which had two wives, the one called Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

And the said man went out of his city every feastful day, to pray and to offer unto the LORD of Hosts: where the two sons of Eli - Hophni and Phinehas - were the LORD's priests.

And it fell on a day, as Elkanah had offered, that he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions.

But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren.

And thereto her enemy Peninnah vexed her a good in casting her in the teeth how the LORD had made her barren.

And so did she year by year, as oft as she went up to the house of the LORD. And so chafed her: wherefore Hannah wept and ate not.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, "Hannah why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thine heart so troubled? Am not I better to thee, than ten sons?"

Then Hannah rose up after that they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And Eli the priest sat upon a stool by one of the side posts of the temple of the LORD.

And she was troubled in her spirits, and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore,

and vowed a vow and said, "LORD of Hosts, if thou wilt look on the wretchedness of thine handmaid and shalt remember me and not forget thine handmaid, and shalt give unto thine handmaid a man child I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life and there shall neither razor or shears come upon his head."

And as she continued praying before the LORD, Eli marked her mouth -

For Hannah, she spake in her heart; and her lips did but move only, but her voice was not heard. And therefore Eli took her for drunken,

and said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away from thee the wine that thou hast."

Hannah answered, and said, "Not so, my lord. I am a woman sorrowful in mine heart, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Count not thine handmaid to be like a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my meditation and grief have I spoken hitherto."

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

Then she said, "Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight." And so the woman went her way, and did eat and looked no more so sad.

And they rose up early and bowed themselves before the LORD, and then returned and went to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah lay by his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

And in process of time she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the LORD.

And Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the LORD, both the offerings due for the feast and also his vows.

But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, "I will tarry until the lad be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and there abide forever."

And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him, only the LORD make good his saying." And so the woman abode and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

And then she took him with her, when she had weaned him, with three bullocks and an ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him into the house of the LORD in Shiloh, how be it the child was yet young.

And they slew the bullocks and brought in the lad to Eli,

and then she said, "Oh my lord, as truly as thy soul liveth my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

And for this lad I prayed, and the LORD hath given me my desire which I asked of him:

and therefore I also lend him the LORD, as long as he may be lent the LORD." And so they prayed there unto the LORD.

And Hannah prayed and said, "Mine heart rejoiceth in the LORD. Mine horn is high in the LORD and my mouth is wide open over mine enemies, for I rejoice in thy salvation.

There is none so holy as the LORD: no, there is none save thou. Neither is there any strength like unto our God.

Let go your great boasting of high things, let go out of your mouth that old byword: for the LORD is a God that knoweth all things, and judgeth the thoughts.

The bows of the strong are broken: and the weak are endued with strength.

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

The LORD killeth and maketh alive; bringeth down to hell and fetcheth up again.

The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich; bringeth low, and heaveth up on high.

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill: to set them among princes, and to inherit them with the seat of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the round world upon them.

The LORD's adversaries shall be made to fear him: and out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give might unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."

And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house, and the lad did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

But the sons of Eli were unthrifty children, and knew not the LORD. For the manner of the priests with the people was:

whensoever any man offered any offerings, the priest's lad came, while the flesh was in seething, and a flesh hook with three teeth in his hand;

and thrust it into the pan, kettle, cauldron or pot. And all that the flesh hook brought up the priest took away. And so they did unto all Israel that came thither to Shiloh.

Yea, and thereto before they had offered the fat, the priest's lad came and said to the man that offered, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw."

And if any man said unto him, "Let the fat be offered according to the day, and then take as much as thine heart desireth." The lad would answer him, "Thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it with violence."

And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD. For they despised the people, and also the offering of the LORD.

Moreover, his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from feast to feast when she came up with her husband to offer the offering of the said feast.

And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The LORD give thee seed of this woman, for that she hath lent the LORD." And they went unto their own home.

And the LORD visited Hannah for that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters. But the boy Samuel grew, dwelling still with the LORD.

Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they slept with the women that waited in the door of the tabernacle of witness,

and said unto them, "Why do ye such things? For I hear your wicked deeds of all these people.

If one man sin against another, the judge can redress it. But if a man sin against the LORD, who can redress it?" Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for the LORD's will was to slay them.

But the child Samuel profited and grew, and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.

And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, "Thus sayeth the LORD, 'I appeared unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house.

And I chose thy father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest for to offer upon mine altar and to burn cense, and to wear an ephod before me. And I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel.

Wherefore kick ye against my sacrifice and against mine offering which I command in the tabernacle, and honourest thy children above me, and make yourselves fat of the first fruits of all the offerings of Israel my people?'

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel sayeth, 'I said that thine house and the house of thy father should have walked before me forever. But now the LORD sayeth that be far from me: for them that honoureth me I will honour, and they that despise me, shall not be regarded.

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

And thou shalt see thine enemy in the tabernacle, in all that shall please Israel, and there shall not be an elder in thine house while the world standeth.

Yet will I will not root out every man of thee from mine altar, but that thine eyes may be consumed, and thy soul may be sorry. And a great multitude of thine house shall die young.

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

And I will stir me up a faithful priest that shall do as it is in mine heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house. And he shall walk before mine anointed forever.

And they that are left in thine house, shall come and crouch to him for a little piece of silver and a cake of bread, and shall say: put me, I pray thee, in one office or other among the priests, that I may eat a morsel of bread.'"

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days, for there was none open vision.

And it chanced at that time, that Eli lay in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see.

And before the lamp of God went out Samuel laid him down to sleep, in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

And the LORD called Samuel; and he said, "Here am I."

And he ran unto Eli and said, "Here am I for thou calledest me." And he said, "I called thee not: go again and sleep." And he went and laid him down to sleep.

And the LORD called once again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "I am here, thou didst call me." And he answered, "I called thee not my son. Go again and take thy rest."

But it was before Samuel knew the LORD; and before the word of the LORD was opened unto him.

And the LORD went and called Samuel the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "I am here, for thou hast called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the lad.

And said unto him, "Go and lie down: and if he call thee again then say, 'Speak on LORD, for thy servant heareth.'" And Samuel went and laid him down in his place.

And the LORD came and stood and called as before, "Samuel, Samuel." And Samuel said, "Speak on, for thy servant heareth thee."

And the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, that the ears of as many as heareth it, shall tingle.

In that day I will perform to Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin it and end it.

For I have told him that I will judge his house forever. For the wickedness which he knoweth, how his sons are ungracious, and he was not wroth therewith.

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the wickedness of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering, while the world standeth."

And Samuel lay till morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. But Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

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

And he said, "What is that he said unto thee? See ye hide it not from me. The LORD do so and so to thee, if thou hide anything from me, of all that he said unto thee."

And Samuel told him every whit and hid it not from him. And he answered, "It is the LORD, let him do what seemeth him best."

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and left none of his words unperformed.

And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba wist that Samuel was truly made the LORD's prophet.

And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD opened himself to Samuel in Shiloh, through the word of the LORD.

And Samuel spake unto all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside the help stone. And the Philistines pitched in Aphek,

and put themselves in array against Israel. And in the end of the battle Israel was put to the worse before the Philistines. And the Philistines slew in array along by the fields, about a four thousand men.

And when the people were come into their tents, the elders of Israel said, "Wherefore hath the LORD beaten us this day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD, out of Shiloh unto us, and let it come among us and save us out of the hands of our enemies."

And the people sent to Shiloh, and fetched from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts which dwelleth between the Cherubims. And there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas with the ark of the covenant of God.

And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the host, all Israel shouted a mighty shout, so that the earth rang again.

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout they said, "What meaneth the sound of this mighty shout in the host of the Hebrews?" And they understood how that the ark of the LORD was come into the host.

And the Philistines were afraid, when it was told how that God was come into the host and said, "Woe unto us, for it was never so before this.

Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of this mighty God? This is the God that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.

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

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was put to the worse and fled, every man into his tent. And there was a mighty great slaughter, so that there were overthrown of Israel, thirty thousand footmen.

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

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the array and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent and earth upon his head.

And when the man came in, Eli sat upon a stool by the wayside looking: for his heart feared for the ark of God. And the man came in and told it in the city. And all the city cried.

When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he asked what the noise of that rumour meant. And the man hasted and came in and told Eli.

Eli was four score and eighteen years old, and his sight failed him that he could not see.

And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the array and fled out of the host this day." And he said, "How is it fortuned, my son?"

And the messenger answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there is a great slaughter chanced among the people, and thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and thereto the ark of God is taken."

And when he made mention of the ark of God, Eli fell from off his stool backward toward the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was old and unwieldy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child and nigh the birth. And when she heard the tidings of the taking of the ark of God, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her.