1 Samuel 1

1 There was a man of one of the two Ramathaim Zophim, of mount Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the sonne of Ieroham, the sonne of Elihu, the sonne of Tohu, the sonne of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.

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

And he [had] two wives; the name of the one [was] Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.

3 And this man went vp out of his citie euery yeere, to worship and to sacrifice vnto the Lord of hostes in Shiloh, where were the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas Priests of the Lord.

And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and [there were] Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.

4 And on a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, he gaue to Peninnah his wife and to all her sonnes and daughters portions,

And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children.

5 But vnto Hannah he gaue a worthy portion: for he loued Hannah, and the Lord had made her barren.

And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord [had] closed her womb.

6 And her aduersarie vexed her sore, forasmuch as she vpbraided her, because the Lord had made her barren.

For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.

7 (And so did he yeere by yeere) and as oft as she went vp to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that she wept and did not eate.

So she did year by year, in going up to the house of the Lord; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.

8 Then sayd Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thine heart troubled? am not I better to thee then ten sonnes?

And Helkana her husband said to her, Anna: and she said to him, Here [am] I, my lord: and he said to her, What ails thee that thou weepest? and why dost thou not eat? and why does thy heart smite thee? [am] I not better to thee than ten children?

9 So Hannah rose vp after that they had eaten and drunke in Shiloh (and Eli the Priest sate vpon a stoole by one of the postes of the Temple of the Lord)

And Anna rose up after they had eaten in Selom, and stood before the Lord: and Heli the priest [was] on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was troubled in her minde, and prayed vnto the Lord, and wept sore:

And she [was] very much grieved in spirit, and prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly.

11 Also she vowed a vowe, and sayd, O Lord of hostes, if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine handmaide, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaide, but giue vnto thine handmaide a manchilde, then I will giue him vnto the Lord all the dayes of his life, and there shall no rasor come vpon his head.

And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if thou welt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.

And it came to pass, while she was long praying before the Lord, that Heli the priest marked her mouth.

13 For Hannah spake in her heart: her lips did moue onely, but her voyce was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had bene drunken.

And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: and Heli accounted her a drunken woman.

14 And Eli sayde vnto her, Howe long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy drunkennesse from thee.

And the servant of Heli said to her, How long wilt thou be drunken? take away thy wine from thee, and go out from the presence of the Lord.

15 Then Hannah answered and sayd, Nay my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit: I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke, but haue powred out my soule before the Lord.

And Anna answered and said, Nay, my lord, [I live] in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord.

16 Count not thine handmaide for a wicked woman: for of the abundance of my complaint and my griefe haue I spoken hitherto.

Count not thy handmaid for a pestilent woman, for by reason of the abundance of my importunity I have continued [my prayer] until now.

17 Then Eli answered, and sayd, Go in peace, and the God of Israel graunt thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

And Heli answered and said to her, Go in peace: the God of Israel give thee all thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.

18 She sayd againe, Let thine handmayd finde grace in thy sight: so the woman went her way, and did eate, and looked no more sad.

And she said, Thine handmaid has found favour in thine eyes: and the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 Then they rose vp early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. Nowe Elkanah knewe Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembred her.

And they rise early in the morning, and worship the Lord, and they go their way: and Helkana went into his house at Armathaim, and knew his wife Anna; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.

20 For in processe of time Hannah conceiued, and bare a sonne, and she called his name Samuel, Because, said she, I haue asked him of the Lord.

And it came to pass when the time was come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Samuel, and said, Because I asked him of the Lord God of Sabaoth.

21 So the man Elkanah and all his house went vp to offer vnto the Lord the yeerely sacrifice, and his vowe:

And the man Helkana and all his house went up to offer in Selom the yearly sacrifice, and his vows, and all the tithes of his land.

22 But Hannah went not vp: for she sayd vnto her husband, I will tarie vntill the childe be weined, then I will bring him that hee may appeare before the Lord, and there abide for euer.

But Anna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.

23 And Elkanah her husband sayd vnto her, Do what seemeth thee best: tarie vntill thou hast weined him: only the Lord accomplish his word. So the woman abode, and gaue her sonne sucke vntill she weined him.

And Helkana her husband said to her, Do that which is good in thine eyes, abide still until thou shalt have weaned him; but may the Lord establish that which comes out of thy mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.

24 And when she had weined him, she tooke him with her with three bullockes and an Ephah of floure and a bottell of wine, and brought him vnto the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the childe was yong.

And she went up with him to Selom with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a bottle of wine: and she entered into the house of the Lord in Selom, and the child with them.

25 And they slewe a bullocke, and brought the childe to Eli.

And they brought him before the Lord; and his father slew his offering which he offered from year to year to the Lord; and he brought near the child, and slew the calf; and Anna the mother of the child brought him to Heli.

26 And she said, Oh my Lord, as thy soule liueth, my lord, I am the woman that stoode with thee here praying vnto the Lord.

And she said, I pray thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, I [am] the woman that stood in thy presence with thee while praying to the Lord.

27 I prayed for this childe, and the Lord hath giuen me my desire which I asked of him.

For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my request that I asked of him.

28 Therefore also I haue giuen him vnto the Lord: as long as he liueth hee shalbe giuen vnto the Lord: and he worshipped the Lord there.

And I lend him to the Lord all his days that he lives, a loan to the Lord: and she said,