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One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made
their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees
said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the
sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David
did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food?
He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and
ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the
priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to
them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for
the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a
withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him
on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And Jesus said to the
man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to
them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life
or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with
anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man,
‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was
restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the
Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The
word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
At that time, Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he
could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not
yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord,
where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you
called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and
lay down.
The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went
to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not
call, my son; lie down again.’
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”’ So, Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever.’
Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’
As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.
