Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”

Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli.

The sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.

Saul replied, “May you be blessed by the Lord, for you have had compassion on me.

For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me when my own son makes an agreement with this son of Jesse! Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”

So he said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”

However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.”

The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were killed.

I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it.

Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.

Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk.

Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.”

Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of Eli the priest.

Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.

Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down.

On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish!

So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

When Eli heard the outcry, he said, “What is this commotion?” The man quickly came and told Eli.

The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli asked, “How did things go, my son?”

Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”