1 Samuel 2

Hannahs Prayer

1 And Hannah prayed and said: And Hannah prayed and said: My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.2 No one is holy like the Lord, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.3 Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.5  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.6 The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lords, And He has set the world upon them.9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail.10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

The Wicked Sons of Eli

12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.13 And the priests custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priests servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priests servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.16 And if the man said to him, They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires, he would then answer him, No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

Samuels Childhood Ministry

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home.21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

Prophecy Against Elis Household

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.23 So he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lords people transgress.25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him? Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus says the Lord: Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaohs house?28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the Lord says: Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your fathers house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.

1 Samuel 2

Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer

1 Hannah prayed,t
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horns is exalted high because of the Lord.
I loudly denouncet my enemies,
for I am happy that you delivered me.t

2 No one is holys like the Lord!
There is no one other than you!
There is no rockt like our God!

3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly,t
letting proud talk come out of your mouth!
For the Lord is a God who knows;
hes evaluates what people do.

4 The bows of warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,
but the hungry no longer lack.
Evens the barren woman gives birth to seven,s
but the one with many children withers away.t

6 The Lord both kills and gives life;
he brings down to the gravet and raises up.

7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.

8 He lifts the weakt from the dust;
he raisest the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes
and to bestow on them an honored position.t
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has placed the world on them.

9 He watches overt his holy ones,s
but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,
for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.

10 The Lord shatterst his adversaries;s
he thunders against them fromt the heavens.
The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.
He will strengthent his king
and exalt the powert of his anointed one.”ss

11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision oft Eli the priest.

Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office

12 The sons of Eli were wicked men.t They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.t13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way:t Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged forks in his hand.

14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelitest when they came there to Shiloh.
15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”t

16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No!s Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”

17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for theys treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice.20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendantst from this woman to replace the one that shet dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to theirt home.

21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary.t
22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israelt and how they used to have sex witht the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting.23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all theses people.24 This ought not to be,t my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good.

25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sonst would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decidedt to kill them.

26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

The Lord Judges the House of Eli

27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainlyt reveal myself to your ancestor’st house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?28 I chose your ancestort from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites.

29 Why are yous scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place?t You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did sayt that your house and your ancestor’s house would servet me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be!t For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strengtht and the strengtht of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place!t Israel will experience blessings,t but there will not be an old man in yours house for all time.t33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause yours eyes to failt and will cause you grief.t All of those born to your familyt will die in the prime of life.s34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons,t Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die!35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynastyt and he will serve my chosen one for all time.t

36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little moneyt and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’”