No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abun. dance of my complaint and grief, have 1 spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered, and said, Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife,, and the LORD remembered her.

20 Wherefore it came to pass when the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying; Be. cause I have asked him of the LORD. 21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for

ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good, tarry until thou have weaned him, only the LORD establish his word: so the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman, that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

27 For this child I prayed, and the LORD hath given me my petition, which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD as long as he liveth, he shall

and thanksgiving.

be lent to the LORD. And he wor. shipped the LORD there.

CHAP. II.

Hannah's song in thankfulness.
ND Hannah prayed, and said, My

A heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine

horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies: because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any Rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly, let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girt with strength.

5 They that were full, have hired out themselves for bread: and they that were hungry, ceased: so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

6 The LORD killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces: out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his Anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the Priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, they knew not the LORD. 13 And the priest's custom with the people was, that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand, 14 And he struck it into the pan, or

Eli's sons wicked.

kettle, or caldron, or pot: all that the flesh-book brought up, the priest took for himself: so they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt 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 sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth: then he would answer him, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen Ephod.

19 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.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah, and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman, for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons, and two daughters: and the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women that as. sembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

24 Nay my sons: for it is no good report that I hear; ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.

25 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 hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

26 (And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour, both with the LORD, and also with men.)

27 1 And there came a man of God

unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto

Eli therefore is threatened,

the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel, to be my Priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an Ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice, and at mine offering, which I have com. manded in my habitation, and honourest thy sons above me, to make your, selves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed, that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.

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

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine Altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them.

35 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 mine Anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house, shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver, and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me (I pray thee) into one of the Priests' offices, that I may eat a picce of bread.

CHAP. III.

How the word of the Lord was first revealed to Samuel.

AND the child Samuel ministered

unto the LORD before Eli: and the word of the LORD was precious

down to sleep;

Israel is overcome.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me, of all the things that he said unto thee.

18 And Samuel told him every whit,

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak LORD, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went, and lay down in his place.

10 And the LORD came, and stood and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth.

11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which, both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12 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.

13 For I have told him, that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

14 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.

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD: and Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a Prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh, by the word of the LORD.

CHAP. IV.

The Israelites are overcome.

AND the word of Samuel came to all

Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 And when the people were come into the camp, the Elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the Cherubim : and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.

5 And when the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they

Eli dieth.

Dagon's fäll.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Wo unto us: for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Wo unto us: who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilder

ness.

9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the Ark of God was taken;

and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 And there ran a man of Benja min out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way side, watching: for his heart trembled for the Ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim, that he could

not see.

16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he, that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

17 And the messenger answered, and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God is taken.'

18 And it came to pass when he made mention of the Ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy, and he had judged Israel forty

years.

19 And his daughter in law Phinehas' wife was with child near to be

tidings that the Ark of God was taken, and that her father in law, and her hus band were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death, the women that stood by her, said unto her, Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel, (because the Ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.)

22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the Ark of God is taken. CHAP. V.

The Philistines having brought the Ark into Ashdod, .&c.

AND the Philistines took the Ark of

God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

2 When the Philistines took the Ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth, before the Ark of the LORD: and they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground, be. fore the Ark of the LORD: and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold, only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Da. gon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he de. stroyed them, and smote them with Emerods, even Ashdod, and the coasts thereof.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The Ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8 They sent therefore, and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the Ark of the God of