Beginning
The First Book of Samuel
1 1 The genealogy of Elkanah father of Samuel. 2 His two wives. 5 Hannah was barren, and prayed to the Lord. 15 Her answer to Eli. 20 Samuel is born. 24 She doth dedicate him to the Lord.
1 There was a man of one of the two [a]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 (A)And this man went up out of his city every year, to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in [b]Shiloh, where were the two sons of Eli, 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 unto Hannah he gave a worthy [c]portion: for he loved Hannah, and the Lord had made her barren.
6 ¶ And her adversary vexed her sore, forasmuch as she upbraided her, because the Lord had made her barren.
7 (And so did he year by year) and as oft as she went up to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that 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 thine heart troubled? am not I better to thee than ten [d]sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after that they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh (and Eli the Priest sat upon a stool by one of the posts of the [e]Temple of the Lord)
10 And she was troubled in her mind, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore:
11 Also she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look on the trouble of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, (B)and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.
13 For Hannah spake in her heart: her lips did move only, 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 [f]drunkenness from thee.
15 Then Hannah answered and said, Nay my lord, but I am a woman [g]troubled in spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have (C)poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid [h]for a wicked woman: for of the abundance of my complaint and my grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered, and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 She said again, Let thine handmaid find [i]grace in thy sight: so the woman went her way, and did eat, and looked no more 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 [j]remembered her.
20 For in process of time Hannah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Samuel, Because, said she, I have asked him of the Lord.
21 ¶ So the man [k]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 tarry until the child be weaned, then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him: only the Lord accomplish his [l]word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she 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 unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was [m]young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my Lord, as thy [n]soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood with thee here praying unto the Lord.
27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord hath given me my desire which I asked of him.
28 Therefore also I have [o]given him unto the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be given unto the Lord: and he [p]worshipped the Lord there.
2 1 The song of Hannah. 12 The sons of Eli, wicked. 13 The new custom of the Priests. 18 Samuel ministereth before the Lord. 20 Eli blesseth Elkanah and his wife. 23 Eli reproveth his sons. 27 God sendeth a Prophet to Eli. 31 Eli is menaced for not chastising his children.
1 And Hannah [q]prayed, and said, Mine heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine [r]horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is [s]enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy as the Lord: yea, there is none besides thee, and there is no god like our God.
3 Speak [t]no more presumptuously: 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 They that were full, are hired forth for [u]bread, and the hungry are no more hired, so that the barren hath borne [v]seven: and she that had many children is feeble.
6 (D)The Lord killeth and maketh alive: bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up.
7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: bringeth low, and exalteth.
8 (E)He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among [w]princes, and to make them inherit the seat of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the [x]Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his Saints, and the wicked shall keep silence in darkness: for in his own might shall no man be strong.
10 The Lord’s adversaries shall be destroyed, and out of heaven shall he (F)thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give power unto his [y]King, and exalt the horn of his Anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the child did minister unto the [z]Lord before Eli the Priest.
12 ¶ Now the sons of Eli were wicked men, and [aa]knew not the Lord.
13 For the Priests’ custom toward the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the Priest’s [ab]boy came, while the flesh was seething, and a fleshhook with three teeth in his hand,
14 And thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the pan, or into the pot: [ac]all that the fleshhook brought up, the Priest took for himself: thus they did unto all the Israelites, that came thither to Shiloh.
15 Yea, before they burnt the [ad]fat, the Priest’s boy came and said unto the man that offered, Give me 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 burn the fat according to the [ae]custom, then take as much as thine heart [af]desireth: then he would answer, No, but thou shalt give it now: and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force.
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men [ag]abhorred the offering of the Lord.
18 ¶ Now Samuel being a young child ministered before the Lord, girded with a linen (G)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 thee seed of this woman, for [ah]the petition that she asked of the Lord: and they departed unto their place.
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 ¶ So Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women that [ai]assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for of all this people I hear evil reports of you.
24 Do no more, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, which is, that ye make the Lord’s people to [aj]trespass.
25 If one man sin against another, the Judge shall judge it: but if a man sin against the Lord, who will plead for him? Notwithstanding they obeyed not the voice of their father, because the Lord [ak]would slay 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 unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did not I plainly appear unto the house of thy [al]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 (H)I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel.
29 Wherefore have you [am]kicked against my sacrifice and mine offering, which I commanded in my Tabernacle, and honorest thy children above me, to make yourselves fat of the firstfruits of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said, that thine house, and the house of thy father should walk before me forever: but now the Lord saith, [an]It shall not be so: for them that honor me, I will honor, and they that despise me, shall be despised.
31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine [ao]arm, and the arm of thy fathers house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou [ap]shalt see thine enemy in the habitation of the Lord in all things wherewith God shall bless Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thine house forever.
33 Nevertheless, I will not destroy every one of thine from mine altar, to make thine eyes to fail, and to make thine heart sorrowful: and all the multitude of thine house shall [aq]die when they be men.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both.
35 And I will stir me up a [ar]faithful Priest, that shall do according to mine heart, and according to my mind: and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before mine Anointed forever.
36 And all that are left in thine house, shall come and [as]bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the Priest’s offices, that I may eat a morsel [of] bread.
3 1 There was no manifest vision in the time of Eli. 4 The Lord calleth Samuel three times, 11 And showeth what shall come upon Eli and his house. 18 The same declareth Samuel to Eli.
1 Now the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord [at]before Eli: and the word of the Lord was [au]precious in those days: for there was no manifest vision.
2 And at that time, as Eli lay in his [av]place, his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see.
3 And yer the [aw]light of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord [ax]called Samuel: and he said, Here I am.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. But he said, I called thee not: go again and sleep. And he went and slept.
6 And the Lord called once again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called thee not my son: go again and sleep.
7 Thus did Samuel, before he knew [ay]the Lord, and before the word of the Lord was revealed unto him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time: and he arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou hast called me. Then Eli [az]perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go and sleep: and if he call thee, then say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. 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 thy servant heareth.
11 ¶ Then the Lord said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, whereof whosoever shall hear, his two (I)ears shall [ba]tingle.
12 In that day I will raise up against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 And I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons ran into a slander, and he stayed them not.
14 Now therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the wickedness of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering [bb]forever.
15 Afterward Samuel slept until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and Samuel feared 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 unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me. God [bc]do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me, of all that he said unto thee.
18 So Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. Then he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words [bd]fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew [be]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 [bf]his word.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.