< 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.
There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.
2 Aveva due mogli: una per nome Anna, e l’altra per nome Peninna. Peninna avea de’ figliuoli, ma Anna non ne aveva.
He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several 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.
Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh 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;
Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
5 ma ad Anna diede una parte doppia, perché amava Anna, benché l’Eterno l’avesse fatta sterile.
But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.
6 E la rivale mortificava continuamente Anna affin d’inasprirla perché l’Eterno l’avea fatta sterile.
And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear 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.
This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat.
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 Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had 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);
One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.
10 ella avea l’anima piena di amarezza, e pregò l’Eterno piangendo dirottamente.
Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
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”.
She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”
12 E, com’ella prolungava la sua preghiera dinanzi all’Eterno, Eli stava osservando la bocca di lei.
As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
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;
But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
14 e le disse: “Quanto durerà cotesta tua ebbrezza? Va’ a smaltire il tuo vino!”
He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
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.
Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.
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 think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
17 Ed Eli replicò: “Va’ in pace, e l’Iddio d’Israele esaudisca la preghiera che gli hai rivolta!”
Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from 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.
She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked 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.
Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,
20 Nel corso dell’anno, Anna concepì e partorì un figliuolo, al quale pose nome Samuele, “perché”, disse, “l’ho chiesto all’Eterno”.
and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”
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.
The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].
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 [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”
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.
Elkanah said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
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.
After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.
25 Elkana ed Anna immolarono il giovenco, e menarono il fanciullo ad Eli.
After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy 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.
Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].
27 Pregai per aver questo fanciullo; e l’Eterno mi ha concesso quel che io gli avevo domandato.
I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.
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 now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.

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