¹⁷ “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide^(A) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,^(B) if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”^(C)

¹⁹ The Lord was with^(D) Samuel as he grew^(E) up, and he let none^(F) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰ And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba^(G) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.^{(H) 21} The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed^(I) himself to Samuel through his word.

³ When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen^(A) on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.

³ When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed^(A) David king over Israel, as the Lord had promised through Samuel.