Samuel’s Childhood Ministry

^18 (A)But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, ^(B)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 ^(C)came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰ And Eli ^(D)would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the ^[a]loan that was ^(E)given to the Lord.” Then they would go to their own home.

²¹ And the Lord ^(F)visited^[b] Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel ^(G)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, ^[c]and how they lay with ^(H)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, ^(I)God^[d] will judge him. But if a man ^(J)sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, ^(K)because the Lord desired to kill them.

²⁶ And the child Samuel ^(L)grew in stature, and ^(M)in favor both with the Lord and men.

David Anointed King

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, ^(A)“How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? ^(B)Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to ^(C)Jesse the Bethlehemite. For ^(D)I have ^[a]provided Myself a king among his sons.”