So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary.

He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these people.

Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’

In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength and the strength of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house!

You will see trouble in my dwelling place! Israel will experience blessings, but there will not be an old man in your house for all time.

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.

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

So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.”

Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert!

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

The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon.

When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day, Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.

The Lord attacked the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores.

They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest, the gold mice, and the images of the sores.

So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down here and take it back home with you.”

Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.

Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot.

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.”

As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”