Study Desk

Also I am acquiring as my wife Rut the woman from Mo'av, the wife of Machlon, in order to raise up in the name of the deceased an heir for his property; so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his kinsmen and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today."

So Bo‘az took Rut, and she became his wife. He had sexual relations with her, Adonai enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Then the women said to Na‘omi, "Blessed be Adonai , who today has provided you a redeemer! May his name be renowned in Isra'el.

This man went up from his city every year to worship and sacrifice to Adonai -Tzva'ot in Shiloh. The two sons of ‘Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, were cohanim of Adonai there.

One day, when Elkanah was sacrificing, he gave a portion of the sacrifice to his wife P'ninah and portions to each of her sons and daughters;

So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. ‘Eli the cohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Adonai .

Then she took a vow; she said, " Adonai -Tzva'ot, if you will notice how humiliated your servant is, if you will remember me and not forget your servant but will give your servant a male child, then I will give him to Adonai for as long as he lives; and no razor will ever come on his head."

They got up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai , then returned and came to their house in Ramah. Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and Adonai remembered her.

The husband, Elkanah, went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to Adonai and fulfill his vow.

He will guard the steps of his faithful, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. For it is not by strength that a person prevails —

those who fight Adonai will be shattered; he will thunder against them in heaven — Adonai will judge the ends of the earth. He will strengthen his king and enhance the power of his anointed."

The rule these cohanim followed in dealing with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the cohen's servant would come, while the meat was stewing, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

Each year his mother would make him a little coat and bring it when she came up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

‘Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May Adonai give you children from this woman because of the boy you have loaned to Adonai "; then they would go home.

When ‘Eli was very old, he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Isra'el, and that they were having sex with the women doing service at the door of the tent of meeting.

I will raise up for myself a faithful cohen who will do what I want and what I intend. I will make his family faithful, and he will serve in the presence of my anointed one forever.

Once, during that period, ‘Eli had gone to bed — his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that it was hard for him to see.

So ‘Eli said to Sh'mu'el, "Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Adonai ; your servant is listening.' Sh'mu'el went and lay down in his place.

On that day I will do against ‘Eli everything I have said with regard to his family, from beginning to end.

For I have told him that I will execute judgment against his family forever, because of his wickedness in not rebuking his sons, even though he knew that they had brought a curse on themselves.