Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

Then Hannah (A)prayed and said,

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
(B)My [a]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (C)I rejoice in Your salvation.
(D)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (E)there is no one besides You,
(F)Nor is there any rock like our God.
Do not go on [c]boasting so very proudly,
(G)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(H)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(I)And [d]with Him actions are weighed.
(J)The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
(K)But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
(L)Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
But (M)she who has many children languishes.
(N)The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
(O)He brings down to [e]Sheol and brings up.
(P)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(Q)He humbles, He also exalts.
(R)He raises the poor from the dust,
(S)He lifts the needy from the garbage heap
(T)To seat them with nobles,
And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
(U)For the pillars of the earth are the Lords,
And He set the world on them.
(V)He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
(W)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(X)For not by might shall a person prevail.
10 (Y)Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified;
(Z)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(AA)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(AB)And He will give strength to His king,
(AC)And will exalt the [f]horn of His anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went to his home at (AD)Ramah. (AE)But the boy continued to attend to the service of the Lord before Eli the priest.

The Sin of Eli’s Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were [g](AF)useless men; they did not know the Lord. 13 (AG)And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 And he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They did so in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before (AH)they [h]burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “They must [i]burn the fat [j]first, then take as much as [k]you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you must give it to me now; and if not, I am taking it by force!” 17 And so the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men (AI)treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.

Samuel before the Lord as a Boy

18 Now (AJ)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy (AK)wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make for him a little (AL)robe and bring it up to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer (AM)the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would (AN)bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you [l]children from this woman in place of the [m]one she (AO)requested of the Lord.” And they went to their own [n]home.

21 [o](AP)The Lord indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (AQ)the boy Samuel grew up [p]before the Lord.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard about (AR)everything that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they slept with (AS)the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good (AT)which I hear the Lords people circulating. 25 If one person sins against another, (AU)God will mediate for him; but (AV)if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the (AW)Lord desired to put them to death.

26 Now the boy (AX)Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the Lord and with people.

27 Then (AY)a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(AZ)Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 (BA)Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me? And did I not (BB)give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 Why are you [q](BC)showing contempt for My sacrifice and My offering (BD)which I have commanded for My (BE)dwelling, and why are you (BF)honoring your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [r]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘(BG)I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father was to walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for (BH)those who honor Me I will honor, and those (BI)who despise Me will be insignificant. 31 Behold, (BJ)the days are coming when I will eliminate your [s]strength and the [t]strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will look at (BK)the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that [u]I do for Israel; and there will never be an (BL)old man in your house. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar, [v]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the [w]increase of your house will die [x]in the prime of life. 34 And this will be (BM)the sign to you which will come in regard to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: (BN)on the same day both of them will die. 35 But (BO)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and (BP)I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before (BQ)My anointed always. 36 And everyone who is left in your house will come to bow down to him for a [y]silver coin or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [z]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 I.e., strength
  2. 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
  3. 1 Samuel 2:3 Lit talk much
  4. 1 Samuel 2:3 Or disgraceful actions have no place
  5. 1 Samuel 2:6 I.e., the netherworld
  6. 1 Samuel 2:10 I.e., strength
  7. 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial
  8. 1 Samuel 2:15 Lit offered up in smoke
  9. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit offer up in smoke
  10. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit as the day
  11. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit your soul desires
  12. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit seed
  13. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit request
  14. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
  15. 1 Samuel 2:21 Or When the Lord visited...then she; DSS And the Lord visited
  16. 1 Samuel 2:21 Lit with
  17. 1 Samuel 2:29 Lit giving a kick to
  18. 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
  19. 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
  20. 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
  21. 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
  22. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to make your eyes fail and to grieve your soul
  23. 1 Samuel 2:33 I.e., new children
  24. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
  25. 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
  26. 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach

Hannah’s Prayer

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.

“There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock(H) like our God.

“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)

“The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
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.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
    he humbles and he exalts.(T)
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.
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.

“He will give strength(AH) to his king
    and exalt the horn(AI) of his anointed.”

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. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
  2. 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
  3. 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
  4. 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
  5. 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.