Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

<t /><p class="bodytext">This man Elkanah went up with all his family to make the yearly sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> and to keep his vow,

But the army took from the plunder some of the sheep and cattle &#8211; the best of what was to be slaughtered &#8211; to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> your God in Gilgal.&#8221;p>

Now the woman<n id="1" /> had a well-fed calf<n id="2" /> at her home that she quickly slaughtered. Taking some flour, she kneaded bread and baked it without leaven.

Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way:<n id="1" /> Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest&#8217;s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork<n id="2" /> in his hand.

His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice.

Saul said, &#8220;They were brought<n id="1" /> from the Amalekites; the army spared the best of the flocks and cattle to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> our God. But everything else we slaughtered.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Samuel replied, &#8220;How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!&#8221; But the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Take a heifer with you<n id="1" /> and say, &#8216;I have come to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;

He replied, &#8220;Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc>. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.&#8221; So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.p>

<p class="bodytext">Year after year<n id="1" /> this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the <sc>Lordsc> of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s priests.

<p class="bodytext">Even before they burned the fat, the priest&#8217;s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, &#8220;Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won&#8217;t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.&#8221;<n id="1" />

The Levites took down the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the <sc>Lordsc>.

You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.&#8221;p>

So all the people went to Gilgal, where<n id="1" /> they established Saul as king in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.p>