The Birth of Samuel

1 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. ² He had two wives;^(F) one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³ 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. ⁴ 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) 5} But to Hannah he gave a double portion^(M) because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.^{(N) 6} Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.^{(O) 7} 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) 8} 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)”

⁹ 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

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(AS)

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

3 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)

² One night Eli, whose eyes^(DT) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,^(DU) was lying down in his usual place. ³ 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. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.^(DY)” ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know^(DZ) the Lord: The word^(EA) of the Lord had not yet been revealed^(EB) to him.

⁸ 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. ⁹ 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.

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

² To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,^(A) listen to me! The God of glory^(B) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.^{(C) 3} ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’^[a](D)

⁴ “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.^{(E) 5} He gave him no inheritance here,^(F) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,^(G) even though at that time Abraham had no child. ⁶ God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.^{(H) 7} But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’^{[b](I) 8} Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.^(J) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.^(K) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,^(L) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.^(M)

⁹ “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,^(N) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.^(O) But God was with him^{(P) 10} and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.^(Q)

¹¹ “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.^{(R) 12} When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.^{(S) 13} On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,^(T) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.^{(U) 14} After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,^(V) seventy-five in all.^{(W) 15} Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.^{(X) 16} Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.^(Y)

¹⁷ “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.^{(Z) 18} Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’^{[c](AA) 19} He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.^(AB)

²⁰ “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.^[d] For three months he was cared for by his family.^{(AC) 21} When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.^{(AD) 22} Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians^(AE) and was powerful in speech and action.

²³ “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. ²⁴ He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. ²⁵ Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. ²⁶ The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

²⁷ “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?^{(AF) 28} Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’^{[e] 29} When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.^(AG)

³⁰ “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. ³¹ When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:^{(AH) 32} ‘I am the God of your fathers,^(AI) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’^[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.^(AJ)

³³ “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.^{(AK) 34} I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’^[g](AL)

³⁵ “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’^(AM) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ He led them out of Egypt^(AN) and performed wonders and signs^(AO) in Egypt, at the Red Sea^(AP) and for forty years in the wilderness.^(AQ)

³⁷ “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’^{[h](AR) 38} He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel^(AS) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;^(AT) and he received living words^(AU) to pass on to us.^(AV)

³⁹ “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.^{(AW) 40} They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’^{[i](AX) 41} That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.^{(AY) 42} But God turned away from them^(AZ) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.^(BA) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

⁴⁴ “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law^(BC) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.^{(BD) 45} After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.^(BE) It remained in the land until the time of David,^{(BF) 46} who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.^{[k](BG) 47} But it was Solomon who built a house for him.^(BH)

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High^(BI) does not live in houses made by human hands.^(BJ) As the prophet says:

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(BM) Your hearts^(BN) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(BO) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(BP)— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels^(BQ) but have not obeyed it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious^(BR) and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,^(BS) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{(BT) 56} “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open^(BU) and the Son of Man^(BV) standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city^(BW) and began to stone him.^(BX) Meanwhile, the witnesses^(BY) laid their coats^(BZ) at the feet of a young man named Saul.^(CA)

⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”^{(CB) 60} Then he fell on his knees^(CC) and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”^(CD) When he had said this, he fell asleep.^(CE)