Samuel the Last Judge

*[Intro - Hannah's Prayer]*
Rasmidian Studio Storytime!
Samuel the Last Judge!
In Ramah... a woman wept...

*[Verse 1 - The Birth of Samuel]*
Elkanah had two wives in Ramah,
Peninnah had children, Hannah had none,
Peninnah mocked her bitterly,
Year by year in Shiloh.
Hannah wept and could not eat,
Her heart was deeply grieved,
She went to the temple and she prayed,
But only her lips moved.

Eli the priest thought she was drunk,
Woman, put away your wine!
She said, My lord, I am sorrowful,
I pour my soul to the Lord.
Then Eli blessed her, Go in peace,
May God grant your request,
She prayed, If You give me a son,
I will give him back to You, all his days.

And God remembered Hannah,
She conceived and bore a son,
She called his name Samuel,
For she said, I asked him from the Lord.

*[Chorus 1]*
Samuel, Samuel, asked from God,
A child of prayer, a child of vow,
Lent to the Lord for all his life,
Samuel the prophet.

*[Verse 2 - Samuel in Shiloh]*
When the child was weaned, Hannah came,
With bull, flour, and wine,
She said, My lord, I am the woman who prayed,
This boy I prayed for, I lend him to the Lord.
And little Samuel ministered,
Before the Lord in Shiloh,
Wearing a little linen ephod,
That his mother made each year.

But Eli's sons were wicked men,
Hophni and Phinehas, sons of Belial,
They stole the sacrifice, slept with women,
At the door of the tabernacle.
Eli was old, his eyes were dim,
He warned them, but they would not hear,
For the Lord was ready to kill them,
Their sin was very great.

*[Verse 3 - The Call]*
One night when Eli lay down,
And Samuel lay to sleep,
The Lord called, Samuel! Samuel!
He ran to Eli, Here I am!
Eli said, I did not call, go lie down,
Three times the Lord called,
Then Eli knew God called the child,
Say, Speak Lord, Your servant hears.

And God said to Samuel that night,
I will judge Eli's house forever,
For his sons blasphemed and he did not stop them,
Their end is near.

In the morning Samuel was afraid,
To tell Eli the vision,
But Eli said, Tell me all, hide nothing,
So Samuel told him all.
Eli said, It is the Lord,
Let Him do what seems good to Him.

*[Bridge - The Death of Eli and His Sons]*
Then Israel went to war with Philistines,
And Israel was defeated,
They said, Bring the Ark of God from Shiloh,
It will save us from our enemies.
Hophni and Phinehas came with the Ark,
Israel shouted so loud the earth shook,
But God was not with them,
And Philistines defeated them again.

Thirty thousand footmen fell that day,
The Ark of God was captured,
Hophni and Phinehas both died,
On the same day, as prophesied.
A messenger ran to Shiloh,
Eli sat by the gate, his heart trembled for the Ark,
When he heard the Ark was taken,
He fell backward from his seat,
Broke his neck and died,
For he was old and heavy,
He judged Israel forty years.

Phinehas' wife was pregnant and near to give birth,
When she heard her husband died, and Eli died, and the Ark was taken,
She bowed and gave birth and died,
She named her son Ichabod,
Saying, The glory has departed from Israel,
For the Ark is taken.

*[Chorus 2 - Transition]*
Ichabod... Ichabod...
The glory has departed...
But God raised a prophet...
Samuel to lead them again.

*[Verse 4 - Samuel the Judge]*
Samuel judged Israel all his life,
He called them to Mizpah to repent,
He offered a lamb, Philistines drew near,
But God thundered and confused them,
Israel defeated Philistines,
And had peace all Samuel's days.
He went in circuit year by year,
Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah,
Judging Israel with righteousness,
The last judge, first prophet.

*[Verse 5 - The Sons of Samuel & Samuel's Death]*
When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges,
Joel and Abijah judged in Beersheba,
But like Eli's sons, they turned aside,
They took bribes and perverted justice.
The elders said, You are old, your sons walk not in your ways,
Make us a king like other nations,
It displeased Samuel and he prayed,
But God gave them Saul as king.

Samuel anointed Saul, then David,
He served God till his hair was grey,
And all Israel gathered and lamented,
When Samuel died in Ramah.
The great prophet was buried in Ramah,
The man who heard God from a child,
From Hannah's barren tears,
To the prophet who anointed kings.

*[Outro - Slow]*
From barrenness to birth,
From child to prophet,
From Eli's fallen house,
To Samuel's faithful life,
But even Samuel's sons failed,
And Israel wanted a king...
The story continues...
The glory returns...

Afro-reggae, Afro-highlife Heroic, Hopeful, Male Vocals, Female Vocals, Harmonized Vocals