A New Prophet

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

In ancient times, a man might have more than one wife.  Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel, had four wives that bore him twelve sons, and a daughter.

Thus, the twelve tribes of Israel.

Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah.  Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn’t.  Hannah very much wanted to be a mother.

Here is the narrative from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, (Amazon.com).

___1_Samuel chapter 1

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite,

2 And he had two wives, the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah, and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh.  And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

4 And at the time when Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions,

5 But to Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had shut up her womb.

6 And her adversary also provoked her severely, to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her, therefore she wept, and didn't eat.

8 Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you cry?  And why don't you eat?  And why is your heart grieved?  Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.  Now Eli the priest sat on a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord, and wept severely.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord of hosts, if you'll indeed look at the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head."

12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard, therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14 And Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk?  Put away your wine."

15 And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit, I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Don't count your handmaid as a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken until now."

17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant you your petition that you've asked from him."

18 And she said, "Let your handmaid find grace in your sight."  So the woman went her way, and ate, and her facial expression was no longer sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house in Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

20 So, after Hannah had conceived, when the time had come, she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him from the Lord."

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah didn't go up, for she said to her husband, "I won't go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, so that he will appear before the Lord, and there live forever."

23 And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good to you, wait until you've weaned him, only the Lord establish his word."  So the woman stayed, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young.

25 And they killed a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, "Oh my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to the Lord.

27 I asked for this child, and the Lord has given me my petition that I asked him for,

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord, as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord."  And he worshipped the Lord there.

___1_Samuel chapter 2

1 And Hannah prayed, and said, "My heart rejoices in the Lord, my horn is exalted in the Lord, my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 There is none holy like the Lord, for there is none beside you, nor is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so very proudly, don't let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men have been broken, and those who stumbled have been clothed with strength.

5 Those who were full have hired out themselves for bread, and those who were hungry stopped, so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children has grown feeble.

6 The Lord kills, and makes alive, he brings down to the grave, and brings up.

7 The Lord makes poor, and makes rich, he brings low, and lifts up.

8 He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory, for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he has set the world on them.

9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces, out of heaven he shall thunder on them, the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house.  And the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, they didn't know the Lord.

13 And the priests' custom with the people was that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,

14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot, all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself.  So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there.

15 Also before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh from you, but raw."

16 And if any man said to him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as your soul desires," then he would answer him, "No, but you shall give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force."

17 So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men hated the offering of the Lord.

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.

19 Also his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The Lord give you seed of this woman for the loan that is lent to the Lord."  And they went to their own home.

21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters.  And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

23 And he said to them, "Why do you do such things?  For I hear of your evil dealings by all these people.

24 No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear, you make the Lord's people transgress.

25 If one man sins against another, the judge shall judge him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who shall intreat for him?"  But they didn't listen to the voice of their father, because the Lord had decided to kill them.

26 And the child Samuel continued to grow, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.

27 And a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, Did I plainly appear to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer on my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me?  And did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, that I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons more than me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 So the Lord God of Israel says, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, would walk before me forever, but now the Lord says, be it far from me, for those who honor me, I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 See, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, so that there won't be an old man in your house.

32 And you'll see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth that God shall give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

33 And the man of yours, whom I shall not cut off from my altar, shall be to consume your eyes, and to grieve your heart, and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be a sign to thee, that shall come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall die both of them.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my anointed forever.

36 And it shall happen, that everyone that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, please, into one of the priests' offices, so that I can eat a piece of bread."

___1_Samuel chapter 3

1 And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli.  And the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no open vision.

2 And at that time, when Eli had laid down in his place, and his eyes began to grow dim, he could not see,

3 And before the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel had laid down to sleep,

4 That the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, "Here am I."

5 And he ran to Eli, and said, "Here am I, for you called me."  And he said, "I didn't call, lie down again."  And he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel."  And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I, for you called me."  And he answered, "I didn't call, my son, lie down again."

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time.  And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I, for you called me."  And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears."  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called like at other times, "Samuel, Samuel."  Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant hears."

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that hears it shall tingle.

12 In that day, I will perform against Eli all things that I have spoken concerning his house, when I begin, I will also make an end.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the sin that he knows, because his sons made themselves filthy, and he didn't restrain them.

14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the sin of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever."

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord.  And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son."  And he answered, "Here am I."

17 And he said, "What is the thing that the Lord has said to you?  Please don't hide it from me, God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you."

18 And Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.  And he said, "It is the Lord, let him do what seems good to him."

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and didn't let any of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Chapter 2

Hannah vowed a vow to the Lord that if he would give her a manchild, she would lend him to the Lord.

The priest, Eli, saw her lips moving, but didn’t hear any words.  He assumed she was drunk, and rebuked her, but she wasn’t drunk.

God gave Hannah conception, and she bore a son, Samuel.

After Hannah had weaned Samuel, she took him to the Priest, Eli, and Samuel stayed with Eli.

After Samuel had grown some, the Lord called to Samuel.  Samuel thought it was Eli, and ran to answer Eli.

Eli said, “I didn’t call you.”

The Lord called Samuel again.  Again, Samuel ran to Eli.

Eli perceived it was the Lord who had called to Samuel.  Eli said, “If he calls you, say Here am I, for your servant hears.”

The Lord told Samuel how he would punish Eli for not being the right kind of priest.

Samuel became a great prophet to Israel, and was a prophet during the reign of King Saul, and King David.

God used the barrenness of Hannah to give Israel a prophet.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.