1 Samuel 1:1–28; 3:1–21; 7:2–17
The Birth of Samuel
There
was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name
was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an
Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of
the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
Now
this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice
to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were priests of the LORD. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give
portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah
he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her
womb. And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the
LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up
to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and
would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep?
And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than
ten sons?”
After
they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting
on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She was deeply
distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and
said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your
servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your
servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and
no razor shall touch his head.”
As
she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was
speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.
Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long
will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered,
“No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor
strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. Do not
regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking
out of my great anxiety and vexation.” Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the
God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
And
she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her
way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.They rose early in the morning and
worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And
Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. And in due time
Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said,
“I have asked for him from the
Samuel Given to the LORD
The
man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice
and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As
soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the
presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.”
Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to
you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.” So
the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had
weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an
ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the
LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and
they brought the child to Eli.
And
she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing
here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the
LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him
to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”
And
he worshiped the LORD there.
The LORD Calls Samuel
Now
the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the
LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.At that time Eli,
whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down
in his own place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying
down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
Then
the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli and said,
“Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.”
So he went and lay down.
And
the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said,
“Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down
again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not
yet been revealed to him.
And
the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and
said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD was
calling the young man. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he
calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant hears.’ “ So Samuel went
and lay down in his place.
And
the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And
Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Then the LORD said to Samuel,
“Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone
who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I
have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him
that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew,
because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore
I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be
atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
Samuel
lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And
Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said,
“Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” And Eli said, “What was it that he
told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you
hide anything from me of all that he told you.” So Samuel told him everything
and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems
good to him.”
And
Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the
ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established
as a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD
revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
From
the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some
twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
Samuel Judges Israel
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel,
“If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the
foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD
and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the
Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and
they served the LORD only.
Then
Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for
you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the
LORD and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.”
And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines
heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the
Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it,
they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to
Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that he may save
us from the hand of the Philistines.”
So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered
it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel
cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. As Samuel was
offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But
the LORD thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and
threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel . And the
men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them,
as far as below Beth-car.
Then
Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name
Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the LORD has helped us.” So the Philistines
were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of
the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities that
the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to
Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines.
There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.
Samuel
judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went on a circuit year by year
to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. Then
he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged
Israel. And he built there an altar to the LORD. (ESV)
This reading is taken from 30 Scripture Readings with the Great Men of the Bible. The complete book can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZK5H3C/ref=nosim?tag=hudsonbcom-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
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