¹ There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³ This man would go up from his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at Shiloh. (It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the Lord’s priests.) ⁴ The day came, and Elkanah sacrificed.

(Now he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah, although the Lord had not enabled her to have children. ⁶ Her rival used to aggravate her to the point of exasperation, just to irritate her, since the Lord had not enabled her to have children. ⁷ This is how it would go year after year. As often as she went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would offend her in that way.)

So she cried and refused to eat. ⁸ Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why won’t you eat? Why are you so upset? Am I not better to you than 10 sons?” ⁹ So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh.

At the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s sanctuary. ¹⁰ As for Hannah, she was very distressed. She prayed to the Lord and was, in fact, weeping. ¹¹ She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look on the suffering of your servant, and would keep me in mind and not neglect your servant, and give your servant a male child, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”

¹² It turned out that she did a great deal of praying before the Lord. Meanwhile Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ As for Hannah, she was speaking in her mind. Only her lips were moving; her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was a drunkard.

¹⁴ Then he said to her, “How much longer do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!” ¹⁵ But Hannah replied, “Not so, my lord! I am a woman under a great deal of stress. I haven’t drunk wine or beer. But I have poured out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman. It’s just that, to this point, I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

¹⁷ Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” ¹⁸ She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad.

¹⁹ They got up early the next morning. Then they worshiped the Lord and returned to their home at Ramathaim. Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord called her to mind. ²⁰ Then Hannah became pregnant.

In the course of time she gave birth to a son. And she named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him.” ²¹ Then the man Elkanah and all his family went up to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up with them, because she had told her husband, “Not until the boy is weaned. Then I will bring him so that he may appear before the Lord. And he will remain there from then on.”

²³ Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. Stay until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his promise.”

So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. ²⁴ Then she took him up with her as soon as she had weaned him, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a container of wine. She came to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, and the boy was with them. ²⁵ They slaughtered the bull, then brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶ She said, “My lord. Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. ²⁷ For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. ²⁸ So I also dedicate him to the Lord. For all the days of his life he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then he bowed down there in worship to the Lord.

² Hannah prayed,

“My heart has rejoiced in the Lord;

my horn has been raised high because of the Lord.

I have loudly denounced my enemies.

Indeed I rejoice in your deliverance.

² No one is holy like the Lord!

There is no one other than you!

There is no rock like our God!

³ Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly.

Proud talk should not come out of your mouth,

for the Lord is a God who knows;

he evaluates what people do.

⁴ The bows of warriors are shattered,

but those who stumbled have taken on strength.

⁵ The well fed hire themselves out to earn food,

but the hungry no longer lack.

Even the barren woman has given birth to seven,

but the one with many children has declined.

⁶ The Lord both kills and gives life;

he brings down to the grave and raises up.

⁷ The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;

he humbles and he exalts.

⁸ He lifts the weak from the dust;

he raises the poor from the ash heap

to seat them with princes—

he bestows on them an honored position.

The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord—

he placed the world on them.

⁹ He watches over his holy ones,

but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,

for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.

¹⁰ The Lord shatters his adversaries;

he thunders against them from the heavens.

The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.

He will strengthen his king

and exalt the power of his anointed one.”

¹¹ Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah.

The boy Samuel was serving the Lord with the favor of Eli the priest. ¹² But the sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not acknowledge the Lord’s authority. ¹³ This was the priests’ routine with the people. Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand, just as the meat was boiling. ¹⁴ He would jab it into the basin, kettle, cauldron, or pot. Everything that the fork would bring up the priest would take for himself. This is how they used to treat all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.

¹⁵ Also, before they burned the fat the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Give some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” ¹⁶ If the individual said to him, “They should certainly burn the fat away first, then take for yourself whatever you wish,” then he would say, “No! Give it now! If not, I’ll take it by force!” ¹⁷ The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.

¹⁸ Now Samuel was ministering with the favor of the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. ¹⁹ His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it to him from time to time when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord establish descendants for you from this woman in place of the one that she dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their home. ²¹ And indeed the Lord attended to Hannah. She got pregnant and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. But the boy Samuel grew up before the Lord.

²² Eli was very old. And he would hear about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel and how they used to go to bed with the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do these things, these evil things that I hear about from all these people? ²⁴ No, my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good. ²⁵ If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons would not listen to their father. Indeed the Lord had decided to kill them. ²⁶ However, the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

²⁷ Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I plainly revealed myself to your ancestor’s house when they were slaves to the house of Pharaoh in Egypt. ²⁸ I chose your ancestor from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. ²⁹ Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’

³⁰ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! ³¹ In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength and the strength of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! ³² You will see trouble in my dwelling place! Israel will experience blessings, but there will not be an old man in your house for all time. ³³ Any man of yours that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause his eyes to fail and will cause him grief. All those born to your family will die by the sword of man. ³⁴ This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! ³⁵ Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a lasting dynasty, and he will serve my chosen one for all time. ³⁶ Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, “Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.”’”

³ Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.

² Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, ³ and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. ⁴ The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” ⁵ Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. ⁶ The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the Lord’s messages had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” ¹¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. ¹² On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his house—from start to finish! ¹³ You should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them. ¹⁴ Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”

¹⁵ So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. ¹⁶ However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.” ¹⁷ Eli said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”

¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.” ¹⁹ Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. ²⁰ All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. ²¹ Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel through a message from the Lord.

⁷⁸ A well-written song by Asaph.

Pay attention, my people, to my instruction.

Listen to the words I speak.

² I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;

I will make insightful observations about the past.

³ What we have heard and learned—

that which our ancestors have told us—

⁴ we will not hide from their descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

⁵ He established a rule in Jacob;

he set up a law in Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to make his deeds known to their descendants,

⁶ so that the next generation, children yet to be born,

might know about them.

They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.

⁷ Then they will place their confidence in God.

They will not forget the works of God,

and they will obey his commands.

⁸ Then they will not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that was not committed

and faithful to God.

⁹ The Ephraimites were armed with bows,

but they retreated in the day of battle.

¹⁰ They did not keep their covenant with God,

and they refused to obey his law.

¹¹ They forgot what he had done,

the amazing things he had shown them.

¹² He did amazing things in the sight of their ancestors,

in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

¹³ He divided the sea and led them across it;

he made the water stand in a heap.

¹⁴ He led them with a cloud by day

and with the light of a fire all night long.

¹⁵ He broke open rocks in the wilderness

and gave them enough water to fill the depths of the sea.

¹⁶ He caused streams to flow from the rock

and made the water flow like rivers.

¹⁷ Yet they continued to sin against him

and rebelled against the Most High in the desert.

¹⁸ They willfully challenged God

by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

¹⁹ They insulted God, saying,

“Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

²⁰ Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out;

streams gushed forth.

But can he also give us food?

Will he provide meat for his people?”

²¹ When the Lord heard this, he was furious.

A fire broke out against Jacob,

and his anger flared up against Israel,

²² because they did not have faith in God

and did not trust his ability to deliver them.

²³ He gave a command to the clouds above

and opened the doors in the sky.

²⁴ He rained down manna for them to eat;

he gave them the grain of heaven.

²⁵ Man ate the food of the mighty ones.

He sent them more than enough to eat.

²⁶ He brought the east wind through the sky

and by his strength led forth the south wind.

²⁷ He rained down meat on them like dust,

birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.

²⁸ He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp,

all around their homes.

²⁹ They ate until they were beyond full;

he gave them what they desired.

³⁰ They were not yet filled up;

their food was still in their mouths

³¹ when the anger of God flared up against them.

He killed some of the strongest of them;

he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

³² Despite all this, they continued to sin,

and did not trust him to do amazing things.

³³ So he caused them to die unsatisfied

and filled with terror.

³⁴ When he struck them down, they sought his favor;

they turned back and longed for God.

³⁵ They remembered that God was their protector

and that God Most High was their deliverer.

³⁶ But they deceived him with their words

and lied to him.

³⁷ They were not really committed to him,

and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

³⁸ Yet he is compassionate.

He forgives sin and does not destroy.

He often holds back his anger

and does not stir up his fury.

³⁹ He remembered that they were made of flesh

and were like a wind that blows past and does not return.

⁴⁰ How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness

and insulted him in the wastelands.

⁴¹ They again challenged God

and offended the Holy One of Israel.

⁴² They did not remember what he had done,

how he delivered them from the enemy,

⁴³ when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt

and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan.

⁴⁴ He turned their rivers into blood,

and they could not drink from their streams.

⁴⁵ He sent swarms of biting insects against them,

as well as frogs that overran their land.

⁴⁶ He gave their crops to the grasshopper,

the fruit of their labor to the locust.

⁴⁷ He destroyed their vines with hail

and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain.

⁴⁸ He rained hail down on their cattle

and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock.

⁴⁹ His raging anger lashed out against them.

He sent fury, rage, and trouble

as messengers who bring disaster.

⁵⁰ He sent his anger in full force.

He did not spare them from death;

he handed their lives over to destruction.

⁵¹ He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt,

the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham.

⁵² Yet he brought out his people like sheep;

he led them through the wilderness like a flock.

⁵³ He guided them safely along, and they were not afraid;

but the sea covered their enemies.

⁵⁴ He brought them to the border of his holy land,

to this mountainous land that his right hand acquired.

⁵⁵ He drove the nations out from before them;

he assigned them their tribal allotments

and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down.

⁵⁶ Yet they challenged and defied God Most High

and did not obey his commands.

⁵⁷ They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors;

they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow.

⁵⁸ They made him angry with their pagan shrines

and made him jealous with their idols.

⁵⁹ God heard and was angry;

he completely rejected Israel.

⁶⁰ He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh,

the tent where he lived among men.

⁶¹ He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured;

he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy.

⁶² He delivered his people over to the sword

and was angry with his chosen nation.

⁶³ Fire consumed their young men,

and their virgins remained unmarried.

⁶⁴ Their priests fell by the sword,

but their widows did not weep.

⁶⁵ But then the Lord awoke from his sleep;

he was like a warrior in a drunken rage.

⁶⁶ He drove his enemies back;

he made them a permanent target for insults.

⁶⁷ He rejected the tent of Joseph;

he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.

⁶⁸ He chose the tribe of Judah

and Mount Zion, which he loves.

⁶⁹ He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above,

as secure as the earth, which he established permanently.

⁷⁰ He chose David, his servant,

and took him from the sheepfolds.

⁷¹ He took him away from following the mother sheep,

and made him the shepherd of Jacob, his people,

and of Israel, his chosen nation.

⁷² David cared for them with pure motives;

he led them with skill.