1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56

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1 Samuel 1–3

The Birth of Samuel

There was a certain man of aRamathaim-zophim of bthe hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, can Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now this man used to go up dyear by year from his city eto worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts fat Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, ghe would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.1 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? hAm I not more to you than ten sons?

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of ithe temple of the Lord. 10 She was jdeeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she kvowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed llook on the affliction of your servant and mremember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, nand no razor shall touch his head.

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you. 15 But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but oI have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as pa worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation. 17 Then Eli answered, qGo in peace, and the God of Israel rgrant your petition that you have made to him. 18 And she said, sLet your servant find favor in your eyes. Then the woman twent her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at uRamah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord vremembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, I have asked for him from the Lord.2

Samuel Given to the Lord

21 The man Elkanah and all his house wwent up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord xand dwell there forever. 23 yElkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; zonly, may the Lord establish his word. So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, ashe took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,3 an ephah4 of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to bthe house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, Oh, my lord! cAs you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, dand the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.

eAnd he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said,

fMy heart exults in the Lord;

gmy horn is exalted in the Lord.

My mouth derides my enemies,

because hI rejoice in your salvation.

iThere is none holy like the Lord:

for there is none besides you;

there is jno rock like our God.

Talk no more so very proudly,

let not arrogance come from your mouth;

for the Lord is a God of knowledge,

and by him actions are weighed.

kThe bows of the mighty are broken,

but the feeble bind on strength.

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.

lThe barren has borne seven,

mbut she who has many children is forlorn.

nThe Lord kills and brings to life;

he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

oThe Lord makes poor and makes rich;

phe brings low and he exalts.

qHe raises up the poor from the dust;

he lifts the needy from the ash heap

rto make them sit with princes

and inherit a seat of honor.

sFor the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,

and on them he has set the world.

tHe will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,

for not by might shall a man prevail.

10  uThe adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;

vagainst them he will thunder in heaven.

wThe Lord will judge the ends of the earth;

he will give strength to his king

xand exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 Then Elkanah went home yto Ramah. zAnd the boy5 was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.

Eli’s Worthless Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were aworthless men. bThey did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, cbefore the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw. 16 And if the man said to him, Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish, he would say, No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great din the sight of the Lord, efor the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

18 fSamuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy gclothed with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year hwhen she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman ifor the petition she asked of the Lord. So then they would return to their home.

21 jIndeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. kAnd the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who lwere serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him? But they would not listen to the voice of their father, mfor it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

26 Now the boy Samuel ncontinued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

The Lord Rejects Eli’s Household

27 And there came oa man of God to Eli and said to him, Thus says the Lord, pDid I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 qDid I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, rto wear an ephod before me? sI gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then do you tscorn6 my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel? 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: vI promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever, wbut now the Lord declares: Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, xthe days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then yin distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, zand there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his7 eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants8 of your house shall die by the sword of men.9 34 aAnd this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die bon the same day. 35 cAnd I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. dAnd I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before emy anointed forever. 36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

The Lord Calls Samuel

fNow the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. gAnd the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

At that time Eli, hwhose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. iThe lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down jin the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, Here I am! and ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. But he said, I did not call; lie down again. So he went and lay down.

And the Lord called again, Samuel! and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. But he said, I did not call, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears. 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel kat which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli lall that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 lAnd I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, mbecause his sons were blaspheming God,10 nand he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli othat the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.

15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here I am. 17 And Eli said, What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. pMay God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you. 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, qIt is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.

19 rAnd Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him sand let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel tfrom Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel uat Shiloh vby the word of the Lord.


Luke 8:26–56

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

26 bThen they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,1 which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus2 had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house cbut among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he dcried out and fell down before him and said dwith a loud voice, What have you to do with me, Jesus, eSon of fthe Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me. 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon ginto the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he said, hLegion, for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into ithe abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into jthe lake and drowned.

34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting kat the feet of Jesus, lclothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed3 man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes masked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 Return to your home, and ndeclare how much God has done for you. And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus’s Daughter

40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd owelcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 pAnd there came a man named Jairus, who was qa ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had ran only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people spressed around him. 43 And there was a woman twho had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her uliving on physicians,4 she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched vthe fringe of his garment, and wimmediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, Who was it that touched me? When all denied it, Peter5 said, Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you! 46 But Jesus said, Someone touched me, for I perceive that xpower has gone out from me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, Daughter, yyour faith has made you well; ygo in peace.

49 While he was still speaking, someone from zthe ruler’s house came and said, Your daughter is dead; ado not trouble bthe Teacher any more. 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well. 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except cPeter and dJohn and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and emourning for her, but he fsaid, Do not weep, for gshe is not dead but hsleeping. 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But itaking her by the hand he called, saying, Child, jarise. 55 And kher spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed, but lhe charged them to tell no one what had happened.