1 Samuel 1

1 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.

V’era un uomo di Ramathaim-Tsofim, della contrada montuosa di Efraim, che si chiamava Elkana, figliuolo di Jeroham, figliuolo d’Elihu, figliuolo di Tohu, figliuolo di Tsuf, Efraimita.

2 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.

Aveva due mogli: una per nome Anna, e l’altra per nome Peninna. Peninna avea de’ figliuoli, ma Anna non ne aveva.

3 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.

E quest’uomo, ogni anno, saliva dalla sua città per andare ad adorar l’Eterno degli eserciti e ad offrirgli dei sacrifizi a Sciloh; e quivi erano i due figliuoli di Eli, Hofni e Fineas, sacerdoti dell’Eterno.

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

Quando venne il giorno, Elkana offerse il sacrifizio, e diede a Peninna, sua moglie e a tutti i figliuoli e a tutte le figliuole di lei le loro parti;

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

ma ad Anna diede una parte doppia, perché amava Anna, benché l’Eterno l’avesse fatta sterile.

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

E la rivale mortificava continuamente Anna affin d’inasprirla perché l’Eterno l’avea fatta sterile.

7 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.

Così avveniva ogni anno; ogni volta che Anna saliva alla casa dell’Eterno, Peninna la mortificava a quel modo; ond’ella piangeva e non mangiava più.

8 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?"

Elkana, suo marito, le diceva: “Anna, perché piangi? Perché non mangi? Perché è triste il cuor tuo? Non ti valgo io più di dieci figliuoli?”

9 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.

E, dopo ch’ebbero mangiato e bevuto a Sciloh, Anna si levò (il sacerdote Eli stava in quell’ora seduto sulla sua sedia all’entrata del tempio dell’Eterno);

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

ella avea l’anima piena di amarezza, e pregò l’Eterno piangendo dirottamente.

11 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."

E fece un voto, dicendo: “O Eterno degli eserciti! se hai riguardo all’afflizione della tua serva, e ti ricordi di me, e non dimentichi la tua serva, e dài alla tua serva un figliuolo maschio, io lo consacrerò all’Eterno per tutti i giorni della sua vita, e il rasoio non passerà sulla sua testa”.

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

E, com’ella prolungava la sua preghiera dinanzi all’Eterno, Eli stava osservando la bocca di lei.

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

Anna parlava in cuor suo; e si movevano soltanto le sue labbra ma non si sentiva la sua voce; onde Eli credette ch’ella fosse ubriaca;

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

e le disse: “Quanto durerà cotesta tua ebbrezza? Va’ a smaltire il tuo vino!”

15 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.

Ma Anna, rispondendo, disse: “No, signor mio, io sono una donna tribolata nello spirito, e non ho bevuto né vino né bevanda alcoolica, ma stavo spandendo l’anima mia dinanzi all’Eterno.

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

Non prender la tua serva per una donna da nulla; perché l’eccesso del mio dolore e della tristezza mia m’ha fatto parlare fino adesso”.

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

Ed Eli replicò: “Va’ in pace, e l’Iddio d’Israele esaudisca la preghiera che gli hai rivolta!”

18 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.

Ella rispose: “Possa la tua serva trovar grazia agli occhi tuoi!” Così la donna se ne andò per la sua via, mangiò, e il suo sembiante non fu più quello di prima.

19 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.

L’indomani, ella e suo marito, alzatisi di buon’ora, si prostrarono dinanzi all’Eterno; poi partirono e ritornarono a casa loro a Rama. Elkana conobbe Anna, sua moglie, e l’Eterno si ricordò di lei.

20 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."

Nel corso dell’anno, Anna concepì e partorì un figliuolo, al quale pose nome Samuele, “perché”, disse, “l’ho chiesto all’Eterno”.

21 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.

E quell’uomo, Elkana, salì con tutta la sua famiglia per andare a offrire all’Eterno il sacrifizio annuo e a sciogliere il suo voto.

22 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."

Ma Anna non salì, e disse a suo marito: “Io non salirò finché il bambino non sia divezzato; allora lo condurrò, perché sia presentato dinanzi all’Eterno e quivi rimanga per sempre”.

23 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.

Elkana, suo marito, le rispose: “Fa’ come ti par bene; rimani finché tu l’abbia divezzato, purché l’Eterno adempia la sua parola!” Così la donna rimase a casa, e allattò il suo figliuolo fino al momento di divezzarlo.

24 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,

E quando l’ebbe divezzato, lo menò seco, e prese tre giovenchi, un efa di farina e un otre di vino; e lo menò nella casa dell’Eterno a Sciloh. Il fanciullo era ancora piccolino.

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

Elkana ed Anna immolarono il giovenco, e menarono il fanciullo ad Eli.

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

E Anna gli disse: “Signor mio! Com’è vero che vive l’anima tua, o mio signore, io son quella donna che stava qui vicina a te, a pregare l’Eterno.

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

Pregai per aver questo fanciullo; e l’Eterno mi ha concesso quel che io gli avevo domandato.

28 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.

E, dal canto mio, lo dono all’Eterno; e finché gli durerà la vita, egli sarà donato all’Eterno”. E si prostraron quivi dinanzi all’Eterno.