- Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord. And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was in boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand, and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. All that the fork brought up, the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came there.
- Also before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have boiled flesh of you, but raw. And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as your soul desires — then he would answer him, Nay, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force. Wherefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
- But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child girded with a linen ephod. Moreover, his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give you seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home. And the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
- Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they listened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men.
- And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus says the Lord: Did I plainly appear unto the house of your father when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give unto the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 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 chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
- Wherefore, the Lord God of Israel says, I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me for ever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house. And you shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever. And the man of yours whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be to consume your eyes and to grieve your heart, and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
- And this shall be a sign unto you that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass that everyone that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
- And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time — when Eli was laid down in his place and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep — that the Lord called Samuel; and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli and said, Here am I, for you called me. And he said, I called not, lie down again.
- And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for you did call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
- And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for you did call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child; therefore, Eli said unto Samuel, Go lie down; and it shall be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
- And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for your servant hears. And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone that hears it shall tingle. In that day, I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end; for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
- And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the Lord has said unto you? I ask you to hide it not from me. God do so to you, and more also if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said unto you. And Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord. Let him do what seems him good.
- And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.
Chapter 2