Samuel


Hannah prayed hard for a son. God gave her a son whom she named Samuel. She promised Him that she would give her child back to the Lord so that he could serve the Lord for his whole life.
 So when Samuel was about three years old, Hannah took him to the temple to help Eli the priest and live there. Eli had two sons who were very wicked and disobeyed God.
As Samuel grew older, he learned to obey God and help Eli at the temple. His parents came to see him every year and brought him a new robe.

Eli knew that his two sons were wicked. He asked them to stop sinning, but they wouldn't listen to their father. God decided to punish them.
 
One night while Samuel was in bed, he heard a voice calling. He thought it was Eli but Eli said, "I didn't call you." It happened three times and Eli realized it is the Lord calling Samuel.
 He told Samuel to respond "Speak Lord, I am listening" when the Lord spoke to him the next time. And so he did.
The Lord told Samuel that He was going to punish Eli's sons because of their wickedness. When Eli found out, he said, "He is God. It will be done as He sees fit." Eli's two wicked sons were soon killed in a battle against the Philistines. 
 Eli was sad, but he was glad that he had Samuel to help him. All of Israel recognized that Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. 

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