THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 2 ©
Hannah’s song of praise, wherein she proclaims the bountifulness of the Lord, both in general and special, v. 1, etc. Threatening the proud with utter ruin and destruction, 3. The obstinate wickedness of Eli’s sons is declared, 12. And on the contrary is shown, how well Samuel behaved himself in his ministry, 18. Hannah bears more children, 21. Eli rebukes indeed his sons for their wicked deeds, but not with that severity, as he ought, 22. The Lord tells Eli, by a prophet, that he and his entire house would miserably perish, 21.
AND Hannah prayed, and said, Mya heart rejoiceth 1in the LORD, 2mine hornb is exalted in the LORD: 3my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; 4because I rejoice 5in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the LORD: for therec is none beside thee: 6neither is there any 7rock like our God.
8Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not 9arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God 10of knowledge, and by him 11actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty men are 12broken, and they that 13stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were fulld14have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were 15hungry 16ceased: so that the barren hath born 17seven; and she that hath many children is waxed 18feeble.
The LORDe19killeth, and 20maketh alive: 21he bringeth down to the 22grave, and bringeth up.
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
Hef raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar 23from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: forg the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked 24shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall heh thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge 25the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto 26his king,i and exalt the horn of 27his anointed.
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
¶Now the sons of Eli were 28sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
And the priests’ 29custom with the people was, that, when any man 30offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhookj of three teeth in his hand;
And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; 31all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took 32for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto 33all the Israelites that came thither.
Also before they 34burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for 35he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but 36raw.
And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail 37to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
Wherefore the sin 38of the young men was very great before the LORD: for 39men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
¶But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen 40ephod.
Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him 41from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the 42yearly sacrifice.
¶ 43And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee 44seed of this woman 45for the loan 46which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their 47own home.
And the LORD 48visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and 49bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel 50grew 51before the LORD.
¶Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that 52assembled 53at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
54Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people 55to transgress.
If 56one man sin against another, the 57judge shall judge him: but if a man 58sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, 59because the LORD would slay them.
Andk the child Samuel 60grew on, and was in 61favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
¶And there came 62a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 63Did I plainly appear unto the house 64of thy father, whenl65they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s 66house?
And did I choose 67him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I givem unto the house of thy father 68all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
Wherefore kick 69ye atn my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my 70habitation; and 71honourest thy sons above me, to make 72yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, 73I said 74indeed that thy house,o and the house of thy father, should walk 75before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, 76Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me 77shall be lightly esteemed.
Behold, the days come, 78that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
And thou shalt see an 79enemy in my habitation, in 80all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
81And the man 82of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, 83shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and 84all the increase of thine house shall die 85in the flower of their age.
And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on 86Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
And I will raise me up 87a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is 88in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a 89sure house; and 90he shall 91walk before 92mine anointed 93for ever.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house 94shall come and crouch to 95him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.