¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering^(A) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.^{(B) 19} Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual^(C) sacrifice. ²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed^(D) for and gave to^[a] the Lord.” Then they would go home. ²¹ And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;^(E) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew^(F) up in the presence of the Lord.

²⁶ And the boy Samuel continued to grow^(A) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.^(B)