The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Samuel 02
1 Hannah prayed, and said,
“My heart exults in Yahweh!
My horn is exalted in Yahweh.
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh,
for there is no one besides you,
nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly
proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your
mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge.
By him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken.
Those who stumbled are armed with
strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
Those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
She who has many children languishes.
6 “Yahweh kills and makes alive.
He brings down to Sheol† and brings
up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich.
He brings low, he also lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust.
He lifts up the needy from the dunghill
to make them sit with princes
and inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s.
He has set the world on them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
but the wicked will be put to silence in
darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be
broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the
sky. “Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house.
The child served Yahweh before Eli the
priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men.
They didn’t know Yahweh.
13 The custom of the priests with the
people was that when anyone offered a
sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while
the meat was boiling, with a fork of three
teeth in his hand;
14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all
that the fork brought up for himself. They
did this to all the Israelites who came there
to Shiloh.
15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the
priest’s servant came, and said to the man
who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the
priest; for he will not accept boiled meat
from you, but raw.”
16 If the man said to him, “Let the fat
be burned first, and then take as much as
your soul desires;” then he would say, “No,
but you shall give it to me now; and if not,
I will take it by force.”
17 The sin of the young men was very
great before Yahweh; for the men despised
Yahweh’s offering.
18 But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child,
clothed with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little
robe, and brought it to him from year to
year when she came up with her husband
to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and
said, “May Yahweh give you offspring‡
from this woman for the petition which
was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to
their own home.
21 Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.
The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all
that his sons did to all Israel, and how that
they slept with the women who served at
the door of the Tent of Meeting.
23 He said to them, “Why do you do such
things? For I hear of your evil dealings
from all these people.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report
that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people
disobey.
25 If one man sins against another, God
will judge him; but if a man sins against
Yahweh, who will intercede for him?”
Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the
voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and
also with men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to
him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to
thehouse of your father whenthey were in
Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?
28 Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes
of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my
altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod
before me? Didn’t I give to the house of
your father all the offerings ofthe children
of Israel made by fire?
29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at
my offering, which I have commanded in
my habitation, and honor your sons above
me, to make yourselves fat with the best of
all the offerings of Israel my people?’
30 “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel,
says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the
house of your father should walk before
me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be
it from me; for those who honor me I will
honor, and those who despise me will be
cursed.
31 Behold,§ the days come that I will cut
off your arm and the arm of your father’s
house, that there will not be an old man in
your house.
32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give
Israel. There shall not be an old man in
your house forever.
33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off
from my altar will consume your eyes† and
grieve your heart. All the increase of your
house will die in the flower of their age.
34 This will be the sign to you that will
come on your two sons, on Hophni and
Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
35 I will raise up a faithful priest for
myself who will do according to that which
is in my heart and in my mind. I will build
him a sure house. He will walk before my
anointed forever.
36 It willhappenthat everyone who is left
in your house will come and bow down to
him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread,
and will say, “Please put me into one of the
priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of
bread.” ’ ”