⁵ She held court^(A) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah^(B) and Bethel^(C) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(A) died and was buried under the oak^(B) outside Bethel.^(C) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[a]

¹⁶ The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

¹⁷ These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord—one each^(A) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron.

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.^(A) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered^(B) her.

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.

Law Courts

⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge^(A)—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults^(B)—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.^{(C) 9} Go to the Levitical^(D) priests and to the judge^(E) who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.^{(F) 10} You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. ¹¹ Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.^{(G) 12} Anyone who shows contempt^(H) for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering^(I) there to the Lord your God is to be put to death.^(J) You must purge the evil from Israel.^(K)