2 1 The song of Hannah. 12 The sons of Eli, wicked. 13 The new custom of the Priests. 18 Samuel ministereth before the Lord. 20 Eli blesseth Elkanah and his wife. 23 Eli reproveth his sons. 27 God sendeth a Prophet to Eli. 31 Eli is menaced for not chastising his children.
1 And Hannah [a]prayed, and said, Mine heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine [b]horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is [c]enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: yea, there is none besides thee, and there is no god like our God.
3 Speak [d]no more presumptuously: let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him enterprises are established.
4 The bow and the mighty men are broken, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 They that were full, are hired forth for [e]bread, and the hungry are no more hired, so that the barren hath borne [f]seven: and she that had many children is feeble.
6 (A)The Lord killeth and maketh alive: bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: bringeth low, and exalteth.
8 (B)He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among [g]princes, and to make them inherit the seat of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the [h]Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his Saints, and the wicked shall keep silence in darkness: for in his own might shall no man be strong.
10 The Lord’s adversaries shall be destroyed, and out of heaven shall he (C)thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give power unto his [i]King, and exalt the horn of his Anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the child did minister unto the [j]Lord before Eli the Priest.
12 ¶ Now the sons of Eli were wicked men, and [k]knew not the Lord.
13 For the Priests’ custom toward the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priest’s [l]boy came, while the flesh was seething, and a fleshhook with three teeth in his hand,
14 And thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the pan, or into the pot: [m]all that the fleshhook brought up, the Priest took for himself: thus they did unto all the Israelites, that came thither to Shiloh.
15 Yea, before they burnt the [n]fat, the Priest’s boy came and said unto the man that offered, Give me flesh to roast for the Priest: for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them burn the fat according to the [o]custom, then take as much as thine heart [p]desireth: then he would answer, No, but thou shalt give it now: and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force.
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men [q]abhorred the offering of the Lord.
18 ¶ Now Samuel being a young child ministered before the Lord, girded with a linen (D)Ephod.
19 And 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.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for [r]the petition that she asked of the Lord: and they departed unto their place.
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.
22 ¶ So Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women that [s]assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for of all this people I hear evil reports of you.
24 Do no more, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, which is, that ye make the Lord’s people to [t]trespass.
25 If one man sin against another, the Judge shall judge it: but if a man sin against the Lord, who will plead for him? Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father, because the Lord [u]would slay them.
26 ¶ (Now the child Samuel profited, and grew, and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men.)
27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did not I plainly appear unto the house of thy [v]father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my Priest, to offer upon my altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an Ephod before me, and (E)I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel.
29 Wherefore have you [w]kicked against my sacrifice and mine offering, which I commanded in my Tabernacle, and honorest thy children above me, to make yourselves fat of the firstfruits of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said, that thine house, and the house of thy father should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, [x]It shall not be so: for them that honor me, I will honor, and they that despise me, shall be despised.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine [y]arm, and the arm of thy fathers house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou [z]shalt see thine enemy in the habitation of the Lord in all things wherewith God shall bless Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thine house forever.
33 Nevertheless, I will not destroy every one of thine from mine altar, to make thine eyes to fail, and to make thine heart sorrowful: and all the multitude of thine house shall [aa]die when they be men.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both.
35 And I will stir me up a [ab]faithful Priest, that shall do according to mine heart, and according to my mind: and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before mine Anointed forever.
36 And all that are left in thine house, shall come and [ac]bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the Priest’s offices, that I may eat a morsel [of] bread.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 After that she had obtained a son by prayer, she gave thanks.
- 1 Samuel 2:1 I have recovered strength and glory by the benefit of the Lord.
- 1 Samuel 2:1 I can answer them that reprove my barrenness.
- 1 Samuel 2:3 In that ye condemn my barrenness, ye show your pride against God.
- 1 Samuel 2:5 They sell their labors for necessary food.
- 1 Samuel 2:5 Or, many.
- 1 Samuel 2:8 He prefereth to honor, and putteth down according to his own will, though man’s judgment be contrary.
- 1 Samuel 2:8 Therefore he may dispose all things according to his will.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 She grounded her prayer on Jesus Christ which was to come.
- 1 Samuel 2:11 In all that Eli commanded him.
- 1 Samuel 2:12 That is, they neglected his ordinance.
- 1 Samuel 2:13 Or, son.
- 1 Samuel 2:14 Transgressing the order appointed in the Law, Lev. 7:31, for their belly’s sake.
- 1 Samuel 2:15 Which was commanded first to have been offered to God.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Or, Law.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Not passing for their own profit, so that God might be served aright.
- 1 Samuel 2:17 Seeing the horrible abuse thereof.
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Or, for the thing that she hath lent to the Lord: to wit, Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 2:22 Which was (as the Hebrews write) after their travail, when they came to be purified, read Exod. 38:8; Lev. 12:6.
- 1 Samuel 2:24 Because they contemn their duty to God, verse 17.
- 1 Samuel 2:25 So that to obey good admonitions is God’s mercy, and to disobey them is his just judgment for sin.
- 1 Samuel 2:27 To wit, Aaron.
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Why have you contemned my sacrifices, and as it were trod them under foot?
- 1 Samuel 2:30 God’s promises are only effectual to such as he giveth constancy unto, to fear and obey him.
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Thy power and authority.
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Thy posterity shall see the glory of the chief Priest translated to another, whom they shall envy, 1 Kings 2:27.
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Or, when they come to man’s age.
- 1 Samuel 2:35 Meaning Zadok, who succeeded Abiathar, and was the figure of Christ.
- 1 Samuel 2:36 That is, shall be inferior unto him.