1 Samuel 2

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Hannah then prayed as fol ows: My heart exults in Yahweh, in my God is my strength lifted up, mymouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your deliverance.	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.
2 There is no Holy One like Yahweh, (indeed, there is none but you) no Rock like our God.	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 keep talking so proudly, let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Yahweh is a wise God, histo weigh up deeds.	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 mighty has been broken but those who were tottering are now braced with strength.	4 The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.
5 The ful fed are hiring themselves out for bread but the hungry need labour no more; the barren womanbears sevenfold but the mother of many is left desolate.	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 Yahweh gives death and life, brings down to Sheol and draws up;	6 The Lord brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again.
7 Yahweh makes poor and rich, he humbles and also exalts.	7 The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the dunghil to give them a place with princes,to assign them a seat of honour; for to Yahweh belong the pil ars of the earth, on these he has poised the world.	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 safeguards the steps of his faithful but the wicked vanish in darkness (for human strength can winno victories).	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 Yahweh, his enemies are shattered, the Most High thunders in the heavens. Yahweh judges the endsof the earth, he endows his king with power, he raises up the strength of his Anointed.	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 Elkanah then went home to Ramah, but the child stayed in Yahweh's service, in the presence of Elithe priest.	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.
12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they cared nothing for Yahweh	12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
13 nor for what was due to the priests from the people. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest'sservant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being cooked;	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 he would thrust this into cauldron or pan, or dish or pot, and the priest claimed for his own whateverthe fork brought up. That was how they behaved with all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.	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 The priest's servant would even come up before the fat had been burnt and say to the person whowas making the sacrifice, 'Give the priest some meat for him to roast. He wil not accept boiled meat from you,only raw.'	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 Then, if the person replied, 'Let the fat be burnt first, and then take for yourself whatever you choose,'he would retort, 'No! You must give it to me now or I shal take it by force.'	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 The young men's sin was very great in Yahweh's eyes, because they treated with contempt theoffering made to Yahweh.	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 Samuel was in Yahweh's service, a child wearing a linen loincloth.	18 But Samuel was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.
19 His mother used to make him a little coat which she brought him each year when she came up withher husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.	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 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, 'May Yahweh grant you an heir by this woman inexchange for the one which she has made over to Yahweh,' and they would go home.	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 Yahweh visited Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile,the child Samuel grew up in Yahweh's presence.	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 Although very old, Eli heard about everything that his sons were doing to all Israel,	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 said, 'Why are you behaving as al the people say you are?	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 No, my sons, what I hear reported by the people of Yahweh is not good.	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 one person sins against another, God will be the arbiter, but if he sins against Yahweh, who wilintercede for him?' But they did not listen to their father's words, for Yahweh was bent on kil ing them.	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.
26 Meanwhile, the child Samuel went on growing in stature and in favour both with Yahweh and withpeople.	26 But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'This is what Yahweh says, "Did I not reveal myself to yourfather's family when they were in Egypt as slaves in Pharaoh's household?	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 Did I not single him out of al the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn theoffering, to carry the ephod in my presence; and did I not grant al the burnt offerings made by the Israelites toyour father's family?	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 do you trample on the offering and on the sacrifice which I have ordered for my Dwelling, andhonour your sons more than me, by growing fat on the best of the offerings of Israel, my people?	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 Whereas -- this is what Yahweh, God of Israel, declares -- I had promised that your family and yourfather's family would walk in my presence for ever, now, however -- this is what Yahweh declares -- nothing ofthe sort! Those who honour me I honour in my turn, and those who despise me wil be an object of contempt.	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 Be sure, the days are coming when I shal cut off your strength and the strength of your father's family,so that no one in your family wil live to old age.	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 Beside the Dwel ing, you wil see al the benefits that I shall confer on Israel, but no one in your familywil ever live to old age.	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.
33 I shal keep one of you at my altar for his eyes to go blind and his soul to wither, but the bulk of yourfamily wil die by the sword.	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 ' "What happens to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas will be a sign for you: on the same day bothwil die.	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 I shal raise myself a faithful priest, who wil do as I intend and as I desire. I shal build him an enduringHouse and he wil walk in the presence of my Anointed for ever.	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 The members of your House who survive wil come and beg him on their knees for a silver coin and aloaf of bread and say: Please give me some priestly work, so that I can have a scrap of bread to eat." '	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.’ ”