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 certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill-country of Ephraim, named Elkanah; 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.

And he had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah was the mother of children, but Hannah had no children.

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, cohanim to the LORD, were there.

Now this man went up from his town every year to give worship and to make offerings to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

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 when the day came for Elkanah to make his offering, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, their part of the feast:

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 gave one part, though Hannah was very dear to him, but the Lord had not let her have children.

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

And the other wife did everything possible to make her unhappy, because the Lord had not let her have children;

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 year by year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, she kept on attacking her, so that Hannah gave herself up to weeping and would take no food.

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?"

Then her husband Elkanah said to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? and why are you taking no food? why is your heart troubled? am I not more to you than ten sons?

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

So after they had taken food and wine in the guest room, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was seated by the pillars of the doorway of the Temple of the Lord.

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

And with grief in her soul, weeping bitterly, she made her prayer to the Lord.

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 an oath, and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant, not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man-child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.

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

Now while she was a long time in prayer before the Lord, Eli was watching 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.

For Hannah's prayer came from her heart, and though her lips were moving she made no sound: so it seemed to Eli that she was overcome with wine.

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

And Eli said to her, How long are you going to be the worse for drink? Put away the effects of your wine from you.

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.

And Hannah, answering him, said, No, my lord, I am a woman whose spirit is broken with sorrow: I have not taken wine or strong drink, but I have been opening my heart 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 to be a good-for-nothing woman: for my words have come from my stored-up sorrow and pain.

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

Then Eli said to her, Go in peace: and may the God of Israel give you an answer to the prayer you have made to 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.

And she said, May your servant have grace in your eyes. So the woman went away, and took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad.

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.

And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.

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."

Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.

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.

And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.

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, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.

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.

And her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.

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,

Then when she had done so, she took him with her, with a three-year old ox and an ephah of meal and a skin full of wine, and took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh: now the child was still very young.

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

And when they had made an offering of the ox, they took the child 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.

And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:

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

My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:

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.

So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there.