1 Samuel, 2

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.

1. And this is the song of Hannah, "My heart exults in Yahweh, I feel strong in my God. I rejoice and laugh at my enemies for you came with power to save me.

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

2. Yahweh alone is holy, no one is like you; there is no 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.

3. Speak proudly no more; no more arrogance on your lips, for Yahweh is an all-knowing God, he it is who weighs the deeds of all.

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

4. The bow of the mighty is broken but the weak 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.

5. The well-fed must labor for bread but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has borne seven children, but the proud mother is left alone.

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

6. Yahweh is Lord of life and death; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

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

7. Yahweh makes poor and makes rich, he brings low and he exalts.

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.

8. He lifts up the lowly from the dust, and raises the poor from the ash heap; they will be called to the company of princes, and inherit a seat of honor. The earth to its pillars belongs to Yahweh and on them he has set the world.

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

9. He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for no one succeeds by his own strength.

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.

10. The enemies of Yahweh are shattered, against them he thunders in heaven. Yahweh rules over the whole world, he will raise his own king. His anointed feels strong in Him."

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

11. After that Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy served Yahweh in the presence of Eli, the priest.

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

12. The sons of Eli were worthless men who had no regard for Yahweh.

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;

13. This is how they acted with the people. When someone offered sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come while the meat was still boiling.

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.

14. With a fork, he would reach into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot, and all that the fork brought up would be for the priests. This is how these priests treated the Israelites who went to Shiloh.

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.

15. Sometimes the priest's servant would come before the fat was burned and would say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, only 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.

16. And if the man answered, "Let the fat be burned first and then take as much as you wish," he would say, "No, give it to me now or else 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.

17. The sin of these young priests was very great in the sight of Yahweh because they defiled the offering of Yahweh.

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

18. Meanwhile Samuel, now a boy wearing a priest's garment, was ministering before Yahweh.

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.

19. From time to time his mother made him a little robe which she handed to him when she went 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.

20. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife with these words, "May Yahweh give you more children by this woman for the sake of the boy she asked for and then gave to Yahweh."

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.

21. After the man had gone back home, Yahweh blessed Hannah with more children. She had three sons and two daughters while the boy Samuel grew in the presence of Yahweh.

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.

22. Eli was now very old. He heard how his sons dealt with the Israelites and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

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

23. So he told them, "How can you do the things I hear about you from everyone?

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

24. No, my sons, what I hear from the pilgrims of Yahweh's people is really bad news for me.

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.

25. When anyone sins against another man, God will mediate for him. But if he sins against Yahweh, who can intercede for him?" Yet the two would not listen to their father for Yahweh had already decided that they should die.

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

26. The boy Samuel, in the meantime, was growing in stature and worth before Yahweh and the people.

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?

27. One day, a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is Yahweh's word: I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt.

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?

28. I chose them out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense and to wear a priest's robe in my presence, and I gave them all the burnt offerings 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?

29. Why do you now despise my sacrifice and the offerings that I myself ordered? Why do you give more importance to your sons than to me and fatten yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering made by my people Israel?

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.

30. Therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel declares: I promised that your family and that of your father should go on ministering before me forever; but now, far be it from me! Those who honor me I shall honor, those who despise me will be despised.

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.

31. The days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of all your relatives.

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.

32. No one will live to a ripe old age.

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.

33. Those of your household that I do not reject from my service will be spared only to weep bitterly and live in grief; but the rest shall die by the sword.

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.

34. What will happen to your sons Hophni and Phinehas shall be a sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day.

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.

35. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who shall act according to my heart and mind. I will give him a lasting succession that will serve me and my anointed one forever.

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.

36. And everyone that is left of your family shall ask him for some money or a loaf of bread, saying: Appoint me, I beg you, for a priestly function so that I may have something to eat."