Beginning
1 There was a man of one of the two Ramathaim Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 And he had two wives. The name of 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 every year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts in Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli were, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the LORD.
4 And on a day when Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions.
5 But to Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah and the LORD had made her barren.
6 And her adversary severely provoked her, trying to make her rage because the LORD had made her barren.
7 And so it was, as often as she went up to the House of the LORD, thus she provoked her, so that she wept and did not eat.
8 Then her husband, Elkanah, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And Eli the Priest sat upon a stool by one of the posts of the Temple of the LORD.
10 And she was troubled in her mind and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
11 Also she vowed a vow, and said, “O LORD of Hosts, if You will, look on the trouble of Your handmaid and remember me. And do not forget Your handmaid but give to Your handmaid a male child. Then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life. And no razor shall come upon his head.”
12 And as she continued praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
13 For Hannah spoke in her heart. Her lips only moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your drunkenness from you.”
15 Then Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 “Do not count your handmaid as a wicked woman, for of the abundance of my complaint and my grief I have spoken as of now.”
17 Then Eli answered, and said, “Go in peace. And the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”
18 She said again, “Let your handmaid find grace in your sight.” So, the woman went her way and ate and no longer looked sad.
19 Then they rose up early and worshipped before the LORD and returned and came to their house, to Ramah. Now Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife. And the LORD remembered her.
20 For in process of time, Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she called his name, Samuel, saying, “Because, I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21 So, the man Elkanah, and all his house, 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, “I will wait until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever.
23 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him. Only, may the LORD accomplish His Word.” So, the woman waited and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him with her with three bullocks and an ephah of flour and a bottle of wine and brought him to the House of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young.
25 And they killed a bull and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood with you here praying to the LORD!
27 “I prayed for this child; and the LORD has given me my desire which I asked of Him.
28 “Therefore, I also have given him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he shall be given to the LORD.” And he worshipped the LORD there.
2 And Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart rejoices in the LORD. My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “There is none as Holy as the LORD. Yea, there is none besides You; and there is no god like our God.
3 “No longer speak so exceedingly proudly. Do let not arrogancy come out of your mouth. For the LORD is a God of knowledge; and by Him enterprises are established.
4 “The bow and the mighty men are broken; and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 “Those who were full are now hired for bread, yet the hungry are no more. Even the barren has borne seven; and she who had many children is now feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive, brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 “The LORD makes poor and makes rich, brings low and exalts.
8 “He raises up the poor from the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set among princes and to make them inherit the seat of glory. For the pillars of the Earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.
9 “He will keep the feet of His saints; and the wicked shall keep silence in darkness. For in might shall no man be strong.
10 “The LORD’s adversaries shall be destroyed, and out of Heaven shall He thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give power to His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed.”
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house, and the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the Priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men and did not know the LORD.
13 For the Priests’ custom toward the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priest’s boy came with a three-toothed fleshhook in his hand while the flesh was boiling,
14 and thrust it into the kettle or into the caldron or into the pan, or into the pot. All that the fleshhook would bring up the Priest took for himself. Thus they did to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.
15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the Priest’s boy came and said to the man who offered, “Give me flesh to roast for the Priest. For he will not have boiled flesh from you, but raw.”
16 And if any man said to him, “Let them burn the fat according to the custom, then take as much as your heart desires,” then he would answer, “No, but you shall give it now. And if you will not, I will take it by force.”
17 Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for men abhorred the Offering of the LORD.
18 Now Samuel, being a young child, ministered before the LORD girded with a linen ephod.
19 And 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 you seed of this woman for the petition that she asked of the LORD.” And they departed to their place.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child, Samuel, grew before the LORD.
22 So, Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the Door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear evil reports of you from all the people.
24 “Do no more, my sons. For it is not a good report that I hear, that you make the LORD’s people trespass.
25 “If one man sins against another, the Judge shall judge it. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will plead for him?” Nevertheless they did not obey the voice of their father; because the LORD wanted to kill them.
26 Now the child, Samuel, profited and grew and was in favor, both with the LORD and also with men.
27 And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Did not I plainly appear to the House of your [v]father when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house?
28 ‘And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My Priest, to offer upon My Altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And I gave to the House of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel.
29 ‘Why have you kicked against My Sacrifice and My Offering which I Commanded in My Tabernacle, and honor your children above Me, to make yourselves fat from the firstfruits of all the Offerings of Israel My people?’
30 “Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said that your House, and the House of your father, should walk before Me, forever.’ But now, the LORD says: ‘It shall not be so. For those who honor Me, I will honor. And those who despise Me, shall be despised.
31 ‘Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father’s House, so that there shall not be an old man in your House.
32 ‘And you shall see your enemy in the habitation of the LORD, in all things with which God shall bless Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your House, forever.
33 ‘Nevertheless, I will not destroy every one of yours from My Altar, to make your eyes fail and to make your heart sorrowful. And all the multitude of your House shall die men.
34 ‘And this shall be a sign to you, that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. In one day, they shall both die.
35 ‘And I will stir up a faithful Priest, who shall do according to My Heart, and according to My Mind. And I will build him a sure House. And he shall walk before My anointed, forever.
36 ‘And all who are left in your House, shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, “Please appoint me to one of the priest’s offices, so that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
3 Now the child, Samuel, ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the Word of the LORD was precious in those days; for there was no manifest vision.
2 And at that time, as Eli lay in his place, his eyes began to grow dim, so that he could not see.
3 And before the Light of God went out, Samuel slept in the Temple of the LORD, where the Ark of God was.
4 Then, the LORD called Samuel. And he said, “Here I am.”
5 And he ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am! For you called me!” But he said, “I did not call you. Go back. Sleep.” And he went and slept.
6 And the LORD called Samuel once again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “I am here! For you called me!” And he answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back. Sleep.”
7 Thus did Samuel, before he knew the LORD and before the Word of the LORD was revealed to him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “I am here! For you have called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go. Sleep. And if He calls you, then say, “Speak LORD, for Your servant hears.” So, Samuel went and slept in his place.
10 And the LORD came and stood and called, as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel answered, “Speak. For Your servant hears.”
11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, of which whoever shall hear, his two ears shall tingle.
12 “On that day, I will raise up against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his House. What I begin, I will also finish.
13 “And I have told him that I will judge his House forever, for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons despised themselves, and he did not rebuke them.
14 “Now, therefore, I have sworn to the House of Eli that the wickedness of Eli’s House shall not ever be purged with Sacrifice or Offering.”
15 Afterward, Samuel slept until the morning, and opened the doors of the House of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.”
17 Then he said, “What is it that the LORD said to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you.”
18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 And Samuel grew. And the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that faithful Samuel was the LORD’s Prophet.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by His Word.
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