1 Samuel 2

1 At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.

3 Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.

5 The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.

6 The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.

8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.

9 He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.

10 Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD

13 or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling

14 and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

15 Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”

17 Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.

19 Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home.

21 So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

23 “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.

24 No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.

25 If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house?

28 And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.

29 Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’

30 Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.

31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in it will reach old age.

32 You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.

33 And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, I will cause your eyes to fail and your heart to grieve. All your descendants will die by the sword of men.

34 And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.

35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.

36 And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”

1 ¶ And 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.

2 [There is] none holy as the LORD: for [there is] none beside thee: neither [is there] any rock like our God.

3 Talk 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.

4 The bows of the mighty men [are] broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 [They 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.

6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He 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.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The 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.

11 ¶ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli [were] sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

13 And 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;

14 And 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.

15 Also 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.

16 And [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.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, [being] a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover 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.

20 And 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.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now 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.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

24 Nay, my sons; for [it is] no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.

25 If 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.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

27 ¶ And 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?

28 And 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?

29 Wherefore 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?

30 Wherefore 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.

31 Behold, 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.

32 And 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.

33 And 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.

34 And 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.

35 And 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.

36 And 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.

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart is glad in the LORD; my horn is lifted up in the LORD. My mouth is opened wide against mine enemies: for I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy, save the LORD: there is none beside thee, neither is there any stronghold, as our God is.

3 Forsake your great boasting and your boasting, and let out of your mouth that which is old: for the LORD is a God that knoweth, and suffereth not such boasting to prosper.

4 The bow of the strong is broken, and the weak are girded with strength.

5 They that were full were sold for bread, and they that famished hungered no more, till the barren woman bare seven, and she that had many children fainted.

6 The LORD killeth, and quickeneth; he bringeth into hell, and bringeth out again.

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and exalteth.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and exalteth the needy out of the dunghill, to set him among princes, and to make him inherit the throne of honour. For the end of the world is the LORD'S, and he hath set the foundation of the earth upon it.

9 He shall keep the feet of his saints: but the wicked shall be destroyed in darkness: for much fortune profiteth no man.

10 They that dispute with the LORD shall perish: upon them shall he thunder in heaven. The LORD shall judge the end of the world; he shall give power unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramath unto his house: and the lad was the LORD'S servant before Eli the priest.

12 But the sons of Eli were wicked men: they inquired not after the LORD,

13 Nor according to the law of the priests unto the people. And if any man would offer any thing, the priest's lad came, because the meat was boiling, having one with three prongs in his hand;

14 And he thrust it into the crucible, or into the caldron, or into the pan, or into the pot: and that which he brought forth with the crucible the priest took away. So they did unto all Israel that were come to Shiloh.

15 And it came to pass in like manner, before they had kindled the fat, that the priest's lad came and said unto him that offered the sacrifice, Give me the flesh to roast for the priest: for he will not take flesh of thee cooked, but raw.

16 And it came to pass, when any man said unto him, Let the fat be burned as it is fit to be burned to day, and afterward take that which thy heart desireth, that he said unto him, Thou shalt give it me now: if not, I will take it by force.

17 Therefore the sin of the children was very great in the sight of the LORD: for the people blasphemed the meat offering of the LORD.

18 And Samuel was a servant before the LORD: and the lad was girded with a linen ephod.

19 For this his mother made him a little skirt, and brought it up to him in his season, when she went up with her husband to offer the sacrifices in his season.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which she asked of the LORD. And they went to their place.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And Samuel the lad increased with the LORD.

22 And Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and that they slept with the women that ministered at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he said unto them: Why do ye these things? For I hear your wickedness from all this people.

24 Not so, my children, this is not a good cry that I hear. Ye do transgress the LORD'S people.

25 If a man sin against a man, the judge is able to make him whole. But if any man sin against the LORD, who can plead for him? But they hearkened not unto their father's voice: for the LORD purposed to kill them.

26 But the lad Samuel went and increased, and was accepted of the LORD, and of men.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, I have manifested myself unto thy father's house, while they were yet in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house,

28 And I have chosen him there for me in the sight of all the tribes of Israel for the priesthood, to offer upon mine altar, and to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me: and I have given unto thy father's house all the fires of the children of Israel.

29 Wherefore then hast thou lusted against my sacrifices and my meat offerings, which I have commanded in the tabernacle? And thou honouredst thy sons more than me, that ye should eat of the best of all the meat offerings of my people Israel.

30 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have said, Thy house and thy father's house shall walk before me for ever. But now saith the LORD, Be it far from me: but whosoever shall honour me, him will I honour also: but whosoever shall despise me, him shall he despise again.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will break in twain thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, and there shall be no age in thine house.

32 And thou shalt see thine adversary in the tabernacle of all good that shall come unto Israel: and there shall be no age in thy father's house for ever.

33 But I will not cut off from thee any man from off mine altar, that thine eyes may fail, and that thy soul may mourn: and all the multitude of thy house shall die, when they have become men.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, which shall come upon thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: in one day shall they both die.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, which shall do according to mine heart and according to my soul: and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And he that is left of thy house shall come and fall down before him for a penny of silver and for a morsel of bread, and shall say, Let me to a priest's portion, that I may eat a morsel of bread.