1 Samuel

And she made a vow and said, “O YHWH of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant, and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and will give to your maidservant a male seed, I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and a razor shall not go up on his head.”

And Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. And Eli thought [she was] drunk.

And Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I [am] a woman oppressed in spirit; and I have not drunk any wine or strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the face of YHWH.

And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart rejoices in YHWH; My horn is exalted in YHWH. My mouth is wide over my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.

And the sons of Eli [were] sons of worthlessness; they did not know YHWH.

And the custom of the priests with the people [was when] any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come at the boiling of the flesh, and [with] the fork of three teeth in his hand.

And he would thrust [it] into the pan, or the kettle, or the cauldron, or the pot. All that the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. Thus they did to all Israel who came there to Shiloh.

Also before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give flesh for roasting to the priest; and he will not take from you boiled flesh, but only raw.”

And the man said to him, “The fat must surely be burned first, and you may take to you as your soul desires,” and he would answer to him, “Surely now you must give [it], and if not, I will take [it] by force.”

Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before YHWH, for they despised the offering of YHWH.

And Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

And he said to them, “Why do you⁺ do these things? For I hear of your⁺ evil deeds from all these people.

No, my sons, for the report [is] not good that I hear spreading among the people of YHWH.

If one man sins against another, God will judge him, but if a man sins against YHWH, who will intercede for him?” And they did not listen to the voice of their father, because YHWH delighted to put them to death.

Why do you⁺ kick at My sacrifice and at My offering, which I have commanded [in My] dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’

Therefore the declaration of YHWH, God of Israel, ‘I surely said [that] your house and the house of your father would walk before Me even to forever. And the declaration of YHWH, Far be it from Me! For those honoring Me I will honor, and those despising Me shall be lightly esteemed.

Behold, the days are coming, and I will cut off your arm and the arm of the house of your father, lest there be an old man in your house.

For I have told him that I will judge his house even to forever for the iniquity that he knows, because his sons blasphemed God, and he did not restrain them.

And the people had come into the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has YHWH defeated us today before the face of the Philistines? Let us bring for ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of YHWH, that when it comes into our midst, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

And the people sent to Shiloh, and they lifted from there the ark of the covenant of YHWH of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubim. And [were] there the two sons of Eli with the ark of the covenant of God—Hophni and Phinehas.

And it came to pass at the coming in of the ark of the covenant of YHWH into the camp, that all Israel shouted a great shout, and the earth resounded.

And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli died—Hophni and Phinehas.

And now, take and make one new cart, and two suckling cows on which a yoke has not gone up, and hitch the cows to the cart, and return their calves from them to the house.

And take the ark of YHWH, and set it on the cart. And the articles of gold that you⁺ are returning to Him [as] a guilt offering, put in the chest by its side, and send it away that it may go.

And watch: If it goes up the way of its own border toward Beth-shemesh, He has done to us this great disaster. But if not, then we will know that [it is] not His hand [that] struck us; it happened to us by chance.”

And YHWH said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but Me they have rejected from reigning over them.

“At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

And sons of worthlessness said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and brought him no gift, and he was like one being silent.

As for me, moreover, far be it from me that I should sin against YHWH in ceasing to pray for you⁺. And I will teach you⁺ the good and the straight way.

And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and you did not come within the appointed days, and the Philistines gathered together at Michmash,

then I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and to YHWH I have not made supplication.’ And I forced myself and I offered the burnt offering.”

And the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great salvation in Israel? Profane! As YHWH lives, if shall fall a hair of his head to the ground! For with God he has worked this day.” And the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

And the people took from the plunder sheep and oxen, the first part of the devoted thing, to sacrifice to YHWH your God in Gilgal.”

And Samuel said, “Has YHWH delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as [in] listening to the voice of YHWH? Behold, to listen is better than sacrifice, [and] to heed than the fat of rams.

For [as] the sin of witchcraft [is] rebellion, and iniquity and teraphim [is] stubbornness, because you have rejected the word of YHWH, so He has rejected you as king.”

And Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men, and the anger of Eliab was kindled against David, and he said, “Why [is] this [that] you came down, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for in order you have come down to see the battle.”

And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you would come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works [are] very good toward you.

For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and YHWH brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw [it] and rejoiced; and why would you sin against innocent blood to kill David for nothing?”

And answered Doeg the Edomite, and he was set over the servants of Saul, and he said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub.

And he inquired for him of YHWH, and he gave provisions to him, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine he gave to him.”

And Saul said to him, “Why have you⁺ conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in your giving to him bread and a sword and inquiring for him of God, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as this day?”

And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, and son-in-law of the king, and has turned aside at your council, and is honorable in your house?

Will the men of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O YHWH, God of Israel, declare, please, to Your servant.” And YHWH said, “He will come down.”

And David said, “Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And YHWH said, “They will shut [you] up.”

And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David [was] in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh.

And Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David in Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.

And he said to him, “Do not be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. And You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be to you for a second. Even thus knows Saul my father.”

May YHWH judge between me and between you, and may YHWH avenge me on you. And my hand shall not be against you.

And may God do to David, and thus may he add, if I leave of all who [are] unto him by the morning light one who urinates against the wall.”

And David said to Abigail, “Blessed [is] YHWH, God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me.

And blessed [is] your discernment, and blessed [are] you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand.

Yet [as] lives YHWH, God of Israel, who has kept me back from hurting you, surely unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light one who urinates against the wall.”

And David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the anointed of YHWH and be guiltless?”

And David said, “[As] YHWH lives, if rather YHWH shall strike him, or his day shall come and he will die, or he shall go out to the battle and perish.

Far be it from me by YHWH to stretch out my hand against the anointed of YHWH. And take, please, the spear that [is] by his head, and the jug of water, and let us go.”

And David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who [is] like you in Israel? And why have you not watched over your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy the king your lord.

This thing that you have done [is] not good. [As] YHWH lives, surely you⁺ deserve to die, because you⁺ have not watched over your⁺ master, over the anointed of YHWH. And now see, where [is] the spear of the king and the jug of water that [was] by his head?”

And Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, a woman of a mistress a familiar spirit [is] at Endor.”

And the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.”