There was a certain man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up from his town year by year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh. On the day Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, though Yahweh had closed her womb. (Now her rival wife would provoke her severely in order to upset her because Yahweh had closed her womb.) And so he used to do year after year; whenever she went up to the house of Yahweh, she would provoke her so that she would weep and would not eat. So Elkanah her husband would say to her: “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat? And why are you heartsick? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking at Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh.) She was deeply troubled, so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.” While she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth. Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her to be drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like someone who is drunk? Put away your wine!” But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord. I am a woman deeply distressed, but I have not drunk wine or strong drink. Rather, I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. Do not regard your female servant as worthless, but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this.” Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.” And she said, “May your female slave find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went on her way and ate something, and her face did not look sad any longer.

Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and returned to their house at Ramah. Then Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. In due time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, for she said, “I requested him from Yahweh.”

So the man Elkanah went up with all his household to make the annual sacrifice to Yahweh and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear before Yahweh; and he will remain there forever.” So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems right to you; stay until you wean him. Only may Yahweh fulfill his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. Then she brought him up with her when she had weaned him, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house of Yahweh at Shiloh while the boy was still young. They slaughtered the bull, and they brought the boy to Eli. She said, “Excuse me, my lord. As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood with you in this place to pray to Yahweh. I prayed for this boy, and Yahweh has given me my request that I asked from him. I in turn have lent him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he is lent to Yahweh.” Then they worshiped Yahweh there.

Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; I grin over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation.

There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you,

and there is no rock like our God.

Do not increase speaking very proud words!

Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth,

for Yahweh is a God of knowledge

whose deeds are not weighed.

The bows of mighty warriors are shattered,

but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.

Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread,

but those who are hungry will become fat.

As for the infertile, she will bear seven,

but she who has many sons withers away.

Yahweh kills and restores alive,

he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

Yahweh makes poor and makes rich;

he brings low and also exalts.

He raises up the poor from the dust.

From the ash heap he lifts up the needy,

to cause them to sit with noble people

and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh

and he has set the inhabited world on them.

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,

but the wicked will be destroyed in the darkness,

because a man will not prevail by his might.

Yahweh will shatter his adversaries;

he will thunder against them in the heavens.

Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.

He will give strength to his king

and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. Now the boy was serving Yahweh in the presence of Eli the priest.

Now the sons of Eli were worthless scoundrels; they did not know Yahweh. And the custom of the priests with the people was this: When any man brought a sacrifice, as the meat was boiling, the servant of the priest would take a three-pronged meat fork in his hand and would thrust it into the pan or into the kettle or into the cauldron or into the cooking pot. All that the meat fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all of the Israelites who came there at Shiloh. Also, before they offered up the fat as a burnt offering, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but only raw.” And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat completely first, then take for yourself as you desire,” then he would say to him, “No! Give it now! If not, I will take it by force!” So the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of Yahweh, because the men treated the offering of Yahweh with contempt.

Now Samuel was serving before Yahweh, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. His mother used to make for him a small robe and take it to him year by year whenever she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and he said, “May Yahweh give you an offspring from this woman in place of the petitioned one that she requested from Yahweh.” Then they went to their home. Yahweh took note of Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters, while the young man Samuel grew up with Yahweh.

Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were having sexual relations with the women who were serving at the entrance of the tent of assembly. And he asked them, “Why are you doing all these things that I am hearing, namely, your evil dealings with all these people? No, my sons, the report is not good that I am hearing the people of Yahweh spreading. If a man sins against a man, then God can intercede for him. But if a man sins against Yahweh, who can intercede for him?” But they did not obey their father, because Yahweh wanted to kill them. But the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with Yahweh and with the people.

Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him: “Thus says Yahweh: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your ancestor when they were in Egypt under the house of Pharaoh? And I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be a priest to me, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to bear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor all the offerings made by fire by the Israelites. Why do you despise my sacrifice and my offering which I commanded for my dwelling place, while you honored your sons more than me by making yourselves fat from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel? Therefore,’ declares Yahweh the God of Israel, ‘though I solemnly said that your house and the house of your ancestor would walk before me forever, but now,’ declares Yahweh, ‘far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me, I will treat with contempt! Look, days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of the house of your ancestor so that no one in your house will live to old age. You will look at the distress of my dwelling place, despite all the good caused for Israel, but there will never be an old man in your household forever! The only one I will not cut off from my altar is you. Rather, to cause your eyes to fail and to cause your soul to grieve, all the members of your household will die as men. This is the sign for you that will come regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: they will both die on the same day! But I will raise up for myself a reliable priest; he will do just according to what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build for him a lasting house and he will walk continually before my anointed one forever. All the remainder of your household will come to bow down before him for a bit of silver or a loaf of bread and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priestly offices so that I can eat a morsel of bread.”‘”

A song of ascents.

In my distress I called to Yahweh,

and he answered me.

“Deliver my life, O Yahweh, from lying lips,

from a deceitful tongue.”

What shall be given to you,

and what more shall be done to you,

deceitful tongue?

The sharpened arrows of a warrior,

with burning charcoals from broom trees.

Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,

that I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

Too long my soul has had its dwelling

near one who hates peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for war.

Now a certain man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and he kept back for himself some of the proceeds, and his wife was aware of it. And he brought a certain part and placed it at the feet of the apostles. But Peter said, “Ananias, for what reason has Satan filled your heart, that you lied to the Holy Spirit and kept back for yourself some of the proceeds of the piece of land? When it remained to you, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!”

And when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear came on all those who heard about it. So the young men stood up, wrapped him up, and carried him out and buried him. And it happened that there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you both were paid this much for the piece of land.” And she said, “Yes, this much.” So Peter said to her, “How is it that it was agreed by you two to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried her out and buried her with her husband. And great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard about these things.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed among the people through the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. And none of the rest dared to join them, but the people spoke highly of them. And even more believers in the Lord were being added, large numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and put them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow would fall on some of them. And the people of the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, who were all being healed.

Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out and said, “Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.” And when they heard this, they entered at daybreak into the temple courts and began teaching.

Now when the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin—even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel—and sent to the prison to have them brought. But the officers who came did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported, saying, “We found the prison locked with all security and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” Now when both the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed concerning them, as to what this might be. But someone came and reported to them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!” Then the captain went with the officers and brought them, not with force (for they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned by them).

And when they had brought them, they made them stand in the Sanhedrin, and the high priest put a question to them, saying, “We strictly commanded you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!” But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. This one God has exalted to his right hand as Leader and Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and were wanting to execute them. But a certain man stood up in the Sanhedrin, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, “Men and Israelites, take care for yourselves what you are about to do to these men! For before these days, Theudas rose up saying he was somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was executed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and caused people to follow him in revolt. And that one perished, and all who followed him were scattered. And now I tell you, keep away from these men, and leave them alone, because if this plan or this matter is from people, it will be overthrown. But if it is from God, you will not be able to overthrow them, lest you even be found fighting against God.” So they were persuaded by him. And they summoned the apostles, beat them, commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them. So they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin rejoicing, because they had been considered worthy to be dishonored for the sake of the name. Every day, both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that the Christ was Jesus.

Until next time, keep meditating on the word of God.

Scripture quotations are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.