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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 each year, he always gave portions of the meat to Peninnah his wife, 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 always gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although Yahweh had closed her womb.
6 And hir enemy turmentide `hir, and angwischide greetly, in so myche that sche vpbreidide, that the Lord hadde closid hir wombe.
Her rival provoked her severely in order to irritate her, because Yahweh had closed her womb.
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.
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.
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?
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?”
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,
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.
10 whanne Anna was in bittere soule, sche preyede the Lord, and wepte largeli;
She was deeply distressed; she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly.
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.
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.”
12 Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche multipliede preieris bifor the Lord, that Ely aspiede hir mouth.
As she continued praying before Yahweh, Eli watched 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,
Hannah spoke in her heart. 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.
Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine.”
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;
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.
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 consider your servant to be a shameless woman; I have been speaking out of the abundance of my great concern and provocation.”
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 and said, “Go in peace; may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked him for.”
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 eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate; her face was no longer sad.
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 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.
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.
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.”
21 Forsothe hir hosebonde Helcana stiede, and al his hows, to offre a solempne sacrifice, and his avow to the Lord.
Once again, Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.
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; 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.”
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 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.
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.
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.
25 And thei sacrifieden a calf, and thei offriden the child to Hely.
They killed the bull, and they brought the child 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 master! As you live, my master, I am the woman who stood here next to you praying to Yahweh.
27 for this child Y preiede, and the Lord yaf to me myn axyng which Y axide hym;
For this child I prayed and Yahweh 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.
I have given him to Yahweh, as long as he lives he is lent to Yahweh.” Then he worshiped Yahweh there.
