12
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial;
they knew not the LORD.
.
. . . .
17
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men
abhorred the offering of the LORD.
18 But Samuel
ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19
Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to
year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And
Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of
this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own
home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and
two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 Now 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.
23 And he said unto them, Why do ye 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, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin
against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not
unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also
with men.
27 And there
came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I
plainly appear unto 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 upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before
me? and did I give unto 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 mine
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 Wherefore the
LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy
father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, 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 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 thine
house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which
God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for
ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall
be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of
thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this
shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and
Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a
faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in
my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine
anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in
thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of
bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices,
that I may eat a piece of bread.
1 Samuel 3
1 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.
2 And it came to
pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to
wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple
of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That
the LORD called 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 he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel.
And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me.
And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did
not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli,
and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had
called the child.
9 Therefore Eli
said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou
shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in
his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 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. 12 In that day I will perform against
Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will
also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever
for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he
restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that
the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for
ever.
15 And Samuel lay
until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel
feared to shew Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my
son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD
hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and
more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto
thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said,
It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 And Samuel grew,
and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20
And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be
a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD
revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.