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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 each year, he always gave portions of the meat to Peninnah his wife, 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 always gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although Yahweh had closed her womb.

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

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

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

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 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 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 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.

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

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

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.”

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

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

13 Hannah spoke in her heart. 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 Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine.”

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 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.

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 consider your servant to be a shameless woman; I have been speaking out of the abundance of my great concern and provocation.”

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

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 eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate; her face was no longer sad.

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 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.

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 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.”

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

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; 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, 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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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