1 Samuel 2, Additional Reading: Job 37

Wednesday, November 06, 2024
 

Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

2 Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
My [a]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “[c]Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And with Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty are shattered,
But the feeble gird on strength.
5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.
6 “The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to [d]Sheol and raises up.
7 “The Lord makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.
8 “He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a man prevail.
10 “Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king,
And will exalt the [e]horn of His anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

The Sin of Eli’s Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were [f]worthless men; they did not know the Lord 13 and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “They must surely [g]burn the fat [h]first, and then take as much as [i]you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord.

Samuel before the Lord as a Boy

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy [j]wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you [k]children from this woman in place of [l]the one she dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own [m]home.

21 The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear [n]the Lord’s people circulating. 25 If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.

26 Now the boy Samuel [o]was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [p]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will break your [q]strength and the [r]strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that [s]I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar [t]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die [u]in the prime of life. 34 This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. 35 But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. 36 Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a [v]piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [w]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 I.e. strength
  2. 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
  3. 1 Samuel 2:3 Lit Talk much
  4. 1 Samuel 2:6 I.e. the nether world
  5. 1 Samuel 2:10 I.e. strength
  6. 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial
  7. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit offer up in smoke
  8. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit like the day
  9. 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit your soul
  10. 1 Samuel 2:18 Lit girded with
  11. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit seed
  12. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit the one asked for which was lent
  13. 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
  14. 1 Samuel 2:24 Or making the Lord’s people transgress
  15. 1 Samuel 2:26 Lit was going on both great and good
  16. 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
  17. 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
  18. 1 Samuel 2:31 Or arm
  19. 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
  20. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to waste away your eyes and to grieve your soul
  21. 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
  22. 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
  23. 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach
 
 

Elihu Says God Is Back of the Storm

37 “At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 “Listen closely to the thunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 “Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His [a]lightning to the ends of the earth.
4 “After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain [b]the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 “God thunders with His voice wondrously,
Doing great things which we cannot comprehend.
6 “For to the snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the [c]downpour and the rain, ‘Be strong.’
7 “He seals the hand of every man,
That all men may know His work.
8 “Then the beast goes into its lair
And remains in its [d]den.
9 “Out of the [e]south comes the storm,
And out of the [f]north the cold.
10 “From the breath of God ice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 “Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud;
He disperses the cloud of His [g]lightning.
12 “It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That [h]it may do whatever He commands [i]it
On the face of the inhabited earth.
13 “Whether for [j]correction, or for His world,
Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to [k]happen.

14 “Listen to this, O Job,
Stand and consider the wonders of God.
15 “Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the [l]lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 “Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The wonders of one perfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is still because of the south wind?
18 “Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 “Teach us what we shall say to Him;
We cannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak?
[m]Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?

21 “Now [n]men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 “Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is awesome majesty.
23 “The Almighty—we cannot find Him;
He is exalted in power
And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness.
24 “Therefore men fear Him;
He does not regard any who are wise of heart.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 37:3 Lit light
  2. Job 37:4 Lit them
  3. Job 37:6 Lit shower of rain and shower of rains
  4. Job 37:8 Lit dens
  5. Job 37:9 Lit chamber
  6. Job 37:9 Lit scattering winds
  7. Job 37:11 Lit light
  8. Job 37:12 Lit they
  9. Job 37:12 Lit them
  10. Job 37:13 Lit the rod
  11. Job 37:13 Lit be found
  12. Job 37:15 Lit light
  13. Job 37:20 Or If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up
  14. Job 37:21 Lit they

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