1 Samuel 1-3
New American Standard Bible
Elkanah and His Wives
1 Now there was a man from (A)Ramathaim-zophim from the (B)hill country of Ephraim, and his name was (C)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had (D)two wives: the name of one was (E)Hannah and the name of the [a]other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man would go up from his city (F)yearly (G)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of armies in (H)Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he (I)would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, (J)but the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival, moreover, (K)would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 And it happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad? (L)Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (M)the [b]temple of the Lord. 10 She, [c]greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she (N)made a vow and said, “Lord of armies, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your bond-servant and remember me, and not forget Your bond-servant, but will give Your bond-servant a [d]son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and (P)a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she [e]continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, (Q)she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “(R)How long will you behave like a drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [f]despairing in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I (S)have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not [g]consider your bond-servant a useless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “(T)Go in peace; and may the God of Israel (U)grant your request that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “(V)Let your bond-servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and (W)her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born to Hannah
19 Then they got up early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in (X)Ramah. And Elkanah [h]had relations with Hannah his wife, and (Y)the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [i]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “(Z)Because I have asked for him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah (AA)went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will (AB)bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and (AC)stay there for life.” 23 (AD)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do [j]what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him; only (AE)may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, (AF)she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull, one ephah of flour, and a jug of wine, and brought him to (AG)the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then (AH)they [k]slaughtered the bull, and (AI)brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! (AJ)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 (AK)For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28 (AL)So I have also [l]dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is [m]dedicated to the Lord.” And (AM)he worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (AN)prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
(AO)My [n]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [o]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (AP)I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 (AQ)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (AR)there is no one besides You,
(AS)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 Do not go on [p]boasting so very proudly,
(AT)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(AU)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(AV)And [q]with Him actions are weighed.
4 (AW)The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces,
(AX)But those who have stumbled strap on strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to be hungry.
(AY)Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,
But (AZ)she who has many children languishes.
6 (BA)The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
(BB)He brings down to [r]Sheol and brings up.
7 (BC)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(BD)He humbles, He also exalts.
8 (BE)He raises the poor from the dust,
(BF)He lifts the needy from the garbage heap
(BG)To seat them with nobles,
And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance;
(BH)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 (BI)He watches over the feet of His godly ones,
(BJ)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(BK)For not by might shall a person prevail.
10 (BL)Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified;
(BM)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(BN)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(BO)And He will give strength to His king,
(BP)And will exalt the [s]horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his home at (BQ)Ramah. (BR)But the boy continued to attend to the service of the Lord before Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were [t](BS)useless men; they did not know the Lord. 13 (BT)And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 And he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself. They did so in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before (BU)they [u]burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “They must [v]burn the fat [w]first, then take as much as [x]you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you must give it to me now; and if not, I am taking it by force!” 17 And so the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men (BV)treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.
Samuel before the Lord as a Boy
18 Now (BW)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy (BX)wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make for him a little (BY)robe and bring it up to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer (BZ)the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would (CA)bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you [y]children from this woman in place of the [z]one she (CB)requested of the Lord.” And they went to their own [aa]home.
21 [ab](CC)The Lord indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (CD)the boy Samuel grew up [ac]before the Lord.
Eli Rebukes His Sons
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard about (CE)everything that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they slept with (CF)the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good (CG)which I hear the Lord’s people circulating. 25 If one person sins against another, (CH)God will mediate for him; but (CI)if a person sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the (CJ)Lord desired to put them to death.
26 Now the boy (CK)Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the Lord and with people.
27 Then (CL)a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(CM)Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 (CN)Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me? And did I not (CO)give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29 Why are you [ad](CP)showing contempt for My sacrifice and My offering (CQ)which I have commanded for My (CR)dwelling, and why are you (CS)honoring your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [ae]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘(CT)I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father was to walk before Me forever’; but now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for (CU)those who honor Me I will honor, and those (CV)who despise Me will be insignificant. 31 Behold, (CW)the days are coming when I will eliminate your [af]strength and the [ag]strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will look at (CX)the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that [ah]I do for Israel; and there will never be an (CY)old man in your house. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar, [ai]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the [aj]increase of your house will die [ak]in the prime of life. 34 And this will be (CZ)the sign to you which will come in regard to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: (DA)on the same day both of them will die. 35 But (DB)I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and (DC)I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before (DD)My anointed always. 36 And everyone who is left in your house will come to bow down to him for a [al]silver coin or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [am]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
The Prophetic Call to Samuel
3 Now (DE)the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord before Eli. And (DF)word from the Lord was rare in those days; [an]visions were infrequent.
2 But it happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now (DG)his eyesight had begun to be [ao]poor and he could not see well), 3 and (DH)the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, 4 that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “(DI)Here I am.” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son, go back and lie down.” 7 (DJ)Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him. 8 So the Lord called Samuel again for the third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then the Lord came and stood, and called as at the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, (DK)I am going to do a thing in Israel, and both ears of everyone who hears about it will ring. 12 On that day (DL)I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken in regard to his house, from beginning to end. 13 For (DM)I have told him that I am going to judge his house forever for (DN)the wrongdoing that he knew, because (DO)his sons were bringing a curse on themselves and (DP)he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that (DQ)the wrongdoing of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he (DR)opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But Samuel was afraid to tell (DS)the vision to Eli. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 He said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. (DT)May God do the same to you, and more so, if you hide a single word from me of all the words that He spoke to you!” 18 So Samuel told him [ap]everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “(DU)He is the Lord; let Him do [aq]what seems good to Him.”
19 Now (DV)Samuel grew, and (DW)the Lord was with him, and He (DX)let none of his words [ar]fail. 20 And all Israel (DY)from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And (DZ)the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, (EA)because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:2 Or second
- 1 Samuel 1:9 I.e., tabernacle
- 1 Samuel 1:10 Lit bitter of soul
- 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit seed of men
- 1 Samuel 1:12 Lit multiplied
- 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit hard
- 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit give
- 1 Samuel 1:19 Lit knew Hannah
- 1 Samuel 1:20 Lit at the circuit of the days
- 1 Samuel 1:23 Lit the good in your eyes
- 1 Samuel 1:25 I.e., for sacrifice
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Or lent
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Or lent
- 1 Samuel 2:1 I.e., strength
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit is enlarged
- 1 Samuel 2:3 Lit talk much
- 1 Samuel 2:3 Or disgraceful actions have no place
- 1 Samuel 2:6 I.e., the netherworld
- 1 Samuel 2:10 I.e., strength
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial
- 1 Samuel 2:15 Lit offered up in smoke
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit offer up in smoke
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit as the day
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit your soul desires
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit seed
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit request
- 1 Samuel 2:20 Lit place
- 1 Samuel 2:21 Or When the Lord visited...then she; DSS And the Lord visited
- 1 Samuel 2:21 Lit with
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Lit giving a kick to
- 1 Samuel 2:29 Or first
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
- 1 Samuel 2:31 Lit arm
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit He does
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit to make your eyes fail and to grieve your soul
- 1 Samuel 2:33 I.e., new children
- 1 Samuel 2:33 Lit as men
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Or payment
- 1 Samuel 2:36 Lit attach
- 1 Samuel 3:1 Lit there was no vision spreading
- 1 Samuel 3:2 Lit dim
- 1 Samuel 3:18 Lit all the words
- 1 Samuel 3:18 Lit the good in His eyes
- 1 Samuel 3:19 Lit fall to the ground
1 Samuel 1-3
Amplified Bible
Elkanah and His Wives
1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the [a]hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an [b]Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 This man went up from his city [c]each year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests to the Lord there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions [of the sacrificial meat] to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had [d]given her no children. 6 Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had [e]left her childless. 7 So it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you cry and why do you not eat? Why are you so sad and discontent? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside the doorpost of the temple (tabernacle) of the Lord. 10 Hannah was [f]greatly distressed, and she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11 She made a vow, saying, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant and remember, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life; a [g]razor shall never touch his head.”
12 Now it happened as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind); only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Eli [h]thought she was drunk. 14 Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have not been drinking wine or any intoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.(A) 16 Do not regard your maidservant as a wicked and worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [bitter] provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 Hannah said, “Let your maidservant find grace and favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born to Hannah
19 The family got up early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her [prayer]. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; she named him [i]Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lord the [j]yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is [k]weaned; and then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish and confirm His word.” So the woman remained [behind] and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a [l]leather bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet fragrance], and she brought Samuel to the Lord’s house in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26 Hannah said, “Oh, my lord! As [surely as] your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you here, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices and triumphs in the Lord;
My horn (strength) is lifted up in the Lord,
My mouth has opened wide [to speak boldly] against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2
“There is no one holy like the Lord,
There is no one besides You,
There is no Rock like our God.
3
“Do not go on boasting so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And by Him actions are weighed (examined).
4
“The bows of the mighty are [m]broken,
But those who have stumbled equip themselves with strength.
5
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease [to hunger].
Even the barren [woman] gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children withers away.
6
“The Lord puts to death and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave].
7
“The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and He lifts up.
8
“He raises up the poor from the dust,
He lifts up the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor and glory;
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the land on them.
9
“He guards the feet of His godly (faithful) ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced and perish in darkness;
For a man shall not prevail by might.
10
“The adversaries of the Lord will be broken to pieces;
He will thunder against them in the heavens,
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His [n]king,
And will exalt the horn (strength) of His anointed.”(B)
11 Elkanah [and his wife Hannah] returned to Ramah to his house. But the child [Samuel] served the Lord [o]under the guidance of Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas] were [p]worthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the Lord 13 and the custom of the priests with [the sacrifices of] the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged [meat] fork in his hand; 14 then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did in Shiloh to all [the sacrifices of] the [q]Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned (offered) the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat to roast, since he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “[r]Certainly they are to burn (offer) the fat first, and then you may take as much as [s]you want,” then the priest’s servant would say, “No! You shall give it to me now or I will take it by force.” 17 So the sin of the [two] young men [Hophni and Phinehas] was very great before the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.
Samuel before the Lord as a Boy
18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a child dressed in a linen ephod [a sacred item of priestly clothing]. 19 Moreover, his mother would make him a little robe and would bring it up to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she asked for which was dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return to their own home.
21 And [the time came when] the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.
Eli Rebukes His Sons
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard about everything that his sons were doing to all [the people of] Israel, and how they were lying with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle). 23 Eli said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report that I keep hearing from the passers-by among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one man does wrong and sins against another, God will intercede (arbitrate) for him; but if a man does wrong to the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, [t]for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
26 But the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.
27 Then a man of God (prophet) came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did I not plainly reveal Myself to the house of your father (ancestor) when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 Moreover, [u]I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And [from then on] I gave to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel. 29 Why then do you kick at (despise) My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, by fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and that of [Aaron] your father would walk [in priestly service] before Me forever.’ But now the Lord declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be insignificant and contemptible. 31 Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 You will look at the distress of My [v]house (the tabernacle), in spite of all the good which God will do for Israel, and there will never again be an old man in your house. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar; your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul will grieve, and all those born in your house will die as men [in the prime of life].(C) 34 This will be the sign to you which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall die.(D) 35 But I will raise up for Myself a [w]faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a permanent and enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed [x]forever.(E) 36 And it will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and say, “Please assign me to one of the priest’s offices so I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
The Prophetic Call to Samuel
3 Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord [y]under the supervision of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; visions [that is, new revelations of divine truth] were not widespread.
2 Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). 3 and the [oil] lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, 4 that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed [directly] to him. 8 So the Lord called Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. 12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end. 13 Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 17 Then Eli said, “What is it that He said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all that He said to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord; may He do what seems good [z]to Him.”
19 Now Samuel grew; and the Lord was with him and He let none of his words [aa]fail [to be fulfilled].(F) 20 And all Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south] knew that Samuel was appointed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:1 Lit mountains of.
- 1 Samuel 1:1 It is sometimes claimed that Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim (rather than the tribe of Levi) and so was not eligible to serve as a priest. He was an Ephraimite only in the sense that his family lived in the tribal area of Ephraim. His genealogy is given in 1 Chr 6:22-28. At least two other men in the passage are named Elkanah. Samuel’s father, Elkanah, is the man mentioned in 1 Chr 6:27. The men mentioned in 1 Chr 6:23, 24, and 26 are several generations removed from Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 1:3 Lit from days to days.
- 1 Samuel 1:5 Lit closed her womb.
- 1 Samuel 1:6 Lit closed her womb.
- 1 Samuel 1:10 Lit bitter of soul.
- 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit shearing knife. This was a requirement of a Nazirite vow which would apply to Samuel all of his life (see Num 6:2 ff).
- 1 Samuel 1:13 This implies that the custom at that time was to pray aloud; the outcome (vv 19, 20) shows that God hears prayer, whether it is spoken or silent.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 The name possibly means “The Name [i.e. Yahweh, Lord] is God” or “His name is God,” but the etymology is uncertain.
- 1 Samuel 1:21 Lit sacrifice of days.
- 1 Samuel 1:22 At this time children were nursed until about age three. But it may be fair to say that Hannah also wanted to keep the boy as long as she reasonably could; giving up her only child—even for the best of purposes—must have been terribly difficult.
- 1 Samuel 1:24 These containers were made from almost the entire skin of an animal and were used for holding wine.
- 1 Samuel 2:4 Or filled with terror.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 This would first apply to Saul, whom Samuel would anoint as king of Israel (10:1), and then to David (16:13) and other earthly kings. Ultimately it can be applied to Christ, who will rule over Israel and the world.
- 1 Samuel 2:11 Lit in the presence of.
- 1 Samuel 2:12 Lit sons of Belial.
- 1 Samuel 2:14 In general, sons of Israel or Israel or Israelites refers to all the people (males and females) of the various tribes descended from the twelve sons (Gen 35:23-26) of Jacob (later renamed Israel by God). In verses concerning things such as warfare or circumcision sons of Israel or Israel or Israelites usually refers only to the males. Tribes of ancient people were identified by the name of their founding ancestor. Therefore, this same general rule applies when referring to individual tribal groups, e.g. sons of Reuben, Reuben, Reubenites and so throughout.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 The Law of Moses required all the fat to be burned on the altar as an offering to God (Lev 3:16), so the worshiper would be reluctant to agree to the priest’s demand.
- 1 Samuel 2:16 Lit your soul wants.
- 1 Samuel 2:25 Sometimes, when a person has deliberately and repeatedly violated God’s law, God may allow him to be even more determined to continue his sinful ways.
- 1 Samuel 2:28 From the tribe of Levi God designated Aaron and his descendants to serve as priests.
- 1 Samuel 2:32 Lit dwelling.
- 1 Samuel 2:35 This person is not identified by name, but most scholars consider this prophecy fulfilled by Zadok, a priest during the reign of King David, who became high priest under Solomon. His descendants continued in service to God for many generations.
- 1 Samuel 2:35 Lit all the days.
- 1 Samuel 3:1 Lit before.
- 1 Samuel 3:18 Lit in His eyes.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 Lit fall to the ground.
1 Samuel 1-3
King James Version
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.
2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
13 And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.
21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.
25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
3 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.