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.

Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

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.

He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

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.

Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

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.

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

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

But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

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

Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.

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.

And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.

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?"

“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

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.

So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

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

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

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."

And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”

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

As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

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

Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk

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

and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”

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.

“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

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."

Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

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

“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”

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.

“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.

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.

The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

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."

So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

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.

Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,

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."

but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”

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.

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

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,

Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.

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

And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to 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.

“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.

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

I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,

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.

I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.