The First Book of Samuel, starting at chapter 1
{1:1} Now 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: {1:2}
and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of
other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
{1:3} This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship
and to sacrifice to [1>]the LORD[<1] of Hosts in Shiloh. The two sons
of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to the LORD, were there. {1:4}
When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his
wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: {1:5} but to
Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had
shut up her womb. {1:6} Her rival provoked her severely, to make her
fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. {1:7} [as] he did so year
by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked
her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. {1:8} Elkanah 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?"
{1:9} So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after
they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the
doorpost of the temple of the LORD. {1:10} She was in bitterness of
soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. {1:11} She vowed a
vow, and said, "The LORD of Hosts, if you will indeed look on the
affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your
handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a boy, then I will give him
to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his
head."
{1:12} It happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that
Eli saw her mouth. {1:13} Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips
moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been
drunken. {1:14} Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunken? Put
away your wine from you."
{1:15} Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful
spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out
my soul before the LORD. {1:16} Don't count your handmaid for a wicked
woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint
and my provocation."
{1:17} Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the [2>]God[<2] of
Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."
{1:18} She said, "Let your handmaid find favor in your sight." So
the woman went her way, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad
any more. {1:19} They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped
before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and
Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
{1:20} It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived,
and bore a son; and she named him [3>]Samuel,[<3] [saying], "Because I
have asked him of the LORD."
{1:21} The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the
LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. {1:22} But 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."
{1:23} Elkanah 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. {1:24}
When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls,
and one [4>]efah[<4] of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to
the LORD's house in Shiloh. The child was young. {1:25} They killed
the bull, and brought the child to Eli. {1:26} She said, "Oh, my lord,
as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here,
praying to the LORD. {1:27} For this child I prayed; and the LORD has
given me my petition which I asked of him. {1:28} Therefore also I
have granted him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is granted to the
LORD." He worshiped the LORD there.
{2:1} Hannah 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.
{2:2} There is no one as holy as the LORD,
For there is no one besides you,
nor is there any rock like our God.
{2:3} "Talk no more so exceeding proudly.
Don't let arrogance come out of your mouth,
For the LORD is a God of knowledge.
By him actions are weighed.
{2:4} "The bows of the mighty men are broken.
Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
{2:5} Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
Those who were hungry have ceased [to hunger].
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
She who has many children languishes.
{2:6} "The LORD kills, and makes alive.
He brings down to [5>]Sheol[<5], and brings up.
{2:7} The LORD makes poor, and makes rich.
He brings low, he also lifts up.
{2:8} He 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.
{2:9} He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;
for no man shall prevail by strength.
{2:10} Those 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."
{2:11} Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child did minister to
the LORD before Eli the priest. {2:12} Now the sons of Eli were base
men; they didn't know the LORD. {2:13} The custom of the priests with
the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's
servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fork of three teeth
in his hand; {2:14} and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or
caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest took
therewith. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
{2:15} Yes, 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."
{2:16} If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned 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."
{2:17} The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for
the men despised the offering of the LORD. {2:18} But Samuel
ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
{2:19} Moreover 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. {2:20} Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said,
"The LORD give you seed of this woman for the petition which was asked
of the LORD." They went to their own home. {2:21} The LORD visited
Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. The
child Samuel grew before the LORD. {2:22} Now Eli was very old; and he
heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they lay with
the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. {2:23} He
said to them, "Why do you do such things? for I hear of your evil
dealings from all this people. {2:24} No, my sons; for it is no good
report that I hear: you make the LORD's people disobey. {2:25} If one
man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against
the LORD, who shall entreat for him?" Notwithstanding, they didn't
listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD was minded to
kill them. {2:26} The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor
both with the LORD, and also with men. {2:27} A man of God came to
Eli, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Did I reveal myself to the
house of your father, when they were in Egypt [in bondage] to
Pharaoh's house? {2:28} Did 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? Did I give to the house of your father all the
offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? {2:29} Why do you
kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in
[my] habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat
with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?'
{2:30} "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, 'Be it far from me; for those who
honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly
esteemed. {2:31} Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm,
and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man
in your house. {2:32} You shall see the affliction of [my] habitation,
in all the wealth which [God] shall give Israel; and there shall not
be an old man in your house forever. {2:33} The man of yours, [whom] I
shall not cut off from my altar, [shall be] to consume your eyes, and
to grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house shall die in
the flower of their age.
{2:34} "'This shall be the sign to you, that shall come on your two
sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall both die. {2:35} I
will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that
which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house;
and he shall walk before my anointed forever. {2:36} It shall happen,
that everyone who is left in your house shall come and bow down to him
for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, "Please put
me into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of
bread."'"
{3:1} The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The word
of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.
{3:2} It happened at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place
(now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), {3:3}
and the lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down [to
sleep], in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was; {3:4}
that the LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here I am." {3:5} He 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. {3:6} The 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." {3:7} Now
Samuel didn't yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet
revealed to him. {3:8} The 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. {3:9} Therefore
Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down: and 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. {3:10} The LORD came, and
stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak; for your servant hears."
{3:11} The LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in
Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.
{3:12} In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken
concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. {3:13} For 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. {3:14} Therefore I have sworn to the house of
Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be removed with
sacrifice nor offering forever."
{3:15} Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the
house of the LORD. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. {3:16} Then
Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son!"
He said, "Here I am."
{3:17} He said, "What is the thing that [the LORD] 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."
{3:18} Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.
He said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."
{3:19} Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and let none of his
words fall to the ground. {3:20} All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba
knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. {3:21}
The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to
Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
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Footnotes:
[1] {1:3} "LORD" or "GOD" (all capital letters) indicate the 4-letter
Holy Name of God
[2] {1:17} The Hebrew word rendered "God" is "Elohim."
[3] {1:20} Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for "heard by God."
[4] {1:24} 1 efah is about 22 litres or about 2/3 of a bushel
[5] {2:6} Sheol is the place of the dead.
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