1 Samuel · Catholic Public Domain Version
1 Samuel 2 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
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.
1 Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
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.
2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
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.
3 “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
4 The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed 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.
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 brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again.
6 “Yahweh kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
7 The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also 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.
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. He has set the world on 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.
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 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.”
10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
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.
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh.
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,
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 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.
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 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.”
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 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.”
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 Therefore, the sin of the servants was exceedingly great before the Lord. For they drew men away from the sacrifice of the Lord.
17 The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.
18 But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed 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.
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 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.
20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home.
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.
21 Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
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.
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 And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?
23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these 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.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey.
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.
25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men.
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?
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?
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.
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 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?
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 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.
30 “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
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.
31 Behold, 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 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.
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 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.
33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
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.
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 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.
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 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.’ ”
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.”’”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Eli
The priest at Shiloh who judged Israel forty years, blessed Hannah, took in the boy Samuel, failed to restrain his wicked sons, and died at ninety-eight when he heard the ark of…
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 2:22
Hophni
A priest at Shiloh and son of Eli, who treated the LORD's offering with contempt and died the same day as his brother Phinehas when the ark of God was captured.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 2:34; 1 Samuel 4:4
Phinehas
A priest at Shiloh and son of Eli, who died on the day the ark of God was captured; his wife died in childbirth after naming their son Ichabod.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 2:34; 1 Samuel 4:4
Cross references (36)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 1:46–56; Psalm 13:5; Isaiah 12:2–3; Philippians 4:6; Psalm 92:10
- 2 2 Samuel 22:32; Isaiah 44:6; Psalm 86:8; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 89:8
- 3 1 Kings 8:39; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 24:12; Jude 15–16; Hebrews 4:12
- 4 Psalm 76:3; Psalm 37:15; Philippians 4:13; Psalm 46:9; Hebrews 11:34
- 5 Psalm 113:9; Jeremiah 15:9; Luke 1:53; Psalm 34:10; Isaiah 54:1
- 6 Deuteronomy 32:39; Isaiah 26:19; Jonah 2:2–6; 2 Kings 5:7; Job 5:18
- 7 Psalm 75:7; Job 5:11; Deuteronomy 8:17–18; Job 1:21; James 4:10
- 8 Psalm 113:7–8; James 2:5; Daniel 2:48; Daniel 6:3; 1 Samuel 15:17
- 9 Psalm 91:11–12; Psalm 121:3; Psalm 33:16–17; 1 Peter 1:5; Job 5:24
- 10 Psalm 2:9; Psalm 89:24; Psalm 18:13–14; Psalm 96:13; Exodus 15:6
- 11 1 Samuel 2:18; 1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Samuel 1:28; 1 Samuel 1:19; 1 Samuel 3:15
- 12 Romans 1:28–30; Jeremiah 2:8; Romans 1:21; Judges 2:10; 2 Corinthians 6:15
- 13 Leviticus 7:29–34
- 14 Exodus 29:27–28; 1 Samuel 2:29; Isaiah 56:11; 2 Peter 2:13–15; Malachi 1:10
- 15 Leviticus 3:16; Romans 16:18; Leviticus 3:3–5; Philippians 3:19; Jude 12
- 16 Leviticus 7:23–25; Leviticus 3:16; 1 Peter 5:2–3; Judges 18:25; Nehemiah 5:15
- 17 Malachi 2:7–9; Genesis 13:13; Malachi 2:13; Genesis 6:11; 2 Kings 21:6
- 18 Exodus 28:4; 1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Samuel 2:11; 2 Samuel 6:14; 1 Samuel 22:18
- 19 1 Samuel 1:3; 1 Samuel 1:21; Exodus 23:14
- 20 1 Samuel 1:27–28; Luke 2:34; Ruth 4:11; Genesis 27:27–29; Ruth 2:12
- 21 Luke 2:40; Genesis 21:1; 1 Samuel 3:19; 1 Samuel 2:26; Judges 13:24
- 22 Exodus 38:8; Jeremiah 7:9–10; 1 Samuel 2:13–17; Hosea 4:9–11; Ezekiel 22:26
- 23 Isaiah 3:9; Jeremiah 3:3; Acts 9:4; Jeremiah 8:12; Acts 14:15
- 24 1 Kings 15:30; 2 Corinthians 6:8; Acts 6:3; 1 Timothy 3:7; Matthew 18:7
- 25 Joshua 11:20; Numbers 15:30; Hebrews 10:26; 1 Samuel 3:14; 1 Timothy 2:5
- 26 Luke 2:52; Luke 2:40; Acts 2:47; Luke 1:80; 1 Samuel 2:21
- 27 Judges 13:6; 1 Kings 13:1; Deuteronomy 33:1; Exodus 4:14–16; Exodus 4:27
- 28 Exodus 28:1; Leviticus 8:7–8; Numbers 18:19; Leviticus 2:3; Leviticus 7:34–35
- 29 Matthew 10:37; Deuteronomy 32:15; 1 Samuel 2:13–17; Malachi 1:12–13; Luke 14:26
- 30 John 12:26; Jeremiah 18:9–10; Proverbs 3:9–10; Malachi 1:6; Psalm 91:14
- 31 1 Samuel 22:17–20; 1 Kings 2:26–27; 1 Samuel 4:11–20; 1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 4:2
- 32 Zechariah 8:4; 1 Samuel 4:11; Psalm 78:59–64; 1 Kings 2:26–27; 1 Samuel 4:22
- 33 1 Kings 2:26–27; 1 Samuel 22:21–23; 1 Kings 1:19; 1 Kings 1:7; Matthew 2:16–18
- 34 1 Samuel 4:11; 1 Kings 13:3; 1 Samuel 4:17; 1 Samuel 3:12; 1 Kings 14:12
- 35 2 Samuel 7:27; 2 Samuel 7:11; 1 Kings 11:38; 1 Samuel 25:28; Psalm 18:50
- 36 1 Kings 2:27; Ezekiel 44:10–12; Malachi 1:13; 1 Samuel 2:29–30
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The Lord hath ascended into the heavens, and hath thundered: He shall judge the ends of the earth, for He is righteous: and He giveth strength to our kings, and shall exalt the horn of His Christ." Do you say that these are the words of a single weak woman giving thanks for the birth of a son?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
"For them that glorify me," saith He, "I will glorify; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed." Let us, I say, do all things unto His glory; that we may attain unto that blessed portion, unto which God grant we may all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
If thou findest fault with Him who saith, The Lord killeth, and maketh alive, why dost thou honour Peter, who raised up Tabitha, but struck Sapphira dead?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
For even as ten thousand times signifies often, so here too. For by saying, "The barren hath borne seven," the Scripture means many.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)