Study Desk

Boaz also gathered ten of the elders of the city. He told them, "Sit here!" So they sat down.

The close relative answered, "Then I cannot buy the land. If I do, I might lose my own land. So I cannot do it. You buy the land."

So when the close relative said to Boaz, "You buy the land," he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz.

So all the elders and the people who were near the city gates said, "We are witnesses to all of this. And may the Lord bless this woman who is coming into your home to be like Rachel and Leah. They are the ones who had many children to make the people of Israel strong. And may you become powerful in the tribe of Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem!

So Boaz married Ruth. The Lord allowed Ruth to become pregnant, and she had a son.

This happened every year when their family went to the Lord 's house at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would begin to cry and would not eat anything. One year when this happened,

her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why are you so sad? You have me. Isn't that better than having even ten sons?"

Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the Lord .

Don't think I am a bad woman. I have been praying so long because I have so many troubles and am very sad."

Hannah's husband Elkanah said to her, "Do what you think is best. You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat solid food. May the Lord do what you have said." So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was old enough to eat solid food.

If you sin against other people, God might protect you. But who can help you if you sin against the Lord ?" Eli's sons refused to listen to him, so the Lord decided to kill them.

So why don't you respect these gifts and sacrifices? You honor your sons more than me. You become fat eating the best parts of the meat that the Israelites bring to me.'

Then whoever is left in your family will come and bow down before this priest and beg for a little money or a piece of bread. They will say, "Please give me a job as priest so that I can have some food to eat."'"

Eli's eyes were getting so weak that he was almost blind. One night he went to his room to go to bed.

The special lamp in the Lord 's temple was still burning, so Samuel lay down in the temple near where the Holy Box was.

Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me." But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." So Samuel went back to bed.

Eli told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord . I am your servant, and I am listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.

So Samuel told Eli everything. He did not hide anything from him. Eli said, "He is the Lord . Let him do whatever he thinks is right."

So the people sent men to Shiloh. The men brought back the Lord All-Powerful's Box of the Agreement. On top of the Box are the Cherub angels. They are like a throne where the Lord sits. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the Box.

The Philistines heard Israel's shout and asked, "Why are the people so excited in the Hebrew camp?" Then the Philistines learned that the Lord 's Holy Box had been brought into Israel's camp.