A Mother’s Prayer, A Nation’s Prophet — March 15

1 Samuel 1-3

1 Samuel 1

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of ^{[a]Eliel, 1 Chr. 6:34} Elihu, the son of ^{[b]Toah, 1 Chr. 6:34} Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.365N 74.1

2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.365N 74.2

3 This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord , were there.365N 74.3

4 And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.365N 74.4

5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb.365N 74.5

6 And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb.365N 74.6

7 So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord , that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.365N 74.7

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”365N 74.8

9 So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the ^{[c]palace or temple, Heb. heykal} tabernacle of the Lord .365N 74.9

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and ^{[d]Lit. wept greatly} wept in anguish.365N 74.10

11 Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”365N 74.11

12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord , that Eli watched her mouth.365N 74.12

13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.365N 74.13

14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”365N 74.14

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord .365N 74.15

16 Do not consider your maidservant a wicked ^{[e]Lit. daughter of Belial} woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”365N 74.16

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”365N 74.17

18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.365N 74.18

19 Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord , and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.365N 74.19

20 So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name ^{[f]Lit. Heard by God} Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord .”365N 74.20

21 Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow.365N 74.21

22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “ Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there forever.”365N 74.22

23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord ^[g]confirm establish ^{[h]So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX, Syr. your} His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.365N 74.23

24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with ^{[i]DSS, LXX, Syr. a three-year-old bull} three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young.365N 74.24

25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.365N 74.25

26 And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord .365N 74.26

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.365N 74.27

28 Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord ; as long as he lives he shall be ^[j]granted lent to the Lord .” So they worshiped the Lord there.365N 74.28

1 Samuel 2

1 And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord ; My ^[a]Strength horn is exalted in the Lord . ^{[b]Lit. My mouth is enlarged} I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.365N 74.29

2 “No one is holy like the Lord , For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.365N 74.30

3 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.365N 74.31

4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.365N 74.32

5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.365N 74.33

6 “The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.365N 74.34

7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.365N 74.35

8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord ’s, And He has set the world upon them.365N 74.36

9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness. “For by strength no man shall prevail.365N 74.37

10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to His king, And exalt the ^[c]Strength horn of His anointed.”365N 74.38

11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ^[d]served ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.365N 74.39

12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; ^{[e]Lit. sons of Belial} they did not know the Lord .365N 74.40

13 And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.365N 74.41

14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.365N 74.42

15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”365N 74.43

16 And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “ No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”365N 74.44

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord , for men abhorred ^[f]despised the offering of the Lord .365N 74.45

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord , even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.365N 74.46

19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.365N 74.47

20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the ^[g]gift loan that was given to the Lord .” Then they would go to their own home.365N 74.48

21 And the Lord visited ^{[h]attended to} Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the Lord .365N 74.49

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, ^{[i]So with MT, Tg., Vg.; DSS, LXX omit rest of verse} and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.365N 74.50

23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.365N 74.51

24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord ’s people transgress.365N 74.52

25 If one man sins against another, God ^{[j]Tg. the Judge} will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord , who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them.365N 74.53

26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.365N 74.54

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord : ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?365N 74.55

28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?365N 74.56

29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’365N 74.57

30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.365N 74.58

31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your ^[k]strength arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.365N 74.59

32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.365N 74.60

33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.365N 74.61

34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.365N 74.62

35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.365N 74.63

36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, ^[l]assign put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”365N 74.64

1 Samuel 3

1 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.365N 74.65

2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see,365N 74.66

3 and before the lamp of God went out in the ^{[a]palace or temple} tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,365N 74.67

4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”365N 74.68

5 So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.365N 74.69

6 Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”365N 74.70

7 (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord , nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)365N 74.71

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy.365N 74.72

9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord , for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.365N 74.73

10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”365N 74.74

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.365N 74.75

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.365N 74.76

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not ^{[b]Lit. rebuke} restrain them.365N 74.77

14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”365N 74.78

15 So Samuel lay down until ^{[c]So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX adds and he arose in the morning} morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord . And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.365N 74.79

16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He answered, “Here I am.”365N 74.80

17 And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.”365N 74.81

18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord . Let Him do what seems good to Him.”365N 74.82

19 So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words ^[d]fail fall to the ground.365N 74.83

20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been ^[e]confirmed established as a prophet of the Lord .365N 74.84

21 Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord .365N 74.85