Study Desk

Ruth went to the home of her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi went to the door and asked, "Who's there?" Ruth went in telling Naomi everything that Boaz did for her.

She said, "Boaz gave me this barley as a gift for you. He said that I must not go home without bringing a gift for you."

I decided to tell you about this in front of the people living here and in front of the elders of our people. If you want to pay the widow for the land and keep it in the family, then pay her for it. If you don't want to buy the land, tell me, because I am the next one in the family who has the right to buy it. If you don't buy the land from her, I will." Naomi's closest relative said, "I will buy the land from her."

May the Lord bless you with many children through Ruth. May your family become great like the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore for Judah."

He will make you alive again and care for you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law made it happen because she bore this child for you. She loves you, and she is better for you than seven sons."

Naomi took the boy, held him in her arms, and cared for him.

Eli answered, "Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you what you asked for."

By that time the following year, Hannah had become pregnant and had a son. She named him Samuel. She said, "His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him."

Elkanah went to Shiloh to offer the sacrifice for that year and the gift he had promised to the Lord . He took his family with him.

I prayed for this child, and the Lord answered my prayer. He gave me this child.

He raises the poor from the dust, and he takes away their sadness. He makes them important and seats them with princes and at the places for honored guests. The Lord made the whole world, and the whole world belongs to him.

and use it to get some meat out of the pot or kettle. The priest is supposed to take whatever his helper removes from the pot with the special fork. This is what the priests should have done for the Israelites who came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.

Every year Samuel's mother made a robe for Samuel. She took the little robe to Samuel when she went up to Shiloh with her husband for the sacrifice every year.

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, "May the Lord give you more children through Hannah who will take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to the Lord ." Elkanah and Hannah went home.

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."'"

So the Philistines fought very hard and defeated the Israelites. The Israelite soldiers ran away and went home. It was a terrible defeat for Israel. 30,000 Israelite soldiers were killed.

When the Benjamite man mentioned God's Holy Box, Eli fell backward off his chair near the gate and broke his neck. Eli was old and fat, so he died. He had led Israel for 20 years.

Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant. It was nearly time for her baby to be born. She heard the news that God's Holy Box was taken. She also heard that her father-in-law Eli and her husband Phinehas were both dead. As soon as she heard the news, her pain started and she began giving birth to her baby.

The Lord made life hard for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He gave them many troubles and caused them to get tumors. He also sent mice to them. The mice ran all over their ships and then onto their land. The people in the city were very afraid.

But after the Philistines had moved God's Holy Box to Gath, the Lord punished that city. The people became very frightened. God caused many troubles for all the people—young and old. He caused the people in Gath to have tumors.