< 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.
וַיְהִי אִישׁ אֶחָד מִן־הָרָמָתַיִם צוֹפִים מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם וּשְׁמוֹ אֶלְקָנָה בֶּן־יְרֹחָם בֶּן־אֱלִיהוּא בֶּן־תֹּחוּ בֶן־צוּף אֶפְרָתִֽי׃
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.
וְלוֹ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֵׁם אַחַת חַנָּה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית פְּנִנָּה וַיְהִי לִפְנִנָּה יְלָדִים וּלְחַנָּה אֵין יְלָדִֽים׃
3 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to YHWH of hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of YHWH, were there.
וְעָלָה הָאִישׁ הַהוּא מֵֽעִירוֹ מִיָּמִים ׀ יָמִימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺת וְלִזְבֹּחַ לַיהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּשִׁלֹה וְשָׁם שְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי־עֵלִי חׇפְנִי וּפִנְחָס כֹּהֲנִים לַיהֹוָֽה׃
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.
וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיִּזְבַּח אֶלְקָנָה וְנָתַן לִפְנִנָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וּֽלְכׇל־בָּנֶיהָ וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ מָנֽוֹת׃
5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Now YHWH had kept her from conceiving.
וּלְחַנָּה יִתֵּן מָנָה אַחַת אַפָּיִם כִּי אֶת־חַנָּה אָהֵב וַיהֹוָה סָגַר רַחְמָֽהּ׃
6 And because YHWH kept her from conceiving, her rival used to taunt her severely, to irritate her.
וְכִעֲסַתָּה צָרָתָהּ גַּם־כַּעַס בַּעֲבוּר הַרְּעִמָהּ כִּֽי־סָגַר יְהֹוָה בְּעַד רַחְמָֽהּ׃
7 And this went on year after year, as often as she went up to the house of YHWH, she taunted her; therefore she would weep and refuse to eat.
וְכֵן יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁנָה בְשָׁנָה מִדֵּי עֲלֹתָהּ בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה כֵּן תַּכְעִסֶנָּה וַתִּבְכֶּה וְלֹא תֹאכַֽל׃
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?"
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ אֶלְקָנָה אִישָׁהּ חַנָּה לָמֶה תִבְכִּי וְלָמֶה לֹא תֹֽאכְלִי וְלָמֶה יֵרַע לְבָבֵךְ הֲלוֹא אָֽנֹכִי טוֹב לָךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָה בָּנִֽים׃
9 So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and stood before YHWH. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH.
וַתָּקׇם חַנָּה אַחֲרֵי אׇכְלָהֿ בְשִׁלֹה וְאַחֲרֵי שָׁתֹה וְעֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן יֹשֵׁב עַל־הַכִּסֵּא עַל־מְזוּזַת הֵיכַל יְהֹוָֽה׃
10 And she was greatly distressed and prayed to YHWH, and wept uncontrollably.
וְהִיא מָרַת נָפֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל־יְהֹוָה וּבָכֹה תִבְכֶּֽה׃
11 And she vowed a vow and said, "YHWH 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."
וַתִּדֹּר נֶדֶר וַתֹּאמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם־רָאֹה תִרְאֶה ׀ בׇּעֳנִי אֲמָתֶךָ וּזְכַרְתַּנִי וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּח אֶת־אֲמָתֶךָ וְנָתַתָּה לַאֲמָתְךָ זֶרַע אֲנָשִׁים וּנְתַתִּיו לַֽיהֹוָה כׇּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו וּמוֹרָה לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
12 Now it happened, as she continued praying before YHWH, that Eli observed her mouth.
וְהָיָה כִּי הִרְבְּתָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְעֵלִי שֹׁמֵר אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃
13 And she was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
וְחַנָּה הִיא מְדַבֶּרֶת עַל־לִבָּהּ רַק שְׂפָתֶיהָ נָּעוֹת וְקוֹלָהּ לֹא יִשָּׁמֵעַ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ עֵלִי לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃
14 So Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine, and go from before YHWH."
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ עֵלִי עַד־מָתַי תִּשְׁתַּכָּרִין הָסִירִי אֶת־יֵינֵךְ מֵֽעָלָֽיִךְ׃
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 YHWH.
וַתַּעַן חַנָּה וַתֹּאמֶר לֹא אֲדֹנִי אִשָּׁה קְשַׁת־רוּחַ אָנֹכִי וְיַיִן וְשֵׁכָר לֹא שָׁתִיתִי וָאֶשְׁפֹּךְ אֶת־נַפְשִׁי לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָֽה׃
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."
אַל־תִּתֵּן אֶת־אֲמָתְךָ לִפְנֵי בַּת־בְּלִיָּעַל כִּֽי־מֵרֹב שִׂיחִי וְכַעְסִי דִּבַּרְתִּי עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃
17 Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."
וַיַּעַן עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר לְכִי לְשָׁלוֹם וֵאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתֵּן אֶת־שֵׁלָתֵךְ אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתְּ מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃
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.
וַתֹּאמֶר תִּמְצָא שִׁפְחָתְךָ חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וַתֵּלֶךְ הָֽאִשָּׁה לְדַרְכָּהּ וַתֹּאכַל וּפָנֶיהָ לֹא־הָֽיוּ־לָהּ עֽוֹד׃
19 They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before YHWH, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and YHWH remembered her.
וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ בַבֹּקֶר וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־בֵּיתָם הָרָמָתָה וַיֵּדַע אֶלְקָנָה אֶת־חַנָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וַֽיִּזְכְּרֶהָ יְהֹוָֽה׃
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 YHWH."
וַֽיְהִי לִתְקֻפוֹת הַיָּמִים וַתַּהַר חַנָּה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתִּקְרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל כִּי מֵיְהֹוָה שְׁאִלְתִּֽיו׃
21 The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to YHWH the yearly sacrifice, and to redeem his vow and all the tithes of his land.
וַיַּעַל הָאִישׁ אֶלְקָנָה וְכׇל־בֵּיתוֹ לִזְבֹּחַ לַיהֹוָה אֶת־זֶבַח הַיָּמִים וְאֶת־נִדְרֽוֹ׃
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 YHWH, and stay there forever."
וְחַנָּה לֹא עָלָתָה כִּֽי־אָמְרָה לְאִישָׁהּ עַד יִגָּמֵל הַנַּעַר וַהֲבִאֹתִיו וְנִרְאָה אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה וְיָשַׁב שָׁם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
23 Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him; only may YHWH establish what you have said." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ אֶלְקָנָה אִישָׁהּ עֲשִׂי הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינַיִךְ שְׁבִי עַד־גׇּמְלֵךְ אֹתוֹ אַךְ יָקֵם יְהֹוָה אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ וַתֵּשֶׁב הָֽאִשָּׁה וַתֵּינֶק אֶת־בְּנָהּ עַד־גׇּמְלָהּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
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 YHWH in Shiloh, and the boy was with them. And they went before YHWH and his father slaughtered the sacrifice, which he did annually to YHWH. Then he brought the boy,
וַתַּֽעֲלֵהוּ עִמָּהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר גְּמָלַתּוּ בְּפָרִים שְׁלֹשָׁה וְאֵיפָה אַחַת קֶמַח וְנֵבֶל יַיִן וַתְּבִאֵהוּ בֵית־יְהֹוָה שִׁלוֹ וְהַנַּעַר נָֽעַר׃
25 and he slaughtered the bull. And Hannah, the mother of the boy, brought him to Eli.
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ אֶת־הַפָּר וַיָּבִאוּ אֶת־הַנַּעַר אֶל־עֵלִֽי׃
26 She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to YHWH.
וַתֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ אֲדֹנִי אֲנִי הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּצֶּבֶת עִמְּכָה בָּזֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃
27 For this child I prayed; and YHWH has given me my petition which I asked of him.
אֶל־הַנַּעַר הַזֶּה הִתְפַּלָּלְתִּי וַיִּתֵּן יְהֹוָה לִי אֶת־שְׁאֵלָתִי אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵֽעִמּֽוֹ׃
28 Therefore also I have lent him to YHWH. As long as he lives he is lent to YHWH." Then she left him there, and she worshipped before YHWH.
וְגַם אָנֹכִי הִשְׁאִלְתִּהוּ לַֽיהֹוָה כׇּל־הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר הָיָה הוּא שָׁאוּל לַיהֹוָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ שָׁם לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃

< 1 Samuel 1 >