1 Samuel 1

1 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.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Now the LORD had kept her from conceiving.

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

And because the LORD kept her from conceiving, her rival used to taunt her severely, to irritate her.

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

And this went on year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she taunted her; therefore she would weep and refuse to eat.

8 “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?”

And her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? And why are you not eating? And why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

9 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.

So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and stood before the LORD. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

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

And she was greatly distressed and prayed to the LORD, and wept uncontrollably.

11 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.”

And she vowed a vow and said, "LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death. And he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no razor will come on his head."

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

Now it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth.

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

And she was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

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

So Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine, and go from before the LORD."

15 “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.

And Hannah answered, "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 the LORD.

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

Do not count your servant as a worthless woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my distress and my anguish."

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

Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."

18 “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.

She said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, and entered her quarters, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.

19 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.

They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

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

It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD."

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

The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and to redeem his vow and all the tithes of his land.

22 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.”

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

23 “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.

And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish what you have said." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

24 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.

Then she took him to Shiloh along with a three-year old bull, and bread, and an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. And she came to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, and the boy was with them. And they went before the LORD and his father slaughtered the sacrifice, which he did annually to the LORD. Then he brought the boy,

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

and he slaughtered the bull. And Hannah, the mother of the boy, brought him to Eli.

26 “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.

She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.

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

For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.

28 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.

Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is lent to the LORD." Then she left him there, and she worshipped before the LORD.