Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(A)

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

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹² Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(AL) for the Lord. ¹³ Now it was the practice^(AM) 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^(AN) 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^(AO) 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^[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.^(AP)

¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering^(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.^{(AR) 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^(AS) 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^(AT) for and gave to^[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. ²¹ And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;^(AU) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew^(AV) up in the presence of the Lord.

²² Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything^(AW) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women^(AX) 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^[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will^(AY) intercede^(AZ) 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^(BA) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.^(BB)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

²⁷ Now a man of God^(BC) 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^(BD) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,^(BE) and to wear an ephod^(BF) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings^(BG) presented by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why do you^[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering^(BH) that I prescribed for my dwelling?^(BI) 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.^(BJ)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(BK) but those who despise^(BL) me will be disdained.^{(BM) 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,^{(BN) 32} and you will see distress^(BO) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.^{(BP) 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^(BQ) will die in the prime of life.

³⁴ “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign^(BR) to you—they will both die^(BS) on the same day.^{(BT) 35} I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,^(BU) 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^(BV) 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,^(BW) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.^(BX)”’”

10 Then Samuel took a flask^(A) of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed^(B) you ruler over his inheritance?^{[a](C) 2} When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb,^(D) at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys^(E) you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried^(F) about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’

³ “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel^(G) will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. ⁴ They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread,^(H) which you will accept from them.

⁵ “After that you will go to Gibeah^(I) of God, where there is a Philistine outpost.^(J) As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets^(K) coming down from the high place^(L) with lyres, timbrels,^(M) pipes^(N) and harps^(O) being played before them, and they will be prophesying.^{(P) 6} The Spirit^(Q) of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed^(R) into a different person. ⁷ Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever^(S) your hand^(T) finds to do, for God is with^(U) you.

⁸ “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal.^(V) I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven^(W) days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Saul Made King

⁹ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed^(X) Saul’s heart, and all these signs^(Y) were fulfilled^(Z) that day. ¹⁰ When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit^(AA) of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.^{(AB) 11} When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this^(AC) that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”^(AD)

¹² A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”^{(AE) 13} After Saul stopped prophesying,^(AF) he went to the high place.

¹⁴ Now Saul’s uncle^(AG) asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”

“Looking for the donkeys,^(AH)” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶ Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys^(AI) had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah^{(AJ) 18} and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed^(AK) you.’ ¹⁹ But you have now rejected^(AL) your God, who saves^(AM) you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king^(AN) over us.’^(AO) So now present^(AP) yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰ When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹ Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken.^(AQ) Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. ²² So they inquired^(AR) further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”

²³ They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller^(AS) than any of the others. ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?^(AT) There is no one like^(AU) him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “Long live^(AV) the king!”

²⁵ Samuel explained^(AW) to the people the rights and duties^(AX) of kingship.^(AY) He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.

²⁶ Saul also went to his home in Gibeah,^(AZ) accompanied by valiant men^(BA) whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some scoundrels^(BB) said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts.^(BC) But Saul kept silent.