1 Samuel 1

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim of the Zuphites, of the hill country of Ephraim; his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

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.

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

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

3 This man went from his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there.

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.

4 When the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice each year, he always gave portions of the meat to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters.

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

5 But to Hannah he always gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although Yahweh had closed her womb.

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.

6 Her rival provoked her severely in order to irritate her, because Yahweh had closed her womb.

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

7 So year after year, when she went up to the house of Yahweh with her family, her rival always provoked her. Therefore she used to weep and eat nothing.

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.

8 Elkanah her husband always said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

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.)”

9 On one of these occasions, Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the doorway to the temple of Yahweh.

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.

10 She was deeply distressed; she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly.

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

11 She made a vow and said, “Yahweh of hosts, if you will look on the affliction of your servant and call me to mind, and do not forget your servant, but give your servant a son, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor will ever touch his head.”

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).”

12 As she continued praying before Yahweh, Eli watched her mouth.

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

13 Hannah spoke in her heart. Her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

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

14 Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine.”

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

15 Hannah answered, “No, my master, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before Yahweh.

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.

16 Do not consider your servant to be a shameless woman; I have been speaking out of the abundance of my great concern and provocation.”

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

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked him for.”

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.”

18 She said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate; her face was no longer sad.

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.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh, and then they returned again to their house in Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and Yahweh called her to mind.

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,

20 When the time came, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from Yahweh.”

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].”

21 Once again, Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.

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].

22 But Hannah did not go; she had said to her husband, “I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, so that he may appear before Yahweh and live there forever.”

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.”

23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only, may Yahweh confirm his word.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she weaned him.

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.

24 When she had weaned him, she took him with her, along with a three-year-old bull, one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of Yahweh in Shiloh. Now the child was still young.

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.

25 They killed the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.

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

26 She said, “Oh, my master! As you live, my master, I am the woman who stood here next to you praying to Yahweh.

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].

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

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.

28 I have given him to Yahweh, as long as he lives he is lent to Yahweh.” Then he worshiped Yahweh there.

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.