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:

And there was a certain man of Rama-thayim-zophim, of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, the son of Yerocham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tochu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

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.

And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

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.

And this man went up out of his city from year to year to prostrate himself and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And at that place were the two sons of 'Eli, Chophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord.

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:

And when the day was come that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

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

But unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for Hannah he loved [greatly]; but the Lord had shut up her womb.

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

And her rival also provoked her continually, in order to make her fret; because the Lord had shut up her womb.

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.

And he did so year by year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, so did she provoke her; wherefore she wept, and did not 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?

Then said to her Elkanah her husband, Hannah, why wilt thou weep? and why wilt thou not eat? and why should thy heart be grieved? am not I better to thee 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.

And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk; and 'Eli the priest was sitting upon a chair by the door-post of the temple of the Lord.

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

But she had bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept greatly.

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.

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

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

And it came to pass, as she continued praying long before the Lord, that '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.

Now as for Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; wherefore 'Eli regarded her as a drunken woman.

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.

And 'Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from off thee.

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.

And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; but neither wine nor strong drink have I drunk, and I have poured out my soul before 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.

Esteem not thy handmaid as a worthless woman; for out of the abundance of my grief and vexation have I spoken hitherto.

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.

Then 'Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant thy petition which thou hast asked of him.

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.

And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy eyes. The woman then went on her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no longer as before.

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.

And they rose up early in the morning, and prostrated themselves before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house at Ramah; and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

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.

And it came to pass, after the lapse of some time, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because from the Lord have I asked 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.

And the man Elkanah went up, with all his house, to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and 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 up; for she said unto her husband, So soon as the child shall be weaned, then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and abide there for ever.

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.

And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth good in thy eyes; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only may the Lord fulfill his word. So the woman remained behind, and gave her son suck until she 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.

And she took him up with her, when she had weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him unto the house of the Lord at Shiloh; although the child was yet young.

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

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child 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:

And she said, Pardon, my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, to pray unto the Lord.

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

For this lad did I pray; and the Lord hath granted me my petition which I asked of him;

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.

Therefore also have I lent him, for my part, to the Lord; all the days that have been assigned to him shall he be lent to the Lord. And he bowed himself there before the Lord.