1. Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

2. The Philistines overtook SAUL and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of SAUL.

3. The battle went hard against SAUL, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

4. Then SAUL said to his armor bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!" But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore SAUL took his sword, and fell on it.

5. When his armor bearer saw that SAUL was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.

6. So SAUL died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7. When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that SAUL and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8. On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found SAUL and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9. They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people.

10. They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11. When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to SAUL,

12. all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of SAUL and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burned them there.

13. They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1. Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3. This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to The LORD of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to The LORD, were there.

4. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

5. but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.

6. Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

7. As he did so year by year, when she went up to The LORD's house. Her rival provoked her; therefore she wept, and didn't eat.

8. Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why don't you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

9. So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of The LORD's temple.

10. She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to The LORD, weeping bitterly.

11. She vowed a vow, and said, "The LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head."

12. As she continued praying before The LORD, Eli saw her mouth.

13. Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14. Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!"

15. Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before The LORD.

16. Don't consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation."

17. Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."

18. She said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.

19. They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before The LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

20. When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of The LORD."

21. The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22. But Hannah didn't go up; for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before The LORD, and stay there forever."

23. Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word."So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

24. When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to The LORD's house in Shiloh. The child was young.

25. They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

26. She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to The LORD.

27. I prayed for this child; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.

28. Therefore I have also given him to The LORD. As long as he lives he is given to The LORD." He worshiped the LORD there.

1. Hannah prayed, and said:"My heart exults in The LORD!My horn is exalted in The LORD.My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,because I rejoice in your salvation.

2. There is no one as holy as The LORD,For there is no one besides you,nor is there any rock like our God.

3. "Don't keep talking so exceedingly proudly.Don't let arrogance come out of your mouth,For the LORD is a God of knowledge.By him actions are weighed.

4. "The bows of the mighty men are broken.Those who stumbled are armed with strength.

5. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.Those who were hungry are satisfied.Yes, the barren has borne seven.She who has many children languishes.

6. "The LORD kills, and makes alive.He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.

7. The LORD makes poor, and makes rich.He brings low, he also lifts up.

8. He raises up the poor out of the dust.He lifts up the needy from the dunghill,To make them sit with princes,and inherit the throne of glory.For the pillars of the earth are The LORD's.He has set the world on them.

9. He will keep the feet of his holy ones,but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness;for no man shall prevail by strength.

10. Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces.He will thunder against them in the sky."The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.He will give strength to his king,and exalt the horn of his anointed."

11. Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest.

12. Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn't know The LORD.

13. The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;

14. and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

15. Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw."

16. If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires"; then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."

17. The sin of the young men was very great before The LORD; for the men despised the offering of The LORD.

18. But Samuel ministered before The LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.

19. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "May the LORD give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of The LORD." Then they went to their own home.

21. The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before The LORD.

22. Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

23. He said to them, "Why do you do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

24. No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear! You make The LORD's people disobey.

25. If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against The LORD, who will intercede for him?" Notwithstanding, they didn't listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them.

26. The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with The LORD, and also with men.

27. A man of God came to Eli, and said to him, "The LORD says, 'Did I reveal myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?

28. Didn't I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn't I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

29. Why do you kick 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?'

30. "Therefore The LORD, the 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, 'Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.

31. Behold , the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, that there will not be an old man in your house.

32. You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

33. The man of yours, whom I don't cut off from my altar, will consume your eyes and grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.

34. "'This will be the sign to you, that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.

35. I will raise me up a faithful priest, that will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house; and he will walk before my anointed forever.

36. It will happen, that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, "Please put me into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread."'"