¹⁸ And she said, ^(A)“Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman ^(B)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 ^(C)knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord ^(D)remembered her. ²⁰ So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name ^[a]Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

²¹ Now the man Elkanah and all his house ^(E)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 ^(F)take him, that he may appear before the Lord and ^(G)remain there ^(H)forever.”

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

²⁴ Now when she had weaned him, she ^(J)took him up with her, with ^[d]three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to ^(K)the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. ²⁵ Then they slaughtered a bull, and ^(L)brought the child to Eli. ²⁶ And she said, “O my lord! ^(M)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. ^27 (N)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 ^[e]lent to the Lord.” So they ^(O)worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer^(A)

2 And Hannah ^(B)prayed and said:

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

The Wicked Sons of Eli

¹² Now the sons of Eli were ^(AB)corrupt;^{[e] (AC)}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 ^(AD)Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. ¹⁵ Also, before they ^(AE)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 ^(AF)before the Lord, for men ^(AG)abhorred^[f] the offering of the Lord.

Samuel’s Childhood Ministry

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

²¹ And the Lord ^(AM)visited^[h] Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel ^(AN)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, ^[i]and how they lay with ^(AO)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.

^15 (A)“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither ^[a]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ^(B)‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you ^(C)to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and ^(D)white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ^19 (E)As many as I love, I rebuke and ^(F)chasten.^[b] Therefore be ^[c]zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, ^(G)I stand at the door and knock. ^(H)If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(I)I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes ^(J)I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

^22 (K)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”