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The First Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 2 -

(Luke 1:46–56)
1
“My heart exults in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies. For I have rejoiced in your salvation.(a)
2
Nothing is holy as the Lord is holy. For there is no other beside you. And nothing is strong as our God is strong.
3
Do not continue speaking of great things, boasting. Let what is old depart from your mouth. For the Lord is the God of knowledge, and thoughts are prepared for him.
4
The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.
5
Those who before were filled, have hired themselves out for bread. And the starving have been filled, so that the barren have given birth to many. But she who had borne many sons has become unable.
6
The Lord brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again.(b)
7
The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.
8
He raises up the indigent from the dust, and he lifts up the poor from filth, so that they may sit with princes, and take hold of a throne of glory. For the hinges of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the globe upon them.
9
He will preserve the feet of his holy ones, and the impious will be silenced in darkness. For no man will prevail by his own strength.
10
The adversaries of the Lord will dread him. And over them, he will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the parts of the earth, and he will give dominion to his king, and he will lift up the horn of his Christ.”
11
And Elkanah went away to Ramah, to his house. But the boy was a minister in the sight of the Lord, before the face of Eli, the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12
But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
13
nor the priestly office for the people. And so, no matter who had immolated a victim, the servant of the priest would arrive, while the flesh was still cooking, and he would take a three-pronged hook in his hand,
14
and put it into the vessel, or into the cauldron, or into the cooking pot, or into the pan, and all that the hook lifted up, the priest took for himself. So they did to all of Israel who arrived at Shiloh.
15
In addition, before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would arrive, and he would say to the one who was immolating: “Give me the flesh, so that I may boil it for the priest. For I will not accept cooked meat from you, but raw.”
16
And the one who was immolating would say to him, “First, allow the fat to be burned today, according to custom, and then take for yourself whatever your soul desires.” But in response, he would say to him: “By no means. For you will give it to me now, otherwise I will take it by force.”
17
Therefore, the sin of the servants was exceedingly great before the Lord. For they drew men away from the sacrifice of the Lord.
18
But Samuel was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.
19
And his mother fashioned a little tunic for him, which she brought to him on the appointed days, ascending with her husband, so that he might immolate the solemn sacrifice.
20
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And he said to him, “May the Lord repay to you offspring from this woman, on behalf of the loan that you offered to the Lord.” And they went away to their own place.
21
Then the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the youth Samuel was magnified with the Lord.
22
Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and how they were sleeping with the women who were waiting at the door of the tabernacle.
23
And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?
24
My sons, do not be willing. For it is no good report that I am hearing, so that you would cause the people of the Lord to transgress.
25
If a man has sinned against a man, God may be able to be appeased over him. But if a man has sinned against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, that the Lord was willing to kill them.(c) (d)
26
But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.

A Prophecy against the House of Eli

27
Then a man of God went to Eli, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Was I not revealed openly to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?
28
And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel for myself as priest, so that he might ascend to my altar, and burn incense to me, and wear the ephod before me. And I gave to the house of your father all the sacrifices of the sons of Israel.
29
Why have you kicked away my victims and my gifts, which I instructed to be offered in the temple? And why have you given more honor to your sons than to me, so that you eat the first-fruits of every sacrifice of my people Israel?
30
Because of this, the Lord God of Israel says: I have spoken clearly, so that your house, and the house of your father, may minister in my sight, even forever. But now the Lord says: May this be far from me. Instead, whoever will have glorified me, I will glorify him. But whoever despises me, they will be despised.
31
Behold the days are arriving, when I will cut off your arm, and the arm of the house of your father, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32
And you will see your rival in the temple, amid all the prosperity of Israel. And there will not be an old man in your house for all days.(e)
33
Yet truly, I will not entirely take away a man of you from my altar, but such that your eyes may fail, and your soul may melt away, and a great part of your house may die out, as it pertains to the state of men.
34
But this will be a sign to you, which will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on one day they both will die.
35
And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will act in accord with my heart and my soul. And I will build a faithful house for him. And he will walk before my Christ for all days.
36
Then this will be in the future, that whoever will have remained of your house, he will approach so that he may pray on his behalf. And he will offer a coin of silver, and a twist of bread. And he will say: ‘Permit me, I beg you, one part of the priestly office, so that I may eat a mouthful of bread.’ ”

Footnotes

(a)2:1 My horn:The horn in the scriptures signifies strength, power, the horn is said to be exalted, when a person receives an increase of strength or glory.(Challoner)
(b)2:6 The word ‘inferos’ has a broader range of meaning than the word ‘hell’. It can refer generally to death and to the afterlife, not merely to Hellfire.(Conte)
(c)2:25 Who shall pray for him:By this word Heli would have his sons understand, that by their wicked abuse of sacred things, and of the very sacrifices which were appointed to appease the Lord, they deprived themselves of the ordinary means of reconciliation with God; which was by sacrifices. The more, because they were the chief priests whose business it was to intercede for all others, they had no other to offer sacrifices and to make atonement for them.(Challoner)
(d)2:25 Because the Lord would slay them:In consequence of their manifold sacrileges, he would not soften their hearts with his efficacious grace, but was determined to destroy them.(Challoner)
(e)2:32 Thy rival:A priest of another race. This was partly fulfilled, when Abiathar, of the race of Heli, was removed from the priesthood, and Sadoc, who was of another line, was substituted in his place. But it was more fully accomplished in the New Testament, when the priesthood of Aaron gave place to that of Christ.(Challoner)
(Luke 1:46–56)
1
Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in the LORD! My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
2
There is no one as holy as the LORD, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
3
“Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
4
“The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
6
“The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol (a) and brings up.
7
The LORD 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 the LORD’s. He has set the world on them.
9
He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
10
Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11
Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know the LORD.
13
The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
14
and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.
15
Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16
If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned 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
The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men despised the LORD’s offering.
18
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, 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
Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May The LORD give you offspring (b) from this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD.” Then they went to their own home.
21
The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22
Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
23
He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
24
No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make the LORD’s people disobey.
25
If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them.
26
The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with the LORD and also with men.

A Prophecy against the House of Eli

27
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?
28
Didn’t 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? Didn’t 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 best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
30
“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
31
Behold,(c) the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house.
32
You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever.
33
The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes (d) and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
34
This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
35
I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
36
It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”

Footnotes

(a)2:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.
(b)2:20 or, seed
(c)2:31 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
(d)2:33 or, blind your eyes with tears
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