I prayed for this child, and the class="small-caps" >Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

So now I give him to the class="small-caps" >Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the class="small-caps" >Lord.” And he worshiped the class="small-caps" >Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the class="small-caps" >Lord; in the class="small-caps" >Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the class="small-caps" >Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the class="small-caps" >Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The class="small-caps" >Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The class="small-caps" >Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the class="small-caps" >Lord’s; on them he has set the world.

He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;

those who oppose the class="small-caps" >Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the class="small-caps" >Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the class="small-caps" >Lord under Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the class="small-caps" >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

and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.

But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

If the person said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

This sin of the young men was very great in the class="small-caps" >Lord’s sight, for they were treating the class="small-caps" >Lord’s offering with contempt.

But Samuel was ministering before the class="small-caps" >Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.

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 sacrifice.

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the class="small-caps" >Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the class="small-caps" >Lord.” Then they would go home.

And the class="small-caps" >Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the class="small-caps" >Lord.

Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the class="small-caps" >Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the class="small-caps" >Lord’s will to put them to death.