1 Samuel 2

1And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation.

1Then Hannah prayed and said: My heart finds joy in the LORD; my strength is lifted up in the LORD. I can speak out against my enemies because I am happy that you saved me.

2There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God.

2There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you. There is no protector like our God.

3Talk no more so exceeding proudly; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed.

3Stop talking so proudly; don’t let such arrogant words come out of your mouths. For the LORD is a God who knows everything, and he judges everything people do.

4The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength.

4The bows of strong soldiers are broken, but those who stumbled are now dressed in strength.

5They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceasedto hunger: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth.

5Those who used to be full now hire themselves out just to get bread, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. The woman who couldn't have children has now given birth to seven, while the mother of many children wastes away.

6Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.

6The LORD brings death and gives life; he sends people down to the grave and brings them up again.

7Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up.

7The LORD makes some people poor and others rich; he brings some low and lifts others up.

8He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth 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 Jehovah’s, And he hath set the world upon them.

8He raises the poor up from the dust and lifts the needy from the trash pile. He seats them with princes and lets them inherit a throne of glory. For the foundations of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has set the world upon them.

9He 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.

9He protects the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked will be silenced in the darkness. No one wins by their own strength alone.

10They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed.

10Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered; he will thunder against them from heaven. The LORD will judge the whole earth; he will give power to his king and increase the strength of his chosen ruler.

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

11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed and served the LORD under the direction of Eli the priest.

12Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not Jehovah.

12Now Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no respect for the LORD.

13And 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;

13This is how the priests used to treat the people: whenever someone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, holding a three-pronged fork.

14and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

14He would stick it into the pan, kettle, cauldron, or pot, and the priest would take whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

15Yea, 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 thee, but raw.

15Even before they burned the fat as an offering, the priest’s servant would come and tell the person sacrificing, 'Give the priest some meat to roast. He won't take boiled meat from you, only raw meat.'

16And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

16If the person replied, 'Let them burn the fat first, then you can take whatever you want,' the servant would answer, 'No, give it to me now. If you don't, I’ll take it by force!'

17And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah.

17The sin of these young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, because they were treating the LORD’s offerings with contempt.

18But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

18But Samuel served before the LORD; even as a boy, he wore a linen vest like the priests.

19Moreover 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.

19Every year his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah. And they went unto their own home.

20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, 'May the LORD give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she gave to the LORD.' Then they would go home.

21And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah.

21The LORD was kind to Hannah; she became pregnant and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.

22Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.

22Now Eli was very old. He heard about everything his sons were doing to all the Israelites and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.

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

23He said to them, 'Why are you doing these things? I hear about your wicked behavior from all these people.'

24Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make Jehovah’s people to transgress.

24'No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the LORD’s people is not good.'

25If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them.

25'If one person sins against another, God can mediate for them; but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for them?' But they would not listen to their father, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.

26And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men.

26And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with both the LORD and with people.

27And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?

27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt as slaves to Pharaoh?'

28and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

28'I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priest's vest in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family a share of all the food offerings presented by the Israelites.'

29Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

29'Why then do you show such lack of respect for my sacrifices and offerings that I commanded for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by letting them get fat on the best parts of every offering made by my people Israel?'

30Therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

30'Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: I promised that your family and your ancestor’s family would serve me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from me! I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be treated with contempt.'

31Behold, 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 thy house.

31'The time is coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s family, so that no one in your family will live to be old.'

32And thou shalt behold the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.

32'You will look with distress on my dwelling, even while things go well for Israel, and no one in your family will ever reach old age.'

33And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age.

33'Any man of yours whom I do not remove from serving at my altar will live only to make your eyes weep and your heart ache, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.'

34And this shall be the 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 happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you: they will both die on the same day.'

35And 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 mine anointed for ever.

35'I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is in my heart and mind. I will establish his family, and he will serve before my anointed king forever.'

36And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy 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 thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

36'Then everyone left in your family will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a crust of bread. They will beg, "Please put me in one of the priest's jobs so I can have a little food to eat."'