1 Samuel 2
2
Hannah’s Prayer
1Hannah prayed out loud,
“My heart finds joy in the Lord.
My head is lifted to the Lord.
My mouth mocks my enemies.
I rejoice because you saved ⌞me⌟.
2There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one but you, O Lord.
There is no Rock like our God.
3“Do not boast
⌞or⌟ let arrogance come out of your mouth
because the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and he weighs ⌞our⌟ actions.
4“The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumble are armed with strength.
5Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children,
but the mother of many children grieves all alone.
6“The Lord kills, and he gives life.
He makes ⌞people⌟ go down to the grave, and he raises them up ⌞again⌟.
7The Lord causes poverty and grants wealth.
He humbles ⌞people⌟; he also promotes them.
8He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to make them sit with nobles
and even to make them inherit a glorious throne.
“The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s.
He has set the world on them.
9He safeguards the steps of his faithful ones,
but wicked people are silenced in darkness
because humans cannot succeed by their own strength.
10“Those who oppose the Lord are broken into pieces.
He thunders at them from the heavens.
The Lord judges the ends of the earth.
He gives strength to his King
and lifts the head of his Messiah.” #2:10 Or “Anointed One.”
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy ⌞Samuel⌟ served the Lord under the priest Eli.
The Sins of Eli’s Sons
12Eli’s sons, ⌞Hophni and Phinehas,⌟ were good-for-nothing priests; they had no faith in the Lord. 13Now, this was how the priests dealt with the people who were offering sacrifices: While the meat was boiling, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14Then he would stick it into the pot, kettle, cauldron, or pan. Whatever the fork brought up ⌞from the pot⌟ belonged to the priest. This is what the priests did in Shiloh to all the people of Israel who came there ⌞to sacrifice⌟. 15But ⌞in the case of Eli’s sons,⌟ even before the people burned the fat, their servants would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the meat to the priest to roast. He doesn’t want boiled meat from you. He wants it raw.”
16If the man said to the servant, “First let the fat be burned, then take as much as you want,” the servant would say to him, “Give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17The sin of Eli’s sons was a serious matter to the Lord, because these men were treating the offerings made to the Lord with contempt.
The Faithfulness of Samuel’s Family
18Meanwhile, Samuel continued to serve in front of the Lord. As a boy he was ⌞already⌟ wearing a linen ephod.#2:18 Ephod is a technical term for a part of the priest’s clothes. Its exact usage and shape are unknown. 19His mother would make him a robe and bring it to him every year when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20Eli would bless Elkanah (and his wife) and say, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one which she has given to the Lord.” Then they would go home.
21The Lord came to Hannah. She became pregnant ⌞five times⌟ and had three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in front of the Lord.
Eli’s Family Condemned
22Now, Eli was very old, and he had heard everything that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were sleeping with the women who served at the gate of the tent of meeting. 23So he asked them, “Why are you doing such things? I hear about your wicked ways from all these people. 24Sons, the report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading isn’t good! 25If one person sins against another, God will take care of him. However, when a person sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they wouldn’t listen to their father’s warning—the Lord wanted to kill them.
26The boy Samuel continued to grow and gained the favor of the Lord and the people.
27Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were under Pharaoh’s control in Egypt. 28I chose ⌞one of your ancestors⌟ out of all the tribes of Israel to serve as my priest, to sacrifice burnt offerings on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod in my presence. And I gave your ancestors the right to keep portions of the sacrifices that the people of Israel burned on the altar. 29Why do you show no respect for my sacrifices and grain offerings that I have commanded people to make in my dwelling place? Why do you honor your sons more than me by making yourselves fat on the best of all the sacrifices offered by my people Israel?
30“Therefore, the Lord God of Israel declares: I certainly thought that your family and your father’s family would always live in my presence.
“But now the Lord declares: I promise that I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be considered insignificant. 31The time is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that no one will grow old in your family. 32You will see distress in my dwelling place. In spite of the good that I do for Israel, no one in your family will live to an old age. 33Any man in your family whom I do not remove from my altar will have his eyes fail, and he #2:33 Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek; Masoretic Text “you.” will be heartbroken. And all your descendants will die in the prime of life. 34What is going to happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you: Both of them will die on the same day. 35Then I will appoint a faithful priest to serve me. He will do everything I want him to do. I will give him faithful descendants, and he will always live as my anointed one. 36Then anyone who is left from your household will bow down in front of him to get a coin or a loaf of bread and say, ‘Please appoint me to one of the priestly classes so that I may eat a piece of bread.’ ”
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1 Samuel 2: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 2
2
Hannah’s prayer
1Then Hannah prayed and said:
‘My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn#2:1 Horn here symbolises strength; also in verse 10. is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2‘There is no-one holy like the Lord;
there is no-one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3‘Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.
4‘The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6‘The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and makes them inherit a throne of honour.
‘For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
‘It is not by strength that one prevails;
10those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
‘He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.’
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.
Eli’s wicked sons
12Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 13Now it was the practice 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 was being boiled 14and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or cauldron 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. 15But 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.’
16If the person said to him, ‘Let the fat 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.’
17This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they#2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.
18But Samuel was ministering before the Lord – a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20Eli 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 for and gave to#2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from the Lord.’ Then they would go home. 21And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23So he said to them, ‘Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25If one person sins against another, God#2:25 Or the judges may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede 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.
26And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with people.
Prophecy against the house of Eli
27Now a man of God 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? 28I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29Why do you#2:29 The Hebrew is plural. scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honour 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 for ever.” But now the Lord declares: “Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31The 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, 32and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no-one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33Every 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 will die in the prime of life.
34‘ “And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you – they will both die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, 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 one always. 36Then 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, ‘Appoint me to some priestly office so that I can have food to eat.’ ” ’
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