The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.... Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”But Eli said, “I did not call, go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.Agai...  Read More

Eli’s sons were scoundrels, they had no regard for the LORD. Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled...If the priest said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, then take whatever you want, the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now, if you ...  Read More

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.For day and night, your hand was heavy on me.; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up...  Read More

“LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but  give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head....After the boy was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was...and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh...they brought the boy to Eli, and she s...  Read More

There was a certain man from Ramathaim...whose name was Elkanah...He had two wives...Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none...Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year...In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly... Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice w...  Read More

Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury."But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are go...  Read More