1 Samuel 2
1“My heart exults in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies. For I have rejoiced in your salvation.
2Nothing is holy as the Lord is holy. For there is no other beside you. And nothing is strong as our God is strong.
3Do not continue speaking of great things, boasting. Let what is old depart from your mouth. For the Lord is the God of knowledge, and thoughts are prepared for him.
4The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.
5Those who before were filled, have hired themselves out for bread. And the starving have been filled, so that the barren have given birth to many. But she who had borne many sons has become unable.
6The Lord brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again.
7The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.
8He raises up the indigent from the dust, and he lifts up the poor from filth, so that they may sit with princes, and take hold of a throne of glory. For the hinges of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the globe upon them.
9He will preserve the feet of his holy ones, and the impious will be silenced in darkness. For no man will prevail by his own strength.
10The adversaries of the Lord will dread him. And over them, he will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the parts of the earth, and he will give dominion to his king, and he will lift up the horn of his Christ.”
11And Elkanah went away to Ramah, to his house. But the boy was a minister in the sight of the Lord, before the face of Eli, the priest.
12But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
13nor the priestly office for the people. And so, no matter who had immolated a victim, the servant of the priest would arrive, while the flesh was still cooking, and he would take a three-pronged hook in his hand,
14and put it into the vessel, or into the cauldron, or into the cooking pot, or into the pan, and all that the hook lifted up, the priest took for himself. So they did to all of Israel who arrived at Shiloh.
15In addition, before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would arrive, and he would say to the one who was immolating: “Give me the flesh, so that I may boil it for the priest. For I will not accept cooked meat from you, but raw.”
16And the one who was immolating would say to him, “First, allow the fat to be burned today, according to custom, and then take for yourself whatever your soul desires.” But in response, he would say to him: “By no means. For you will give it to me now, otherwise I will take it by force.”
17Therefore, the sin of the servants was exceedingly great before the Lord. For they drew men away from the sacrifice of the Lord.
18But Samuel was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.
19And his mother fashioned a little tunic for him, which she brought to him on the appointed days, ascending with her husband, so that he might immolate the solemn sacrifice.
20And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And he said to him, “May the Lord repay to you offspring from this woman, on behalf of the loan that you offered to the Lord.” And they went away to their own place.
21Then the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the youth Samuel was magnified with the Lord.
22Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and how they were sleeping with the women who were waiting at the door of the tabernacle.
23And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?
24My sons, do not be willing. For it is no good report that I am hearing, so that you would cause the people of the Lord to transgress.
25If a man has sinned against a man, God may be able to be appeased over him. But if a man has sinned against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, that the Lord was willing to kill them.
26But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.
27Then a man of God went to Eli, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Was I not revealed openly to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?
28And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel for myself as priest, so that he might ascend to my altar, and burn incense to me, and wear the ephod before me. And I gave to the house of your father all the sacrifices of the sons of Israel.
29Why have you kicked away my victims and my gifts, which I instructed to be offered in the temple? And why have you given more honor to your sons than to me, so that you eat the first-fruits of every sacrifice of my people Israel?
30Because of this, the Lord God of Israel says: I have spoken clearly, so that your house, and the house of your father, may minister in my sight, even forever. But now the Lord says: May this be far from me. Instead, whoever will have glorified me, I will glorify him. But whoever despises me, they will be despised.
31Behold the days are arriving, when I will cut off your arm, and the arm of the house of your father, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32And you will see your rival in the temple, amid all the prosperity of Israel. And there will not be an old man in your house for all days.
33Yet truly, I will not entirely take away a man of you from my altar, but such that your eyes may fail, and your soul may melt away, and a great part of your house may die out, as it pertains to the state of men.
34But this will be a sign to you, which will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on one day they both will die.
35And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will act in accord with my heart and my soul. And I will build a faithful house for him. And he will walk before my Christ for all days.
36Then this will be in the future, that whoever will have remained of your house, he will approach so that he may pray on his behalf. And he will offer a coin of silver, and a twist of bread. And he will say: ‘Permit me, I beg you, one part of the priestly office, so that I may eat a mouthful of bread.’ ”
1And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
3Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
6The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
7The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.
12Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
13And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
18But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.
21And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
22Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress.
25If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.
27And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
29Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.