1 Samuel 1

1 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,

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

2 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.

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 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.

And this man went up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [were] there.

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

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

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

But to Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah; but the LORD had rendered her barren.

6 and her rival has also provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for YHWH has shut up her womb.

And her adversary also provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because the LORD had made her barren.

7 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.

And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 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?”

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 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.

So Hannah rose after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

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

And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.

11 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.”

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 to thy handmaid a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

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

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth.

13 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.

Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

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

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

15 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;

And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I [am] a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drank neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

16 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.”

Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

17 And Eli answers and says, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel gives your petition which you have asked of Him.”

Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant [thee] thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 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.

And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more [sad].

19 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;

And they rose 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 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.”

Wherefore it came to pass, when the time had arrived, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of the LORD.

21 And the man Elkanah goes up, and all his house, to sacrifice to YHWH the sacrifice of the days, and his vow.

And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 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.”

But Hannah went not up; for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child is weaned, and [then] I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.

23 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,

And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seemeth to thee good; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and nursed her son until she weaned him.

24 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.

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child [was] young.

25 And they slaughter the bullock, and bring in the youth to Eli,

And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 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;

And she said, O my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying to the LORD.

27 I prayed for this youth, and YHWH gives to me my petition which I asked of Him;

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

28 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.

Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshiped the LORD there.