1 Samuele 1

1 V’era un uomo di Ramathaim-Tsofim, della contrada montuosa di Efraim, che si chiamava Elkana, figliuolo di Jeroham, figliuolo d’Elihu, figliuolo di Tohu, figliuolo di Tsuf, Efraimita.

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 Aveva due mogli: una per nome Anna, e l’altra per nome Peninna. Peninna avea de’ figliuoli, ma Anna non ne aveva.

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 E quest’uomo, ogni anno, saliva dalla sua città per andare ad adorar l’Eterno degli eserciti e ad offrirgli dei sacrifizi a Sciloh; e quivi erano i due figliuoli di Eli, Hofni e Fineas, sacerdoti dell’Eterno.

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 Quando venne il giorno, Elkana offerse il sacrifizio, e diede a Peninna, sua moglie e a tutti i figliuoli e a tutte le figliuole di lei le loro parti;

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 ma ad Anna diede una parte doppia, perché amava Anna, benché l’Eterno l’avesse fatta sterile.

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

6 E la rivale mortificava continuamente Anna affin d’inasprirla perché l’Eterno l’avea fatta sterile.

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

7 Così avveniva ogni anno; ogni volta che Anna saliva alla casa dell’Eterno, Peninna la mortificava a quel modo; ond’ella piangeva e non mangiava più.

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 Elkana, suo marito, le diceva: “Anna, perché piangi? Perché non mangi? Perché è triste il cuor tuo? Non ti valgo io più di dieci figliuoli?”

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 E, dopo ch’ebbero mangiato e bevuto a Sciloh, Anna si levò (il sacerdote Eli stava in quell’ora seduto sulla sua sedia all’entrata del tempio dell’Eterno);

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 ella avea l’anima piena di amarezza, e pregò l’Eterno piangendo dirottamente.

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

11 E fece un voto, dicendo: “O Eterno degli eserciti! se hai riguardo all’afflizione della tua serva, e ti ricordi di me, e non dimentichi la tua serva, e dài alla tua serva un figliuolo maschio, io lo consacrerò all’Eterno per tutti i giorni della sua vita, e il rasoio non passerà sulla sua testa”.

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 E, com’ella prolungava la sua preghiera dinanzi all’Eterno, Eli stava osservando la bocca di lei.

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

13 Anna parlava in cuor suo; e si movevano soltanto le sue labbra ma non si sentiva la sua voce; onde Eli credette ch’ella fosse ubriaca;

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 e le disse: “Quanto durerà cotesta tua ebbrezza? Va’ a smaltire il tuo vino!”

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 Ma Anna, rispondendo, disse: “No, signor mio, io sono una donna tribolata nello spirito, e non ho bevuto né vino né bevanda alcoolica, ma stavo spandendo l’anima mia dinanzi all’Eterno.

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 Non prender la tua serva per una donna da nulla; perché l’eccesso del mio dolore e della tristezza mia m’ha fatto parlare fino adesso”.

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 Ed Eli replicò: “Va’ in pace, e l’Iddio d’Israele esaudisca la preghiera che gli hai rivolta!”

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 Ella rispose: “Possa la tua serva trovar grazia agli occhi tuoi!” Così la donna se ne andò per la sua via, mangiò, e il suo sembiante non fu più quello di prima.

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 L’indomani, ella e suo marito, alzatisi di buon’ora, si prostrarono dinanzi all’Eterno; poi partirono e ritornarono a casa loro a Rama. Elkana conobbe Anna, sua moglie, e l’Eterno si ricordò di lei.

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 Nel corso dell’anno, Anna concepì e partorì un figliuolo, al quale pose nome Samuele, “perché”, disse, “l’ho chiesto all’Eterno”.

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 E quell’uomo, Elkana, salì con tutta la sua famiglia per andare a offrire all’Eterno il sacrifizio annuo e a sciogliere il suo voto.

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 Ma Anna non salì, e disse a suo marito: “Io non salirò finché il bambino non sia divezzato; allora lo condurrò, perché sia presentato dinanzi all’Eterno e quivi rimanga per sempre”.

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 Elkana, suo marito, le rispose: “Fa’ come ti par bene; rimani finché tu l’abbia divezzato, purché l’Eterno adempia la sua parola!” Così la donna rimase a casa, e allattò il suo figliuolo fino al momento di divezzarlo.

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 E quando l’ebbe divezzato, lo menò seco, e prese tre giovenchi, un efa di farina e un otre di vino; e lo menò nella casa dell’Eterno a Sciloh. Il fanciullo era ancora piccolino.

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 Elkana ed Anna immolarono il giovenco, e menarono il fanciullo ad Eli.

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

26 E Anna gli disse: “Signor mio! Com’è vero che vive l’anima tua, o mio signore, io son quella donna che stava qui vicina a te, a pregare l’Eterno.

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 Pregai per aver questo fanciullo; e l’Eterno mi ha concesso quel che io gli avevo domandato.

My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:

28 E, dal canto mio, lo dono all’Eterno; e finché gli durerà la vita, egli sarà donato all’Eterno”. E si prostraron quivi dinanzi all’Eterno.

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