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Then Hannah became pregnant.
Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord
In the course of time she gave birth to a son. And she named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him.”
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Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah.
Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office
The boy Samuel was serving the Lord with the favor of Eli the priest.
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Now Samuel was ministering with the favor of the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.
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And indeed the Lord attended to Hannah. She got pregnant and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. But the boy Samuel grew up before the Lord.
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However, the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
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The Call of Samuel
Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
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and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there.
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The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!”
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The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
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Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the Lord’s messages had not yet been revealed to him.
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Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.
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So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
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Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!”
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The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle.
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So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
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However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.”
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So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.”
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Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled.
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All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.
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Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel through a message from the Lord.
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Samuel revealed the word of the Lord to all Israel.
The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines
Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek.
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Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
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Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”
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After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led the people of Israel at Mizpah.
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The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep crying out to the Lord our God so that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines!”