1 Samuel 2 - Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Hannah’s Triumphant Prayer

2 Hannah prayed:^(A)

My heart rejoices in the Lord;^(B)
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.^(C)
2 There is no one holy like the Lord.^(D)
There is no one besides you!^(E)
And there is no rock like our God.^(F)
3 Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.^(G)
4 The bows of the warriors are broken,^(H)
but the feeble are clothed with strength.^(I)
5 Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,^(J)
but the woman with many sons pines away.^(K)
6 The Lord brings death and gives life;^(L)
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.^(M)
7 The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;^(N)
he humbles and he exalts.^(O)
8 He raises the poor from the dust^(P)
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.^(Q)
He seats them with noblemen^(R)
and gives them a throne of honor.^[a]
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;^(S)
he has set the world on them.^(T)
9 He guards the steps^[b] of his faithful ones,^(U)
but the wicked perish in darkness,^(V)
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.^(W)
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;^[c](X)
he will thunder in the heavens against them.^(Y)
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.^(Z)
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.^[d](AA)

¹¹ Elkanah went home to Ramah,^(AB) but the boy served the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.^(AC)

Eli’s Family Judged

¹² Eli’s sons were wicked men;^(AD) they did not respect the Lord^{(AE) 13} or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling ¹⁴ and plunge it into the container, kettle, cauldron, or cooking pot.^(AF) The priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. ¹⁵ Even before the fat was burned,^(AG) the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you—only raw.” ¹⁶ If that person said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you can take whatever you want for yourself,”^(AH) the servant would reply, “No, I insist that you hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it by force!” ¹⁷ So the servants’ sin was very severe in the presence of the Lord, because the men treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.^(AI)

¹⁸ Samuel served in the Lord’s presence^(AJ)—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.^{(AK) 19} Each year his mother made him a little robe^(AL) and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.^{(AM) 20} Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife:^(AN) “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she^[e] has given to the Lord.”^(AO) Then they would go home.

²¹ The Lord paid attention to Hannah’s need,^(AP) and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.^(AQ)

²² Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel^(AR) and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.^{(AS) 23} He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people. ²⁴ No, my sons, the news I hear the Lord’s people spreading is not good. ²⁵ If one person sins against another, God can intercede for him, but if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” ^(AT) But they would not listen to their father, since the Lord intended to kill them.^{(AU) 26} By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.^(AV)

²⁷ A man of God came to Eli and said to him,^(AW) “This is what the Lord says: ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to your forefather’s family^[f] when they were in Egypt and belonged to Pharaoh’s palace?^{(AX) 28} Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your house^[g] to be my priests, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence.^(AY) I also gave your forefather’s family all the Israelite food offerings. ²⁹ Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship?^(AZ) You have honored your sons more than me,^(BA) by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.’

³⁰ “Therefore, this is the declaration of the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I did say that your family and your forefather’s family would walk before me forever.^(BB) But now,’ this is the Lord’s declaration, ‘no longer! For those who honor me I will honor,^(BC) but those who despise me will be disgraced.^{(BD) 31} Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age.^{(BE) 32} You will see distress in the place of worship,^(BF) in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.^{(BG) 33} Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief^[h] and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.^{[i][j] 34} This will be the sign that will come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas:^(BH) both of them will die on the same day.^(BI)

³⁵ “‘Then I will raise up a faithful priest^(BJ) for myself. He will do whatever is in my heart and mind. I will establish a lasting dynasty for him,^(BK) and he will walk before my anointed one for all time.^{(BL) 36} Anyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say: Please appoint me to some priestly office so I can have a piece of bread to eat.’”

Footnotes

1. 2:8 DSS, LXX add He gives the vow of the one who makes a vow and he blesses the years of the just.
2. 2:9 Lit feet
3. 2:10 DSS, LXX read The Lord shatters those who dispute with him
4. 2:10 Or Messiah
5. 2:20 DSS; MT reads he
6. 2:27 Lit the house of your father
7. 2:28 Lit selected him
8. 2:33 Lit grief to your eyes
9. 2:33 DSS, LXX read die by the sword of men
10. 2:33 Lit die men

Cross references

1. 2:1 : Ps 72:20; Hab 3:1; Lk 1:46–55
2. 2:1 : Ps 75:4–5,10; 92:10
3. 2:1 : Is 12:2–3
4. 2:2 : Ex 15:11
5. 2:2 : 2Sm 22:32
6. 2:2 : 2Sm 7:22; Ps 18:31
7. 2:3 : Pr 16:2; 24:12
8. 2:4 : Ps 37:15; 46:9
9. 2:4 : Ps 18:39; Heb 11:32–34
10. 2:5 : Ru 4:15; Ps 113:9
11. 2:5 : Jr 15:9
12. 2:6 : Dt 32:39
13. 2:6 : Is 26:19
14. 2:7 : Dt 8:17–18
15. 2:7 : Jb 15:11; Jms 4:10
16. 2:8 : Jb 42:10–12; Ps 75:7
17. 2:8 : 2Sm 7:8; Dn 2:48; Jms 2:5
18. 2:8 : Jb 36:7
19. 2:8 : Jb 38:4–6; Ps 75:3
20. 2:8 : Ps 113:7–8
21. 2:9 : Ps 91:11–12; 1Pt 1:5
22. 2:9 : Mt 8:12
23. 2:9 : Ps 33:16–17
24. 2:10 : Ps 2:9
25. 2:10 : 1Sm 7:10; Ps 18:13–14
26. 2:10 : Ps 96:13; 98:9
27. 2:10 : 1Sm 2:35; 12:3; 16:6; Ps 89:24
28. 2:11 : 1Sm 1:1,19
29. 2:11 : 1Sm 1:28; 2:18; 3:1
30. 2:12 : 1Sm 1:15
31. 2:12 : Jr 2:8; 9:3,6
32. 2:14 : Lv 7:29–34
33. 2:15 : Lv 3:3–5,16
34. 2:16 : Lv 7:25
35. 2:17 : Mal 2:7–9
36. 2:18 : 1Sm 2:11; 3:1
37. 2:18 : 1Sm 2:28
38. 2:19 : Ex 28:31
39. 2:19 : 1Sm 1:3,21
40. 2:20 : Lk 2:34
41. 2:20 : 1Sm 1:11,22,28
42. 2:21 : Gn 21:1
43. 2:21 : 1Sm 2:26; 3:19–21; Lk 2:40
44. 2:22 : 1Sm 2:13–17
45. 2:22 : Ex 38:8
46. 2:25 : Nm 15:30–31; Heb 10:26–27
47. 2:25 : Ex 5:2; 14:17–18; Jos 11:18–20
48. 2:26 : Lk 2:52
49. 2:27 : Dt 33:1; Jdg 13:6
50. 2:27 : Ex 4:14–16; 12:1,43
51. 2:28 : Ex 28:1–4
52. 2:29 : Dt 12:5–7
53. 2:29 : Mt 10:37
54. 2:30 : Ex 29:9; 40:12–15; Nm 25:10–13
55. 2:30 : Ps 50:23
56. 2:30 : 1Kg 2:26–27
57. 2:31 : 1Sm 4:11–18; 22:17–20
58. 2:32 : 1Kg 2:26–27
59. 2:32 : Zch 8:4
60. 2:34 : 1Sm 10:7–9; 1Kg 13:3
61. 2:34 : 1Sm 4:11
62. 2:35 : 1Sm 3:20
63. 2:35 : 1Sm 8:3–5; 1Kg 11:38
64. 2:35 : 1Sm 10:9–10; 12:3; 16:13