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.

Once there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, from the tribe of Ephraim.

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

He had two wives. The name of the first wife was Hannah, and the name of the second, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

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.

Every year Elkanah would leave his town and go to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord's priests.

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

Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.

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.

He would give an extra portion to Hannah, to show his love for her even though the Lord hadn't given her any children.

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

Her rival—the other wife—would taunt her badly to upset her because the Lord hadn't given her any children.

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.

This went on for years. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord's Temple, Peninnah would taunt her until she cried and couldn't 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.)”

“Hannah, what are you crying for?” her husband Elkanah would ask. “Why don't you eat? Why are you so upset? Aren't I better to you 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.

One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to the Temple. Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the entrance to the Lord's Temple.

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

She was terribly upset, and prayed to the Lord as she cried and cried.

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).”

She made a vow, asking, “Lord Almighty, if only you would pay attention to the suffering of your servant and remember me, and not forget me but give me a son, then I will dedicate him to the Lord for his whole life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

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

As Hannah went on praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth.

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

Hannah was praying in her head, and though her lips were moving, her voice made no sound. Eli thought she must be drunk.

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

“Do you have to come here drunk?” he asked. “Get rid of your wine!”

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.

“It's not that, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I'm a very miserable woman. I haven't been drinking wine or beer; I'm just pouring my heart out to 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].”

Please don't think I'm a bad woman! I have been praying because of all my troubles and grief.”

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.”

“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for,” Eli replied.

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.

“Thank you for your kindness to your servant,” she said. Then she went on her way, had something to eat, and she didn't look sad any more.

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,

Elkanah and Hannah got up early the next morning to worship the Lord and then they went home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord honored her request.

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].”

In due course she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for 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].

Elkanah and all his family went to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill 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. She told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned I will take him to be presented to the Lord and to remain there forever.”

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.

“Do as you see fit,” her husband Elkanah replied. “Stay here until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill what he has said.” So Hannah stayed behind and nursed her son until she had 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.

When she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a wineskin containing wine. Even though the boy was young, she brought him to the Lord's Temple at Shiloh.

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

After they had slaughtered the bull, they presented the boy 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].

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

I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord has given me what I asked him for,

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.

now I'm giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he will be dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.