And there was a certain man, of Ramathaim-zuphi, of the hill country of Ephraim, - whose name, was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite;

and, he, had two wives, the name of the one, Hannah, and, the name of the other, Peninnah, - and Peninnah had children, but, Hannah, had no children.

So then that man went up, out of his city, from time to time, to worship and to sacrifice unto Yahweh of hosts, in Shiloh, - and, there, were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto Yahweh.

And, when the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give, to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

and, unto Hannah, used he to give one portion, - howbeit, Hannah, he loved, although, Yahweh, had restrained her from having children.

And her rival used even to cause her great vexation, for the sake of provoking her, - because Yahweh had restrained her from having children.

And, thus, used she to do, year by year, whenever she went up to the house of Yahweh, thus, used she to vex her, - and she wept, and would not eat.

So Elkanah her husband said to her - Hannah! wherefore shouldst thou weep? and wherefore wilt thou not eat? and wherefore should thy heart be sad? Am, I, not better to thee, than ten sons?

And Hannah rose up, after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drunk, - and, Eli the priest, was sitting upon his chair, by the door-post of the temple of Yahweh;

and, she being in bitterness of soul, prayed unto Yahweh, and, wept sore.

And she vowed a vow, and said - Yahweh of hosts! If thou wilt, look, upon the humiliation of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then will I give him unto Yahweh, all the days of his life, and no, razor, shall come upon his head.

And so it was, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.

And Eli said unto her, How long, wilt thou be, drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.

And Hannah responded and said - Nay! my lord; A woman depressed in spirit, am I: neither wine nor strong drink, have I drunk, - but I poured out my soul, before Yahweh.

Do not count thy handmaid for an abandoned woman, - for, out of the abundance of my grief and my vexation, have I spoken, hitherto.

Then responded Eli, and said - Go and prosper! And the, God of Israel, grant thy petition which thou hast asked of him!

And she said: Let thy serving-woman find favour, in thine eyes. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and, her countenance, was sad no longer.

And they rose up early in the morning, and worshipped before Yahweh, and returned, and entered their own house, in Ramah, - and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her.

And so it was, when the days had come round during which Hannah was with child, that she bare a son, - and called his name Samuel, Because, of Yahweh, I asked him.

And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up, to offer unto Yahweh the yearly sacrifice, and each his own vow.

But, Hannah, went not up, - for she said to her husband - Not till the boy is weaned, then will I take him, and he shall appear before Yahweh, and abide there evermore.

And Elkanah her husband said to her - Do what is good in thine own eyes, tarry until thou have weaned him, only may Yahweh establish his word! So the woman tarried, and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

Then took she him up with her, when she had weaned him, with a bullock of three years old, and one ephah of meal, and a skin of wine, and took him to the house of Yahweh, at Shiloh, - the boy yet being young.

So they slew the bullock, - and took the boy in, unto Eli.

And she said - Pardon, my lord! By the life of thy soul, my lord, - I, am the woman who was standing near thee here, praying unto Yahweh:

For this boy, I prayed, - And Yahweh hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

Hence, I also, have loaned him unto Yahweh, all the days that he liveth. He, is lent unto Yahweh. And he bowed down there, unto Yahweh.

Then prayed Hannah, and said, My heart hath leaped for joy in Yahweh, My horn is exalted in Yahweh, My mouth is opened wide, o'er my foes, Because I rejoice in thy salvation.

Do not multiply words, so loftily - loftily, Nor let arrogance proceed from your mouth, - For, a GOD of knowledge, is Yahweh, And, for himself, are great doings made firm.

The sated, have, for bread, taken hire, But, the famished, have left off their toil, - So that, the barren, hath given birth unto seven, While, she that hath many sons, languisheth:

Yahweh, doth kill, and make alive, - Taketh down to hades, and bringeth up:

Yahweh, maketh poor, and enricheth, - Layeth low, yea exalteth;

Raiseth, from the dust, the poor, From the dunghill, uplifteth the needy, To give them a dwelling with nobles, And, a throne of glory, to make them inherit. For, to Yahweh, belong the pillars of the earth, And he setteth thereon the habitable world.

As for Yahweh, - they shall be shattered who contend with him, Over him, in the heavens will he thunder, Yahweh, will judge the ends of the earth, - That he may give strength to his King, And exalt the horn of his Anointed One.

Then went Elkanah to Ramah, unto his own house, - but, the boy, remained ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli the priest.

And, the custom of the priests with the people, was - when any man offered a sacrifice, then would come the priests young man, as the flesh was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand;

and would strike it into the boiler, or into the trough, or into the kettle, or into the pot, all that the fork would bring up, the priest took for himself. Thus and thus, used they to do unto all Israel, who came thither, in Shiloh.

Also, before any could make perfume with the fat, the priests young man would come in and say to the person who was sacrificing, Come! give flesh for the priest's roastings, - for he will not take of thee boiled flesh - only raw.

And, if the man said to him, Let them at least, make incense, at once with the fat, then take thou as much as thy soul craveth, Then said he to him, But, at once, shalt thou give it; or else, I will take it by force.

And so it was, that, the sin of the young men, was exceeding great, before Yahweh, - for men scorned the offerings of Yahweh.

Also, a little robe, used his mother to make for him, and bring it up to him, from year to year, - when she came up with her husband, to offer the sacrifice of the year.

And Eli used to bless Elkanah and his wife, and to say - Yahweh give thee seed of this woman, instead of the loan that hath been lent unto Yahweh. So they went their way to his own place.

And Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons, and two daughters. Thus did the boy Samuel grow up with Yahweh.

Now, Eli, was very old, - but he used to hear all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they even lay with the women who did service, at the opening of the tent of meeting.

Nay, my sons! for it is no good report that I do hear: leading into transgression the people of Yahweh.

If one man sin against another, God will interpose, but, if, against Yahweh, a man sin, who will intercede, for him? But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for Yahweh was pleased to put them to death.

But, the boy Samuel, went on growing in stature, and in favour, - both with Yahweh, and also with men.

And there came a man of God, unto Eli, - and said unto him - Thus, saith Yahweh, I, did indeed reveal myself, unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, as servants unto the house of Pharaoh;

choosing him out of all the tribes of Israel unto myself, to minister as priest, to offer upon mine altar, to perfume with incense to bear an ephod before me, - Therefore gave I unto the house of thy father all the altar-flames of the sons of Israel.

Wherefore have ye been kicking at my sacrifices, and my presents, which I commanded, to serve for a home, - and shouldest have honoured thy sons more than me: fattening yourselves, with the first of every present of Israel, before me?

Hence, the oracle of Yahweh God of Israel, I, said, that, thy house, and the house of thy father, should go to and fro in my presence, unto times age-abiding: But, now, (is the oracle of Yahweh) - Be it far from me! For, them who honour me, will I honour, but, they who despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.

Lo! days are coming, when I will hew off thine arm, and the arm of the house of thy father, - that there shall be no elder in thy house;

But thou shalt descry distress at home, in all that shall gladden Israel, - and there shall not be an elder in thine own house, all the days.

But, any man of thine whom I may not cut off from mine altar, it shall be - to consume his eyes, and grieve his soul; Howbeit, all the multitude of thy house, shall die, by the sword of men.

And, this, for thee is the sign, which shall come upon thy two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas, - In one day, shall they, both of them, die;

And I will raise me up a faithful priest, According to that which is in my heart and in my soul, will he do; Therefore will I build for him an assured house, and he shall go to and fro in presence of mine Anointed, all the days.

And it shall be, that, any that is left in thy house, shall come bowing down to him for a small coin of silver, and for a cake of bread, and shall say: Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

Now, the boy Samuel, was ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli, - and, the word of Yahweh, had become rare in those days, there was no well-known vision.

though, the lamp of God, was not yet to be put out, and, Samuel, was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where was the ark of God,

that Yahweh called unto Samuel, and he said - Behold me!

So he ran unto Eli and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, return - Its down. So he went, and lie down.

And again Yahweh called once there - Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, my son, return - lie down.

Now, Samuel, as yet knew not Yahweh, - nor, as yet, had been revealed unto him, the word of Yahweh.

And again Yahweh called - Samuel! a third time. Then he arose, and went unto Eli, and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. Then did Eli perceive, that, Yahweh, was calling the boy.

So Eli said to Samuel - Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say - Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place.

Then came Yahweh, and stood, and called as time after time - Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant is listening.

And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Lo! I am doing a thing, in Israel, - at which both ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle.

In that day, will I confirm against Eli, all that I have spoken against his house, - beginning and finishing.

Therefore do I tell him, that I am about to judge his house unto times age-abiding, for the iniquity which he knoweth, in that his sons are cursing God, and he hath not rebuked them.

And therefore have I sworn, respecting the house of Eli, - that the iniquity of the house of Eli shall receive no propitiatory-covering, by sacrifice or by present, unto times age-abiding.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, - but, Samuel, feared to tell the appearing, unto Eli.

So Eli called Samuel, and said - Samuel! my son. And he said - Behold me!

And he said - What is the word, which he spake unto thee? I pray thee, do not hide it from me. So, let God do to thee, and, so, let him add, if thou hide from me a word, out of anything which he hath spoken unto thee.

So Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said, Yahweh, he is; what is good in his own eyes, let him do.

And Samuel grew, - and, Yahweh, proved to he with him, and let none of all his words fall to the ground.

So all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, came to know, - that Samuel had become confirmed as a prophet unto Yahweh.

Thus did Yahweh again appear in Shiloh, - for Yahweh had revealed himself unto Samuel in Shiloh, in the word of Yahweh.

And so it was, when the word of Samuel had reached all Israel, that Israel went forth to meet the Philistines in battle, and they encamped near Eben-ezer, while, the Philistines, encamped in Aphek.

And the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and, when the battle spread, then was Israel smitten before the Philistines, - and there were slain of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And, when the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Yahweh smitten us to-day, before the Philistines? Let us fetch unto us, out of Shiloh, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that, when it cometh into our midst, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

So the people sent to Shiloh, and bare from thence the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who inhabiteth the cherubim, - and, there, were the two sons of Eli, with the ark of the covenant of God, namely, Hophni and Phinehas.

And so it was, when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, that all Israel brake out into a loud shout of joy, - so that the earth rang again.

And, when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said - What meaneth the noise of this loud shout of joy in the camp of the Hebrews? And they learned that, the ark of Yahweh, had come into the camp.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said - God hath come into the camp. And they said - Woe to us! for there hath not happened the like of this, heretofore.

Take courage, and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, lest ye come into bondage to the Hebrews, as they have been in bondage unto you, - therefore must ye quit yourselves like men, and fight.

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his home; and the slaughter became exceeding great, - and there fell of Israel - thirty thousand footmen.

And, the ark of God, was taken, - and, the two sons of Eli, were slain, Hophni and Phinehas.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and entered Shiloh on the same day, - with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

And, when he entered, lo! Eli was sitting upon his chair, by the wayside, watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God, - and, the man, entered to tell the news in the city, and all the city made outcry.

And, when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said - What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.

Now, Eli, was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were fixed, that he could not see.

So the man said unto Eli, I, am he that came in from the army, yea, I, from the army, fled to-day. And he said - What is the thing that hath happened, my son?

And the bearer of tidings answered, and said - Israel hath fled before the Philistines, Moreover also, a great smiting, hath taken place among the people, - Moreover also, thy two sons, are slain, Hophni and Phinehas, And, the ark of God, is taken.

And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backwards, at the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died, for, old, was the man, and, heavy, - and, he had judged Israel forty years.

Now, his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was with child, ready to give birth, and, when she heard the tidings, as to the taking of the ark of God, and the death of her father-in-law, and her husband, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains had seized her.

And, about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said: Do not fear, for, to a son, hast thou given birth. But she neither answered nor regarded.

And she called the boy I-chabod! saying, Exiled is the glory from Israel, - In regard to the taking of the ark of God, and to her father-in-law, and to her husband.

Now, the Philistines, having taken the ark of God, - brought it in from Eben-ezer, unto Ashdod.

And, when the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, - and placed it by the side of Dagon.

And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place.