Hannah is barren and earnestly prays for a son, vowing to dedicate the baby to the Lord if her request is granted. The Lord allows her to conceive and she gives birth to Samuel, whom she sends to live and serve at the temple under Eli the priest. Eli's failure to discipline his evil sons, Hophni and Phinehas, results in the Lord declaring judgment on all three of them. Samuel is called by God to be a prophet and the spiritual leader of Israel. The Philistines defeat the Israelites and capture the ark of the covenant, killing Hophni and Phinehas, who had irreverently carried the ark into battle. When Eli hears the news about the ark, he falls over, breaks his neck, and dies.