member me, and not forget thy handmaid, but will give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

And it came to pass, as she often prayed before Jehovah, 12 that Eli observed her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in 13 her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said 14 unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee." And Hannah answered and said, "No, 15 my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before Jehovah. Count not thy handmaid for a daughter 16 of Belial; for out of the greatness of my sorrow and my grief have I spoken hitherto." Then Eli answered and said, 17 "Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him." And she said, "Let 18 thy handmaid find favour in thy sight." So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped 19 before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah; and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time 20 was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel [HEARD OF GOD], saying, "Because I have asked him of Jehovah."

And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer 21 unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Han- 22 nah went not up; for she said unto her husband, “I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and there remain for ever." And Elkanah her husband said unto her, "Do what 23 seemeth to thee good; remain until thou have weaned him; only Jehovah establish his word." So the woman remained, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, 24 with a bullock of three years old, and one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew 25 the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, 26 "O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, to pray unto Jehovah. For this 27

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child I prayed; and Jehovah hath given me my petition. 28 which I asked of him; therefore also I have given him up to Jehovah; as long as he liveth he shall be given up to Jehovah." And they worshipped Jehovah there.

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CHAP. II.-And Hannah prayed, and said,
"My heart rejoiceth in Jehovah,
My horn is exalted in Jehovah ;

My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies;
Because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as Jehovah ;
For there is none beside thee;
And no rock like our God.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly;

Nor let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For Jehovah is a God of knowledge,

And by him actions are weighed.

The bows of mighty men are broken,

And they that stumbled are girded with strength.

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread;
And they that were hungry have ceased;

So that the barren hath borne seven;

And she that hath many children is

Jehovah killeth and maketh alive;

grown feeble.

He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich;

He bringeth low, and lifteth up.

He raiseth up the feeble out of the dust,
He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill,
To set them among princes,

And to make them inherit a seat of glory;
For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's,
And he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints,

And the wicked shall be silent in darkness;

For not by strength shall man prevail.

The adversaries of Jehovah shall be broken to pieces;

In heaven shall he thunder upon them;

Jehovah shall judge the ends of the earth;
And he shall give strength to his king,
And exalt the horn of his anointed."

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child

did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they regarded 12 not Jehovah. And the priests' custom with the people was, 13 that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, 14 or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Also before they burnt the fat, 15 the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw." And if the man said unto 16 him, "They will burn the fat presently, then take as thy soul desireth;" then he would answer him, "Nay; but thou shalt give it now; and if not, I will take it by force." Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before 17 Jehovah; for men abhorred the offering of Jehovah.

But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, 18 girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him 19 a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "Jehovah 20 give thee offspring of this woman instead of that which she asked for, which is given up to Jehovah." And they went unto their own home. And Jehovah visited Hannah, so 21 that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah.

Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto 22 all Israel; and how they lay with the women that served at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he 23 said unto them, "Why do ye such deeds? for I hear of your evil deeds from all this people. Nay, my sons; for it 24 is no good report that I hear; ye make Jehovah's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, God shall 25 judge him; and if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him?" But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because it pleased Jehovah to slay them..

And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both 26 with Jehovah, and also with men.

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto 27 him, "Thus saith Jehovah, 'Did I not plainly reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I not choose him out of all the 28 tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to

burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I not give unto the house of thy father all the offerings by fire of 29 the children of Israel? wherefore trample ye on my sacrifice and on mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my 30 people?' Wherefore Jehovah God of Israel saith, 'I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever:' but now Jehovah saith, 'Be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour, and they 31 that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy 32 house. And thou shalt see adversity in thy habitation, in all wherein Israel shall be prospered; and there shall not be an 33 old man in thy house for ever. 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 34 house shall die when they are men. And that which shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign unto thee; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my soul; and I will build him a durable house; and he shall walk before mine anointed 36 for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a cake of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priest's offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.''

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CHAP. III.—And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was rare in 2 those days; vision was not frequent. And it came to pass at that time, that Eli was lying down in his place; and his 3 eyes began to grow dim, that he could not see; and before the lamp of God went out, when Samuel was lying down, in 4 the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was, then Jehovah called unto Samuel: and he answered, "Here am I." 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." And he said, "I called not; lie down again." And 6 he went and lay down. And Jehovah called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst call me." And he answered,

lie down again."

"I called not, my son; Now Samuel did 7 not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. And Jehovah called Samuel again s the third time. And he arose, and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst call me." And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto 9 Samuel, "Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth."" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as before, 10 "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel said, "Speak; for thy servant heareth."

And Jehovah said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing 11 in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that 12 I have spoken against his house, from the beginning to the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for 13 ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves accursed and he restrained them not. And 14 therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor meal-offering for ever."

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors 15 of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to tell the vision unto Eli. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, 16 my son." And he said, "Here am I." And he said, 17 "What is the thing that hath been spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me; God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide a word from me of every thing that he hath spoken unto thee." And Samuel told him every word, and 18 hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is Jehovah: let him do what seemeth to him good.'

And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let 19 none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from 20 Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established

as a prophet of Jehovah. And Jehovah appeared again 21 in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah. CHAP. IV.-And the word of 1

Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array 2 against Israel; and they joined battle, and Israel was smitten