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.

And there is a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name [is] Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, 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 has two wives, the name of the first [is] Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah, and Peninnah has children, and Hannah has 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 that man has gone up out of his city from time to time, to bow himself, and to sacrifice, before YHWH of Hosts, in Shiloh, and there [are] two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of YHWH.

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 the day comes, and Elkanah sacrifices, and he has given portions to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and her daughters,

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

and he gives a certain portion to Hannah—double, for he has loved Hannah, and YHWH has shut her womb;

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

and her rival has also provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for YHWH has 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 so is done year by year, from the time of her going up into the house of YHWH, so she provokes her, and she weeps, and does 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 her husband Elkanah says to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart afflicted? Am I not better to you 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.

And Hannah rises after eating in Shiloh, and after drinking, and Eli the priest is sitting on the throne by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH.

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

And she is bitter in soul, and prays to YHWH, and weeps greatly,

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 vows a vow, and says, “YHWH of Hosts, if You certainly look on the affliction of Your handmaid, and have remembered me, and do not forget Your handmaid, and have given to Your handmaid seed of men—then I have given him to YHWH all [the] days of his life, and a razor does not go up on his head.”

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

And it has been, when she multiplied praying before YHWH, that Eli is watching 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

and Hannah, she is speaking over her heart—only her lips are moving, and her voice is not heard, and Eli reckons her to be drunken.

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

And Eli says to her, “Until when are you drunken? Turn aside your wine from you.”

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 answers and says, “No, my lord, I [am] a woman sharply pained in spirit, and I have not drunk wine and strong drink, and I pour out my soul before YHWH;

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.”

do not put your handmaid before a daughter of worthlessness, for from the abundance of my meditation, and of my provocation, I have spoken until now.”

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

And Eli answers and says, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel gives your petition which you 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 says, “Let your handmaid find grace in your eyes”; and the woman goes on her way, and eats, and her face has not been [downcast] for herself anymore.

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 rise early in the morning, and bow themselves before YHWH, and turn back, and come to their house in Ramah, and Elkanah knows his wife Hannah, and YHWH remembers 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 comes to pass, at the revolution of the days, that Hannah conceives, and bears a son, and calls his name Samuel, for, “I have asked for him from YHWH.”

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 goes up, and all his house, to sacrifice to YHWH the sacrifice of the days, 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.”

And Hannah has not gone up, for she said to her husband, “Until the youth is weaned—then I have brought him in, and he has appeared before the face of YHWH, and dwelt there for all time.”

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 her husband Elkanah says to her, “Do that which is good in your eyes; abide until your weaning him; only, let YHWH establish His word”; and the woman abides and suckles her son until she has 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 she causes him to go up with her when she has weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brings him into the house of YHWH at Shiloh, and the youth [is but] a youth.

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

And they slaughter the bullock, and bring in the youth 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 says, “O my lord, your soul lives! My lord, I [am] the woman who stood with you in this [place], to pray to YHWH;

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

I prayed for this youth, and YHWH gives to 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.

and I also have called him to YHWH, all the days that he has lived—he is called to YHWH”; and he bows himself there before YHWH.