1 Samuel 1

1 Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill-country of Ephraim. And his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

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 Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

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

4 And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions,

5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb.

6 Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.

And her rival provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb.

7 And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.

And as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her. Therefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

And Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do thou weep? And why do thou not eat? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah.

10 In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Jehovah, and wept much.

11 And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou will indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but will give to thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli noticed her mouth.

13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk

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 said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”

And Eli said to her, How long will thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

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 I poured out my soul before Jehovah.

16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

Count not thy handmaid for an iniquitous woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken until now.

17 “Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou have asked of him.

18 “May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.

And she said, Let thy handmaid find favor in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

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

20 So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

And it came to pass, when the time came about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Jehovah.

21 Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,

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

22 but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”

But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, Not until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and abide there forever.

23 “Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems good to thee. Remain until thou have weaned him, only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman remained and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

24 Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.

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

25 And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

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

26 “Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.

And she said, Oh, my lord, as thy soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by thee here, praying to Jehovah.

27 I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,

I prayed for this child, and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of him.

28 I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.

Therefore also I have granted him to Jehovah; as long as he lives he is granted to Jehovah. And he worshiped Jehovah there.