 |
1 Samuel 1
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite: 2 and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there. 4 And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: 5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had closed her womb. 6 And her rival provoked her greatly, to torment her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Yahweh, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. 8 And Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? And why don’t you eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the door-post of the temple of Yahweh. 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Yahweh, and wept greatly. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Yahweh of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a male child, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 And Eli said to her, How long will you be drunken? Put away your wine from yourself. 15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my superior, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not take your handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and may the Elohim of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him. 18 And she said, Let your handmaid find favor in Your sight. So the woman went her way, and ate; and her face was no longer sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her. 20 And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Yahweh.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband, I will not go up until the child is weaned; and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh, and there remain forever. 23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems good to you; stay until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish his word. So the woman stayed and gave her son suck, until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of Yahweh in Shiloh: and the child was young. 25 And they killed the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh, my superior, as your soul lives, kind sir, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to Yahweh. 27 For this child I prayed; and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 therefore I have also granted him to Yahweh; as long as he lives he is granted to Yahweh. And he worshiped Yahweh there.
1 Samuel 2
And Hannah prayed, and said:
My heart exalts in Yahweh;
My horn is exalted in Yahweh;
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies;
Because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is none holy as Yahweh
For there is none besides you,
Neither is there any rock like our Elohim.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly;
Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth;
For Yahweh is El of knowledge,
And by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken;
And they that stumbled are armed with strength.
5 They that were full have hired themselves out for bread;
And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger:
The barren even has borne seven;
And she that 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,
And he has set the world on them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones;
But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
10 They that strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces;
Against them will he thunder in heaven:
Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth;
And he will give strength to his king,
And exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were base men; they did not know Yahweh. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there. 15 Yes, 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 boiled flesh of you, but raw. 16 And if the man said to him, They will surely burn the fat 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 And the sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised the offering of Yahweh.
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 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, may Yahweh give you seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh. And they went to their own home. 21 And Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And 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 lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. 24 No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: you make Yahweh’s people to transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, Elohim shall judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who shall pray for him? However, they did not listen to the voice of their father, because it was Yahweh’s will to put them to death. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of Elohim to Eli, and said to him, In this manner says Yahweh, Did I reveal myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 And did 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? And did I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the 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 foremost of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, says, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever: but now Yahweh says, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house. 32 And you shall behold the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which Elohim shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 And the man of yours, whom I shall not cut off from my altar, shall be to consume your eves, and to grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be the sign to you, that shall come on, your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before my anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in your house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.
1 Samuel 3
And the child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. And the word of Yahweh was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli had laid down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see,) 3 and the lamp of Elohim had not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of Elohim was; 4 that Yahweh called Samuel: and he said, Here I am. 5 And he ran to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And he said, I did not call; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And Yahweh called Samuel yet again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And he answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, neither was the word of Yahweh yet revealed to him. 8 And Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for your servant hears. 11 And Yahweh said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he did not restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for with sacrifice or offering forever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel,, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here I am. 17 And he said, What is the thing that Yahweh has spoken to you? I pray you, hide it not from me: Elohim do so to you, and more also, if you hide anythingfrom me of all the things that he spoke to you. 18 And Samuel told him every word, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Yahweh: let him do what seems good in his eyes.
19 And Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh. 21 And Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.
