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1 Samuel 2
Contemporary English Version
1 Samuel 2
Contemporary English Version
2 1 (A) Hannah prayed:
You make me strong
and happy, Lord.
You rescued me.
Now I can be glad
and laugh at my enemies.
2 No other god[a] is like you.
And with you we are safer
than on a high mountain.[b]
3 I can tell those proud people,
“Stop your boasting!
Nothing is hidden from the Lord,
and he judges what we do.”
4 Our Lord, you break
the bows of warriors,
but you give strength
to everyone who stumbles.
5 People who once
had plenty to eat
must now hire themselves out
for only a piece of bread.
But you give the hungry more
than enough to eat.
A woman did not have a child,
and you gave her seven,
but a woman who had many
was left with none.
6 (B) You take away life,
and you give life.
You send people down
to the world of the dead
and bring them back again.
7 Our Lord, you are the one
who makes us rich or poor.
You put some in high positions
and bring disgrace on others.
8 You lift the poor and homeless
out of the garbage dump
and give them places of honor
in royal palaces.
You set the world on foundations,
and they belong to you.
9 You protect your loyal people,
but everyone who is evil
will die in darkness.
We cannot win a victory
by our own strength.
10 Our Lord, those who attack you
will be broken in pieces
when you fight back
with thunder from heaven.
You will judge the whole earth
and give power and strength
to your chosen king.
Samuel Stays with Eli
11 Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the Lord.
Eli's Sons
12-13 Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the Lord. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork. 14 The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to Eli's two sons. That was how they treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh. 15 Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the Lord.[c]
Then the servant would tell them, “The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!”
16 Usually the people answered, “Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the Lord.”
“No,” the servant would reply. “If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force.”
17 Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the Lord very angry.
Hannah Visits Samuel
18 The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment[d] 19 and the clothes[e] his mother made for him. She brought new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.
20 Eli always blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.
21 The Lord was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the Lord's house in Shiloh.
Eli Warns His Sons
22 Eli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.[f] 23-24 “Why are you doing these awful things?” he asked them. “I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the Lord's people. 25 If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the Lord, no one can help you!”
But the Lord had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.
A Prophet Speaks to Eli
26 (C) Each day, as Samuel grew older, the Lord was pleased with him, and so were the people.
27 One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:
When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am. 28-29 (D) Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.
But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect[g] the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.
30 I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me. 31 The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.
32 Your family[h] will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel,[i] but everyone in your family will die young. 33 If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his[j] life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death![k] 34 (E) To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.
35 I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king. 36 But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”
Footnotes
- 2.2 god: The Hebrew text has “holy one,” a term for supernatural beings or gods.
- 2.2 mountain: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 2.
- 2.15 sacrificed to the Lord: The fat belonged to the Lord and was supposed to be burned as a sacrifice before the rest of the animal was cooked and eaten (see Leviticus 3.3,4,9,10,14,15).
- 2.18 a special linen garment: Either a loin cloth or a jacket or a vest worn only by priests.
- 2.19 clothes: The Hebrew word means a sleeveless coat or robe that was worn by priests. Samuel was a small child, but his mother made him clothes just like those worn by priests.
- 2.22 Israel: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text adds “He heard that his sons were even sleeping with the women who worked at the entrance to the sacred tent.”
- 2.28,29 don't respect: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation “are greedy for.”
- 2.32 Your family: Or “My house of worship.”
- 2.31,32 Not one … to Israel: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation do not have these words.
- 2.33 his: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “your.”
- 2.33 die a violent death: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “die.”
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
1 Samuel 2
New International Version
Hannah’s Prayer
2 Then Hannah prayed and said:(A)
“My heart rejoices(B) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn[a](C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(D) over my enemies,(E)
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock(H) like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(J)
and by him deeds(K) are weighed.(L)
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(P) has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
he humbles and he exalts.(T)
8 He raises(U) the poor(V) from the dust(W)
and lifts the needy(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.(Y)
“For the foundations(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet(AA) of his faithful servants,(AB)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AC)
“It is not by strength(AD) that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AE)
The Most High will thunder(AF) from heaven;
the Lord will judge(AG) the ends of the earth.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AJ) but the boy ministered(AK) before the Lord under Eli the priest.
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard(AL) for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice(AM) 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(AN) was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron 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. 15 But 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.”
16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat(AO) 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.”
17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.(AP)
18 But Samuel was ministering(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.(AR) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual(AS) sacrifice. 20 Eli 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(AT) for and gave to[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;(AU) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew(AV) up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(AW) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(AX) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(AY) intercede(AZ) 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.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(BA) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(BB)
Prophecy Against the House of Eli
27 Now a man of God(BC) 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? 28 I chose(BD) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(BE) and to wear an ephod(BF) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(BG) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering(BH) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(BI) Why do you honor 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 forever.(BJ)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(BK) but those who despise(BL) me will be disdained.(BM) 31 The 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,(BN) 32 and you will see distress(BO) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(BP) 33 Every 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(BQ) will die in the prime of life.
34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(BR) to you—they will both die(BS) on the same day.(BT) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(BU) 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(BV) one always. 36 Then 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,(BW) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(BX)”’”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
- 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
- 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
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