1 Samuel Chapter 2

Hannah’s Prayer

            ¹ Then Hannah prayed,

                        “My heart celebrates in Yahveh;

                              you’ve honored me.

                        I speak boldly against my adversaries

                              because I celebrate over your salvation.

                        ² There’s no one holy like Yahveh;

                              indeed, there’s no one besides you at all.

                              There’s no rock like our God.

                        ³ Don’t brag anymore with such pride,

                              because Yahveh is a God who knows;

                              he weighs what we do.

                        ⁴ The bows of the strong are shattered,

                              but the feeble increase strength.

                        ⁵ Those who were full are hiring themselves out for bread,

                              but those who were hungry are now full.

                        ⁶Yahveh kills and makes live;

                              he takes down to Sheol and raises up.

                        ⁷ He makes people poor and rich;

                              he brings them low and honors them.

                        ⁸ He lifts the poor out of the dust;

                              he raises the needy off the trash pile

                                    to seat them with nobles,

                                    and inherit places of honor.

                        The pillars of the earth belong to him,

                              he’s set the world on them.

                        ⁹ He protects his holy people,

                              but silences the sinful in darkness

                              because people don’t prevail by their own power.

                        ¹⁰ Yahveh shatters those who contend with him,

                              and thunders in the sky against them.

                        He’ll judge the whole earth;

                              he’ll give strength to his king,

                              and elevate the one he’s anointed.”

¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy served Yahveh in Eli’s presence.   1 Sam 2:1-11

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹² Eli’s sons were worthless men that didn’t know Yahveh ¹³ or the custom of priests with the people. When anybody was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork while the meat was boiling. ¹⁴ He’d thrust it into the pan or kettle, caldron or pot. Everything the fork brought up, the priests would take. They did that to all the Israelites that came to Shiloh. ¹⁵ Before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would say, “Give the priest meat for roasting. He won’t accept boiled meat from you, only raw.” ¹⁶ If the man said, “They have to burn the fat first, and then take as much as you want,” he’d say, “Give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” ¹⁷ The young men were sinning greatly because they didn’t respect Yahveh’s offering.

1 Sam 2:12-17

            ¹⁸ Samuel was serving Yahveh as a boy wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁹ His mother would make him a small robe and bring it to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, “May Yahveh give you children from this woman to replace the one she dedicated to him^Y.” They went home, ²¹ and Yahveh visited Hannah; she had three more sons and two daughters. Samuel grew up in Yahveh’s presence.

            ²² Eli was old. He heard what his sons were doing—lying with the women that served at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ²³ He said,

“Why do you do the sinful things I’m hearing? ²⁴ Sons, the report is not good that I hear Yahveh’s people spreading around. ²⁵ If one man sins against another, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against Yahveh, who can intercede for him?”

But they ignored him in keeping with the fact that Yahveh wanted to put them to death. ²⁶ The boy Samuel was growing in height and favor with Yahveh and people.

1 Sam 2:18-26

Warning About Eli’s Family

            ²⁷ Then a man of God came to Eli,

“Yahveh says, ‘I revealed myself to your ancestor’s house when they were in bondage to Pharaoh. ²⁸ I chose them from Israel’s tribes to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod in front of me. I gave your ancestor the fire offerings of Israel. ²⁹ Why are you greedy about the sacrifices and offerings I’ve commanded. Why are you honoring your sons more than me by making yourselves fat with the best of every offering my people make?’

³⁰ “So Yahveh God of Israel says, ‘I did say that your house and your father’s house would follow me forever, but I’m certainly not going to carry through on that now. I’ll honor the ones that honor me, and care less about the ones that despise me. ³¹ The time’s coming when I’ll get rid of your strength and the strength of your ancestor’s house. There’ll never be an old man in your family. ³² In distress you’ll see the prosperity I’ll put on Israel. ³³ But I won’t remove every man of yours from my altar and make your eyes fail from crying, make you grieve, and make the added number in your house die in their prime. ³⁴ This will be the sign about your sons Hophni and Phinehas: they’ll die the same day. ³⁵ But I’ll raise up a faithful priest to do what’s in my heart and soul. I’ll build him a lasting lineage, and he’ll follow my anointed ways. ³⁶ Everybody that’s left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and say, “Please assign me to one of the priest’s offices so I’ll have something to eat.”’”       

1 Sam 2:27-36