Eli reproveth his sons.

1 SAMUEL, III. LORD. And they went unto their B. C. 1165. own home.

21 And the. LORD visited b Han-b Ge.21.1. nah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters.) And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

assembled by troops, Ex.38.8.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things for I hear 5 of your evil dealings by all this people.

Ex.4.14,27.

24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to 6 transgress, 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if h Ex.28.1,4. a man sin against e the LORD, who di Le.7.7,8,34. shall entreat for him? Nothwithstanding, they hearkened not unto 18.S-19. the voice of their father, because ek De.32. 15. the LORD wonid slay them.

Nu.5.9,10.

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

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

5 or, evil
words of
you.

6

or, cry out.

c Nu. 15.30.

Ps.51.4,16.

d 1Ti.2.5.
Heb.7.25.

e Jos. 11.20. f Pr.3.4.

31 Behold, the days p 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 7 an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: 1 and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

Luke 2.52.

1 Ex. 29.9.

m Je. 18.9, 10.

n Ps.91.14.

Pr.3.9,10. o Mal.2.8.9.

P !Ki.2.27,

would
have given
Israel.

9 Join.

10 or, some-
what about
the priest

hood.

(CHAP. 3.)

a Ps.74.9.

35.

or, the af
fliction of

28 And did I choose him h 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 i unto the which God where the ark of God was, and Sa-
house of thy father all the offerings
muel was laid down to sleep:
made by fire of the children of Is-
rael?

the taber-
nacle, for
all the
wealth

3 And ere the lamp b of God went out in the temple of the LORD,

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

8 men.

29 Wherefore kick k ye at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, q ch.4.11. to make yourselves fat with the r Eze.44.15, chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

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.

16.

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 m the LORD saith, Be it

6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here om 1; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son, he down again.

7 1 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of

far from me; for them a that honour me I will honour, and they that despise o me shall be lightly

esteemed.

the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called muel
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.

bEx.27.20,21.

1 or, Thus

did Samuel
Lefore he
knew the
LORD,
and before
the word

of the
LORD was
revealed
unto him.

God speaketh to Samuel.

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 8 in the flower of their age.

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

them.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according

to that which is in mine 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, 9 Put me, I
pray thee, into 10 one of the priest's
offices, that I may eat a piece of
bread.

CHAPTER III.

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

ND the child Samuel minisAtered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word a of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if ne 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