Study Desk

And before they burned the fat, the religious leader's servant would come and say to the man who brought the gift in worship, "Give meat for the religious leader to make ready. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only meat that has just been killed."

But if the man says to him, "Let them burn the fat first, then take as much as you want," then the religious leader's servant would say, "No, give it to me now; and if not, I will take it from you against your will."

If one man sins against another, God will help make peace for him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who can make peace for him?" Yet they would not listen to what their father said, for it was the Lord's will to kill them.

So the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I did promise that those of your family and the family of your father should walk before Me forever.' But now the Lord says, ‘May this be far from Me. For I will honor those who honor Me. And those who hate Me will not be honored.

But I will not destroy every man of yours from My altar. Some will be left to cry and be filled with sorrow. But all the children of your family will die in their best years.

He ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But Eli said, "I did not call you. Lie down again." So Samuel went and lay down.

The Lord called again, "Samuel!" So Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Lie down again."

Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the special dream.

About the time of her death, the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid. For you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer or listen to them.

But when they got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground in front of the special box of the Lord. And Dagon's head and both his hands were cut off and lying in the doorway. Only the body of Dagon was left.

But after they had brought it there, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing much fear. He punished both the young and old men of the city, so that sores broke out upon them.

And they said, "If you send away the special box of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But be sure to return to Him a sin gift. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand does not turn away from you."

And watch. If it goes on the way to its own land, to Bethshemesh, then He has done this very bad thing to us. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that destroyed us. It will have just happened for no reason."

As Samuel was burning the gift to the Lord, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel. But the Lord made a loud thunder that day against the Philistines, making them afraid. So they lost the battle with Israel.

But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside to get money. They took pay to do things that were not right and fair.

But Samuel was not pleased when they said, "Give us a king to rule over us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

So listen to their voice. But tell them of the danger and show them the ways of the king who will rule over them."

You will cry out in that day because of your king you have chosen for yourselves. But the Lord will not answer you in that day."

But the people would not listen to Samuel. They said, "No! We will have a king rule over us,

They passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. They passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.