1 Samuel 1

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill-country of Ephraim, named Elkanah; he was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

Once there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, from the tribe of Ephraim.

2 And he had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah was the mother of children, but Hannah had no children.

He had two wives. The name of the first wife was Hannah, and the name of the second, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 Now this man went up from his town every year to give worship and to make offerings to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

Every year Elkanah would leave his town and go to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord's priests.

4 And when the day came for Elkanah to make his offering, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, their part of the feast:

Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.

5 But to Hannah he gave one part, though Hannah was very dear to him, but the Lord had not let her have children.

He would give an extra portion to Hannah, to show his love for her even though the Lord hadn't given her any children.

6 And the other wife did everything possible to make her unhappy, because the Lord had not let her have children;

Her rival—the other wife—would taunt her badly to upset her because the Lord hadn't given her any children.

7 And year by year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, she kept on attacking her, so that Hannah gave herself up to weeping and would take no food.

This went on for years. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord's Temple, Peninnah would taunt her until she cried and couldn't eat.

8 Then her husband Elkanah said to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? and why are you taking no food? why is your heart troubled? am I not more to you than ten sons?

“Hannah, what are you crying for?” her husband Elkanah would ask. “Why don't you eat? Why are you so upset? Aren't I better to you than ten sons?”

9 So after they had taken food and wine in the guest room, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was seated by the pillars of the doorway of the Temple of the Lord.

One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to the Temple. Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the entrance to the Lord's Temple.

10 And with grief in her soul, weeping bitterly, she made her prayer to the Lord.

She was terribly upset, and prayed to the Lord as she cried and cried.

11 And she made an oath, and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant, not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man-child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.

She made a vow, asking, “Lord Almighty, if only you would pay attention to the suffering of your servant and remember me, and not forget me but give me a son, then I will dedicate him to the Lord for his whole life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

12 Now while she was a long time in prayer before the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth.

As Hannah went on praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth.

13 For Hannah's prayer came from her heart, and though her lips were moving she made no sound: so it seemed to Eli that she was overcome with wine.

Hannah was praying in her head, and though her lips were moving, her voice made no sound. Eli thought she must be drunk.

14 And Eli said to her, How long are you going to be the worse for drink? Put away the effects of your wine from you.

“Do you have to come here drunk?” he asked. “Get rid of your wine!”

15 And Hannah, answering him, said, No, my lord, I am a woman whose spirit is broken with sorrow: I have not taken wine or strong drink, but I have been opening my heart before the Lord.

“It's not that, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I'm a very miserable woman. I haven't been drinking wine or beer; I'm just pouring my heart out to the Lord.

16 Do not take your servant to be a good-for-nothing woman: for my words have come from my stored-up sorrow and pain.

Please don't think I'm a bad woman! I have been praying because of all my troubles and grief.”

17 Then Eli said to her, Go in peace: and may the God of Israel give you an answer to the prayer you have made to him.

“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for,” Eli replied.

18 And she said, May your servant have grace in your eyes. So the woman went away, and took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad.

“Thank you for your kindness to your servant,” she said. Then she went on her way, had something to eat, and she didn't look sad any more.

19 And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.

Elkanah and Hannah got up early the next morning to worship the Lord and then they went home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord honored her request.

20 Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.

In due course she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

21 And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.

Elkanah and all his family went to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow.

22 But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.

But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned I will take him to be presented to the Lord and to remain there forever.”

23 And her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.

“Do as you see fit,” her husband Elkanah replied. “Stay here until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill what he has said.” So Hannah stayed behind and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24 Then when she had done so, she took him with her, with a three-year old ox and an ephah of meal and a skin full of wine, and took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh: now the child was still very young.

When she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a wineskin containing wine. Even though the boy was young, she brought him to the Lord's Temple at Shiloh.

25 And when they had made an offering of the ox, they took the child to Eli.

After they had slaughtered the bull, they presented the boy to Eli.

26 And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:

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

27 My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:

I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord has given me what I asked him for,

28 So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there.

now I'm giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he will be dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.