1 Samuel 1

1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.

And there was a certain man of Rama-thayim-zophim, of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, the son of Yerocham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tochu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

2 He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.

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

3 Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh there.

And this man went up out of his city from year to year to prostrate himself and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And at that place were the two sons of 'Eli, Chophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord.

4 Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.

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

5 But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.

But unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for Hannah he loved [greatly]; but the Lord had shut up her womb.

6 And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.

And her rival also provoked her continually, in order to make her fret; because the Lord had shut up her womb.

7 This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat.

And he did so year by year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, so did she provoke her; wherefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 Then Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had ten sons.)”

Then said to her Elkanah her husband, Hannah, why wilt thou weep? and why wilt thou not eat? and why should thy heart be grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.

And Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk; and 'Eli the priest was sitting upon a chair by the door-post of the temple of the Lord.

10 Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.

But she had bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept greatly.

11 She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”

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 unto thy handmaid a man-child: then will I give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

12 As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].

And it came to pass, as she continued praying long before the Lord, that 'Eli watched her mouth.

13 But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.

Now as for Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; wherefore 'Eli regarded her as a drunken woman.

14 He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”

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

15 Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.

And Hannah answered and said, No, my Lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; but neither wine nor strong drink have I drunk, and I have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”

Esteem not thy handmaid as a worthless woman; for out of the abundance of my grief and vexation have I spoken hitherto.

17 Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from him.”

Then 'Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant thy petition which thou hast asked of him.

18 She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked sad.

And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy eyes. The woman then went on her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no longer as before.

19 Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,

And they rose up early in the morning, and prostrated themselves before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house at Ramah; and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

20 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”

And it came to pass, after the lapse of some time, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because from the Lord have I asked him.

21 The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].

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

22 But Hannah did not go [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”

But Hannah did not go up; for she said unto her husband, So soon as the child shall be weaned, then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and abide there for ever.

23 Elkanah said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him.

And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth good in thy eyes; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only may the Lord fulfill his word. So the woman remained behind, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.

And she took him up with her, when she had weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him unto the house of the Lord at Shiloh; although the child was yet young.

25 After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.

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

26 Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].

And she said, Pardon, my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, to pray unto the Lord.

27 I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.

For this lad did I pray; and the Lord hath granted me my petition which I asked of him;

28 So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.

Therefore also have I lent him, for my part, to the Lord; all the days that have been assigned to him shall he be lent to the Lord. And he bowed himself there before the Lord.