1 Samuel 1

1 `A man was of `Ramathym of Sophym, of the hil of Effraym, and his name was Elchana, the sone of Jeroboam, sone of Elyud, sone of Thau, sone of Suph, of Effraym.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 And Helchana hadde twei wyues; the name `to oon was Anna, and the `name of the secounde was Fenenna; and sones weren to Feuenna; forsothe fre children `weren not to Anna.

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.

3 And thilke man styede fro his citee in daies ordeyned, to worschipe and offre sacrifice to the Lord of oostis in Silo. Forsothe twei sones of Heli weren there, Ophym and Fynees, preestis of the Lord.

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

4 Therfor the dai cam, and Helcana offride, and yaf partis to Fenenna, his wijf, and to alle hise sones and douytris;

When the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and her daughters.

5 forsothe he yaf soreufuly o part to Anna, for he louyde Anna; forsothe the Lord hadde closid hir wombe.

But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Now YHWH had kept her from conceiving.

6 And hir enemy turmentide `hir, and angwischide greetly, in so myche that sche vpbreidide, that the Lord hadde closid hir wombe.

And because YHWH kept her from conceiving, her rival used to taunt her severely, to irritate her.

7 And so sche dide `bi alle yeeris, whanne `in tyme comynge ayen, thei stieden in to the hows of the Lord; and so sche terride Anna. Forsothe Anna wepte, and took not mete.

And this went on year after year, as often as she went up to the house of YHWH, she taunted her; therefore she would weep and refuse to eat.

8 Therfor Helcana, hir hosebonde, seide to hir, Anna, whi wepist thou, and whi etist thou not, and whi is thin herte turmentid? Whether Y am not betere to thee than ben ten sones?

And her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? And why are you not eating? And why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

9 `Sotheli Anna roos, aftir that sche hadde ete and drunke in Silo. `And the while Hely was on his greet seete, bifor the postis of the `hows of the Lord,

So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and stood before YHWH. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH.

10 whanne Anna was in bittere soule, sche preyede the Lord, and wepte largeli;

And she was greatly distressed and prayed to YHWH, and wept uncontrollably.

11 and made a vow, and seide, Lord God of oostis, if thou biholdist, and seest the turment of thi seruauntesse, and hast mynde of me, and foryetis not thin handmayde, and yyuest to thi seruauntesse `a male kynde, Y schal yyue hym to the Lord in alle daies of his lijf, and a rasour schal not stie on his heed.

And she vowed a vow and said, "YHWH of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death. And he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no razor will come on his head."

12 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche multipliede preieris bifor the Lord, that Ely aspiede hir mouth.

Now it happened, as she continued praying before YHWH, that Eli observed her mouth.

13 Forsothe Anna spak in hir herte, and oneli hir lippis weren mouyd, and outerly hir vois was not herd. Therfor Hely gesside hir drunkun,

And she was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14 and he seide to hyr, Hou longe schalt thou be drunkun? Difye thou a litil the wyn, `bi which thou art moist.

So Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine, and go from before YHWH."

15 Anna answeride, and seide, Nay, my lord, for Y am `a wretchid womman greetli; Y `drank not wyn `and al thing that may make drunkun, but Y schedde out my soule in the `siyt of the Lord;

And Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before YHWH.

16 gesse thou not thin handmaide as oon of the douytris of Belyal, for of the multitude of my sorewe and morenyng Y spak `til in to present tyme.

Do not count your servant as a worthless woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my distress and my anguish."

17 Thanne Hely seide to hir, Go thou in pees, and God of Israel yyue to thee the axyng which thou preiedist hym.

Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."

18 And sche seide, `Y wolde that thin hondmayde fynde grace in thin iyen. And the womman yede in to hir weie, and eet; and hir cheris weren no more chaungid dyuersly.

She said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, and entered her quarters, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.

19 And `thei ryseden eerly, and worschipiden bifore the Lord; and thei turneden ayen, and camen in to hir hows in Ramatha. Forsothe Helchana knew fleischli Anna, his wijf; and the Lord thouyte on hir.

They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before YHWH, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and YHWH remembered her.

20 And it was doon after the cumpas of daies, Anna conseyuede, and childide a sone, and sche clepide his name Samuel; for sche hadde axid hym of the Lord.

It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of YHWH."

21 Forsothe hir hosebonde Helcana stiede, and al his hows, to offre a solempne sacrifice, and his avow to the Lord.

The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to YHWH the yearly sacrifice, and to redeem his vow and all the tithes of his land.

22 And Anna stiede not, for sche hadde seid to hir hosebonde, Y schal not go, til the yonge child be wenyd, and til Y lede hym, and he appere bifor the `siyt of the Lord, and dwelle there contynueli.

But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before YHWH, and stay there forever."

23 And Helcana, hir hosebonde, seide to hir, Do thou that that semeth good to thee, and dwelle thou til thou wene hym; and Y biseche, that the Lord fille his word. Therfor the womman dwellide, and yaf mylk to hir sone, til sche remouyde hym fro mylk.

Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him; only may YHWH establish what you have said." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

24 And sche brouyte hym with hir, aftir that sche hadde wened hym, with thre caluys, and thre buyschelis of mele, and amfore, `ether a pot, of wyn; and sche brouyte hym to the hows of the Lord in Silo. Forsothe the child was yit ful yonge.

Then she took him to Shiloh along with a three-year old bull, and bread, and an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. And she came to the house of YHWH in Shiloh, and the boy was with them. And they went before YHWH and his father slaughtered the sacrifice, which he did annually to YHWH. Then he brought the boy,

25 And thei sacrifieden a calf, and thei offriden the child to Hely.

and he slaughtered the bull. And Hannah, the mother of the boy, brought him to Eli.

26 And Anna seide, My lord, Y biseche, that is, that this child be thi `disciple and seruaunt, thi soule lyueth; Y am that womman, that stood bifor thee here, and preiede the Lord;

She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to YHWH.

27 for this child Y preiede, and the Lord yaf to me myn axyng which Y axide hym;

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

28 therfor Y haue youe hym to the Lord `in alle daies, in whiche he is youun to the Lord. And thei worschypiden there the Lord.

Therefore also I have lent him to YHWH. As long as he lives he is lent to YHWH." Then she left him there, and she worshipped before YHWH.