a priestly function, that I may have a crust of bread to eat.”#2 Kgs 23:9.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
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.