Now there was a certain man…of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah…. And 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 no children. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh…. (Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.) And Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto 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 handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

And the family rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Therefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD."

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh…to Eli. And she said, "Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD." And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Satan; they knew not the LORD. Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, "Why do you such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. No, my sons for it is no good report that I hear…you make the LORD'S people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intercede for him?" Nevertheless they listened not unto the voice of their father; therefore the LORD would kill them.

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, "This says the LORD, did I plainly appear unto the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give unto the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Why scorn you…at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?

"Therefore the LORD God of Israel says, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever: but now the LORD says, be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

"Look, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house. And this shall be a sign unto you, which shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before my anointed forever."

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was defeated before the Philistines: and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned between the angels: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were at the battle with the ark of the covenant of God.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God is come into the camp…woe unto us! For there has not been such a thing before." And the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What means the noise of this tumult?" And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. They brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, look, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

And when they arose early on the next morning, look, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. And the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and the coasts there.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us: for his hand is severe upon us, and upon Dagon our god."

They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?"

And the lords answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about there.

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, and they had tumors break out. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people." So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it kill us not, and our people": for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to his place."

And they said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but certainly return him a trespass offering…. And you shall give glory unto the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land."

"Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had acted severely among them, did they not let the people go…?

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and keep their calves home: And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a chest by the side of it; and send it away, that it may go. And see, if it goes up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us: it was a chance that happened to us."

And the men did so. And the cows took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they cut the wood of the cart, and offered the cows a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

And it came to pass, while the ark stayed in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. Then it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after money, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

REFERENCES

1 Samuel 1:1-7, 9-11, 19-20, 24-28; 1 Samuel 2:11-12, 22-31, 34-35; 1 Samuel 3:1-4, 10-13, 15-20; 1 Samuel 4:2, 4, 7, 10-11, 14, 18; 1 Samuel 5:1-4,6-11; 1 Samuel 6:2-3, 5-10a, 12a, 13-14; 1 Samuel 7:1-2; 1 Samuel 3:21; 1 Samuel 7:15; 1 Samuel 8:1, 3.

CHAPTER 21