1 Samuel 1: 1 - 3: 21
| 1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to the LORD, were there. 4When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb. 6Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 7So year by year, when she went up to the LORD’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. 8Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” |
| 9So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple. 10She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11She vowed a vow, and said, “The LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.” |
| 12As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli saw her mouth. 13Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!” |
| 15Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD. 16Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.” |
| 17Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.” |
| 18She said, “Let your servant find favour in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more. |
| 19They rose up in the morning early and worshipped the LORD, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. |
| 20When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.” |
| 21The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and stay there forever.” |
| 23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word.” |
| So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to the LORD’s house in Shiloh. The child was young. 25They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. 27I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him. 28Therefore I have also given him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is given to the LORD.” He worshipped the LORD there. |
| 1Hannah prayed, and said: |
| “My heart exults in the LORD! |
| My horn is exalted in the LORD. |
| My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, |
| because I rejoice in your salvation. |
| 2There is no one as holy as the LORD, |
| for there is no one besides you, |
| nor is there any rock like our God. |
| 3“Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. |
| Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, |
| for the LORD is a God of knowledge. |
| By him actions are weighed. |
| 4“The bows of the mighty men are broken. |
| Those who stumbled are armed with strength. |
| 5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. |
| Those who were hungry are satisfied. |
| Yes, the barren has borne seven. |
| She who has many children languishes. |
| 6“The LORD kills and makes alive. |
| He brings down to Sheol and brings up. |
| 7The LORD makes poor and makes rich. |
| He brings low, he also lifts up. |
| 8He raises up the poor out of the dust. |
| He lifts up the needy from the dunghill |
| to make them sit with princes |
| and inherit the throne of glory. |
| For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s. |
| He has set the world on them. |
| 9He will keep the feet of his holy ones, |
| but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; |
| for no man will prevail by strength. |
| 10Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces. |
| He will thunder against them in the sky. |
| “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. |
| He will give strength to his king, |
| and exalt the horn of his anointed.” |
| 11Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest. |
| 12Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know the LORD. 13The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15Yes, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.” |
| 16If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burnt first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men despised the LORD’s offering. 18But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod. 19Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May The LORD give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD.” Then they went to their own home. 21The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the LORD. |
| 22Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 23He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make the LORD’s people disobey. 25If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them. |
| 26The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favour both with the LORD and also with men. |
| 27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honour your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. 36It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’” |
| 1The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The LORD’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then. 2At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), 3and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the LORD’s temple where God’s ark was, 4The LORD called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.” |
| 5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” |
| He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.” |
| He went and lay down. 6The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” |
| Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” |
| He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” 7Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word yet revealed to him. 8The LORD called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” |
| Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, the LORD; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” |
| Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.” |
| 11The LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. 13For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them. 14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.” |
| 15Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision. 16Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” |
| He said, “Here I am.” |
| 17He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.” |
| 18Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. |
| He said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.” |
| 19Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the LORD’s word. |
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