Howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests 31 And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image, which he had made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. * * * 32 In those days there was no king to the tribe of the Danites until the day in Israel; every man did that which of the captivity of the land [B. C. 722]. was right in his own eyes. THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. CHAPTER I. the LORD, she provoked her. Therefore she wept, and did not eat. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband NOW THERE WAS a certain man of Ramathaim of the Zuphites of the hill country of Ephraim, and his to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? name was Elkanah, the son of Jero- And why eatest thou not? And why ham, the son of Elihu, the son of is thy heart grieved? Am not I betTohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephra-ter to thee than ten sons? thite. 2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. 4 And when the time was that El. kanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions [of the meat]. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah; 6 And her rival provoked her sore in order to make her fret, because she had no children. 7 And so was done year by year, as often as she went up to the house of 9 So Hannah rose up after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drunk. And Eli the priest sat upon a seat by the door-post of the temple of the LORD. 10 And she was bitter of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept sore. 11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give to thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. 14 And Eli said to her, How long 24 And when she had weaned him, wilt thou be drunken? Put away she took him up with her, with three thy wine from thee. bullocks, and one Ephah [or Bushel] of meal, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him to the House of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was very young. 15 And Hannah answered and said, 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. 16 Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial. For out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I been speaking hitherto. 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace. And may the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18 And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her conntenance was not as it had been. 25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying to the LORD. 27 I prayed for this child; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him. 28 And also I have lent him to the LORD, as long as he liveth he shall be a loan to the LORD, And they worshipped the LORD there. CHAPTER II. 19 And they rose up in the morning AND Hannah prayed and said, 20 And the LORD remembered Hannah, and she bare a son, and she called his name Samuel, [saying,] Because I have asked him of the LORD. 21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to sacrifice to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his VOW. 22 But Hannah went not up, for she said to her husband, Wait until the child be weaned, and I may bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. 23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seemeth good to thee. Tarry until thou have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode until she weaned him. My heart rejoiceth in the Eternal, Because I rejoiced in thy salvation. 2 None is holy as the LORD; for beside thee is none: Neither is there any rock like our 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly, For the Eternal is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the warriors are broken, And they that stumbled are girded with strength: 5 The full have hired out themselves for bread, And the hungry are so no longer; The woman hitherto barren hath born seven, And she that hath many children languisheth. 6 The LORD killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. And exalt the horn of his anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man sacrificed a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat for incense, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to be roasted for the priest; for he will not receive cooked flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man said to him, Let them not fail to burn the fat for incense at once, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred to make the offering to the LORD. 18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, while a child, girded with a linen Ephod [or a priestly dress]. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little cloak, and brought one to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to sacrifice the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, May the LORD give thee chidren of this woman in place the LORD. And they went to their of that asked for, which is lent to home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, and she bare three sons and two daughters. And the child grew before the LORD. 22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did to Israel. 23 And he said to them, Why do ye do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the LORD's people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, God may acquit him; but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not to the voice of their thee, that shall come father. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with God, and also with men. 27 And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly reveal myself to the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer up on mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an Ephod before me? And did I give to the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my meal offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people. 30 Therefore (the Eternal the God of Israel hath said it) I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ́ever; but now, the LORD hath said it, be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days will come that I will cut off thy offspring, and the offspring of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house. 32 And thou shalt see adversity in thy habitation, in all wherein Israel hath prospered. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy soul. And all the increase of thy house shall die when men. 34 And this shall be a sign unto upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest [Zadok], that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my soul. And I will build unto him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed all his days. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a silver Gerah [or penny] and a circular loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread. CHAPTER III. AND the child Samuel ministered un to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; divine visions were not frequent. 2 And it came to pass at that time when Eli was laid down to sleep in his place, and his eyes began to be weak, that he could not see; and before the lamp of God was put out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of GOD, where the Ark of God was; that the LORD called to Samuel. And he answered, Here I am. 3 And he ran to Eli, and said, Here I am; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went out and lay down. 4 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here I am; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 5 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the thou hide a word from me of all the LORD yet revealed to him. things that were spoken to thee. 16 And Samuel told him every word and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD. Let him do what seemeth him good. 6 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 17 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him; and he did let 7 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, none of his words fall to the ground. lie down; and it shall be, if He call 18 And all Israel from Dan even to thee, thou shalt say, Speak, O LORD; Beersheba, knew that Samuel was for thy servant heareth. So Samuel established to be a prophet of the went and lay down in his place. 8 And the LORD came, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 9 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 10 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. LORD. 19 And the LORD continued to appear in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD; and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. CHAPTER IV. Now ISRAEL WENT OUT against the Philistines to battle, and pitched besides Eben-ezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines set themagainst Israel; and spread, Israel was 11 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the selves in array iniquity which he knoweth; because when the battle his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. smitten before the Philistines. And there were slain of the ranks in the field about four thousand men. 3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines ? Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the grasp of our enemies. 12 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged by sacrifice nor meal offerings for ever. 13 And Samuel lay until the morning, and then he opened the doors of the House of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 14 Then Eli called said, Samuel, my son. swered, Here I am. 4 So the people went to Shiloh, 15 And he said, What is the thing and they carried from thence that hath been spoken to thee? I the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD pray thee, hide it not from me. God of hosts, who dwelleth between the do so to thee, and more also, if cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Samuel, and And he an |