The Family of Elkanah

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the (A)mountains of Ephraim, and his name was (B)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of [a]Elihu, the son of [b]Tohu, the son of Zuph, (C)an Ephraimite. And he had (D)two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up from his city (E)yearly (F)to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in (G)Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an (H)offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, (I)although the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival also (J)provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow

Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not (K)better to you than ten sons?”

So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (L)the [c]tabernacle of the Lord. 10 (M)And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and [d]wept in anguish. 11 Then she (N)made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and (P)remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and (Q)no razor shall come upon his head.”

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have (R)poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your maidservant a (S)wicked[e] woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, (T)“Go in peace, and (U)the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, (V)“Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman (W)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born and Dedicated

19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah (X)knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord (Y)remembered her. 20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name [f]Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house (Z)went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will (AA)take him, that he may appear before the Lord and (AB)remain there (AC)forever.”

23 So (AD)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord [g]establish [h]His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24 Now when she had weaned him, she (AE)took him up with her, with [i]three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to (AF)the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and (AG)brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “O my lord! (AH)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. 27 (AI)For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be [j]lent to the Lord.” So they (AJ)worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer(AK)

And Hannah (AL)prayed and said:

(AM)“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
(AN)My [k]horn is exalted in the Lord.
[l]I smile at my enemies,
Because I (AO)rejoice in Your salvation.

“No(AP) one is holy like the Lord,
For there is (AQ)none besides You,
Nor is there any (AR)rock like our God.

“Talk no more so very proudly;
(AS)Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the Lord is the God of (AT)knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

“The(AU) bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even (AV)the barren has borne seven,
And (AW)she who has many children has become feeble.

“The(AX) Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
The Lord (AY)makes poor and makes rich;
(AZ)He brings low and lifts up.
(BA)He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
(BB)To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.

(BC)“For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
(BD)He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the (BE)wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be (BF)broken in pieces;
(BG)From heaven He will thunder against them.
(BH)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

(BI)“He will give (BJ)strength to His king,
And (BK)exalt the [m]horn of His anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child [n]ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

The Wicked Sons of Eli

12 Now the sons of Eli were (BL)corrupt;[o] (BM)they did not know the Lord. 13 And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in (BN)Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they (BO)burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”

16 And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great (BP)before the Lord, for men (BQ)abhorred[p] the offering of the Lord.

Samuel’s Childhood Ministry

18 (BR)But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, (BS)wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she (BT)came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli (BU)would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the [q]loan that was (BV)given to the Lord.” Then they would go to their own home.

21 And the Lord (BW)visited[r] Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel (BX)grew before the Lord.

Prophecy Against Eli’s Household

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, [s]and how they lay with (BY)the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, (BZ)God[t] will judge him. But if a man (CA)sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, (CB)because the Lord desired to kill them.

26 And the child Samuel (CC)grew in stature, and (CD)in favor both with the Lord and men.

27 Then a (CE)man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: (CF)‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not (CG)choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And (CH)did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you (CI)kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My (CJ)dwelling place, and honor your sons more than (CK)Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: (CL)‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: (CM)‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and (CN)those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, (CO)the days are coming that I will cut off your [u]arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be (CP)an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be (CQ)a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: (CR)in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then (CS)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. (CT)I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before (CU)My anointed forever. 36 (CV)And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, [v]put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”

Samuel’s First Prophecy

Now (CW)the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And (CX)the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow (CY)so dim that he could not see, and before (CZ)the lamp of God went out in the [w]tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.

Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!”

So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel (DA)did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.”

Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, (DB)‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel (DC)at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli (DD)all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 (DE)For I have told him that I will (DF)judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because (DG)his sons made themselves vile, and he (DH)did not [x]restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house (DI)shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 So Samuel lay down until [y]morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”

He answered, “Here I am.”

17 And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. (DJ)God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, (DK)“It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

19 So Samuel (DL)grew, and (DM)the Lord was with him (DN)and let none of his words [z]fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel (DO)from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been [aa]established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by (DP)the word of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:1 Eliel, 1 Chr. 6:34
  2. 1 Samuel 1:1 Toah, 1 Chr. 6:34
  3. 1 Samuel 1:9 palace or temple, Heb. heykal
  4. 1 Samuel 1:10 Lit. wept greatly
  5. 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit. daughter of Belial
  6. 1 Samuel 1:20 Lit. Heard by God
  7. 1 Samuel 1:23 confirm
  8. 1 Samuel 1:23 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX, Syr. your
  9. 1 Samuel 1:24 DSS, LXX, Syr. a three-year-old bull
  10. 1 Samuel 1:28 granted
  11. 1 Samuel 2:1 Strength
  12. 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit. My mouth is enlarged
  13. 1 Samuel 2:10 Strength
  14. 1 Samuel 2:11 served
  15. 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit. sons of Belial
  16. 1 Samuel 2:17 despised
  17. 1 Samuel 2:20 gift
  18. 1 Samuel 2:21 attended to
  19. 1 Samuel 2:22 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX omit rest of verse
  20. 1 Samuel 2:25 Tg. the Judge
  21. 1 Samuel 2:31 strength
  22. 1 Samuel 2:36 assign
  23. 1 Samuel 3:3 palace or temple
  24. 1 Samuel 3:13 Lit. rebuke
  25. 1 Samuel 3:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX adds and he arose in the morning
  26. 1 Samuel 3:19 fail
  27. 1 Samuel 3:20 confirmed

The Birth of Samuel

There was a certain man from Ramathaim,(A) a Zuphite[a](B) from the hill country(C) of Ephraim,(D) whose name was Elkanah(E) son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives;(F) one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Year after year(G) this man went up from his town to worship(H) and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh,(I) where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli,(J) were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice,(K) he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.(L) But to Hannah he gave a double portion(M) because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.(N) Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.(O) This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.(P) Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?(Q)

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.(R) 10 In her deep anguish(S) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow,(T) saying, “Lord Almighty(U), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember(V) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,(W) and no razor(X) will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled.(Y) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring(Z) out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”(AA)

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace,(AB) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.(AC)

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.(AD)” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.(AE)

19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.(AF) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered(AG) her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(AH) She named(AI) him Samuel,[b](AJ) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual(AK) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,(AL) 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present(AM) him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[c]

23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good(AN) his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned(AO) him.

24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e](AP) an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed(AQ) for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life(AR) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:(AS)

“My heart rejoices(AT) in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn[g](AU) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(AV) over my enemies,(AW)
    for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy(AX) like(AY) the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock(AZ) like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(BA)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(BB)
    and by him deeds(BC) are weighed.(BD)

“The bows of the warriors are broken,(BE)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(BF)
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(BG) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(BH) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;(BI)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.(BJ)
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(BK)
    he humbles and he exalts.(BL)
He raises(BM) the poor(BN) from the dust(BO)
    and lifts the needy(BP) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.(BQ)

“For the foundations(BR) of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet(BS) of his faithful servants,(BT)
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(BU)

“It is not by strength(BV) that one prevails;
10     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(BW)
The Most High will thunder(BX) from heaven;
    the Lord will judge(BY) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength(BZ) to his king
    and exalt the horn(CA) of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,(CB) but the boy ministered(CC) before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard(CD) for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice(CE) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat(CF) was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat(CG) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[h] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.(CH)

18 But Samuel was ministering(CI) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.(CJ) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual(CK) sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed(CL) for and gave to[i] the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;(CM) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew(CN) up in the presence of the Lord.

22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(CO) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(CP) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[j] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(CQ) intercede(CR) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(CS) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(CT)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

27 Now a man of God(CU) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(CV) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(CW) and to wear an ephod(CX) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(CY) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[k] scorn my sacrifice and offering(CZ) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(DA) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(DB)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(DC) but those who despise(DD) me will be disdained.(DE) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(DF) 32 and you will see distress(DG) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(DH) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(DI) will die in the prime of life.

34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(DJ) to you—they will both die(DK) on the same day.(DL) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(DM) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(DN) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(DO) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(DP)”’”

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered(DQ) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;(DR) there were not many visions.(DS)

One night Eli, whose eyes(DT) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,(DU) was lying down in his usual place. The lamp(DV) of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house(DW) of the Lord, where the ark(DX) of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.(DY) And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

Now Samuel did not yet know(DZ) the Lord: The word(EA) of the Lord had not yet been revealed(EB) to him.

A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!(EC)

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.(ED) 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything(EE) I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[l] and he failed to restrain(EF) them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned(EG) for by sacrifice or offering.’”

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide(EH) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,(EI) if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”(EJ)

19 The Lord was with(EK) Samuel as he grew(EL) up, and he let none(EM) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba(EN) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.(EO) 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed(EP) himself to Samuel through his word.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:1 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 6:26-27,33-35; or from Ramathaim Zuphim.
  2. 1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard by God.
  3. 1 Samuel 1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite—all the days of his life.”
  4. 1 Samuel 1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your
  5. 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls
  6. 1 Samuel 1:24 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
  7. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
  8. 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
  9. 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
  10. 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
  11. 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
  12. 1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible