¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the Lord while he was still a young boy, dressed in a special vest^[a] made of linen. ¹⁹ His mother would make a little robe for him and bring it to him whenever she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you offspring^[b] from this woman in place of the son she asked for, whom she loaned to the Lord.” Then they would go back to their home.

²⁶ The young man Samuel continued to grow, and he increased in favor with both the Lord and with men.