1 Samuel 1

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

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 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.

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 And this man went up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, [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 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

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 gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah; but the LORD had rendered her barren.

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

6 And her adversary also provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because the LORD had made her barren.

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

7 And [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

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 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better to thee 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 So Hannah rose after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

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 And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.

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

11 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 to thy handmaid a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon 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 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth.

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

13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

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

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 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I [am] a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drank neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

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 Count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

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: and the God of Israel grant [thee] thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

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 And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more [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 And they rose in the morning early, and worshiped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

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 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time had arrived, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of the LORD.

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 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and 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 went not up; for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child is weaned, and [then] I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.

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 And Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seemeth to thee good; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, 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 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child [was] 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 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

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

26 And she said, O my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying to the LORD.

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 the LORD hath 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 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshiped the LORD 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.