1 Samuel 1

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord .4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord , her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord ’s house.10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.

11 And she made a vow, saying, “ Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk

14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.

16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
21 When Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,

22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”

23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh.25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

1 SAMUEL 1

Hannah Asks the [Lord] //for a Child

1 Elkanah lived in Ramah, t a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan of the Ephraim tribe. Elkanah's father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu.

2 Elkanah had two wives, t Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.

3 Once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the [Lord] All-Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the [Lord]'s priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.t
4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meatt to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.

5 But he gave Hannah even more, becauset he loved Hannah very much, even though the [Lord] had kept her from having children of her own.
6 Peninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable about not having any children,

7 especially when the family went to the house of the [Lord]t each year.
One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began crying and refused to eat.

8 So Elkanah asked, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship. 10 Hannah was heartbroken and was crying as she prayed,

11 t “[Lord] All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I promise to give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.”t
12-13 Hannah prayed silently to the [Lord] for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.

14 “How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up!”

15-16 “Sir, please don't think I'm no good!” Hannah answered. “I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the [Lord] about my problems.”

17 Eli replied, “Go home. Everything will be fine. The God of Israel will answer your prayer.”

18 “Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.

Samuel Is Born

20 with a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked the [Lord] for him.t

Hannah Gives Samuel //to the [Lord]

22 But Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the [Lord], and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.”

23 “You know what's best,” Elkanah said. “Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him. I'm sure the [Lord] will help you do what you have promised.”t Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.

24-25 When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanaht took Samuel to the [Lord]'s house. They brought along a three-year-old bull, t a sack containing about nine kilograms of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.
26 “Sir,” Hannah said, “a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the [Lord] 27 to give me a child. Here he is! The [Lord] gave me just what I asked for.

28 Now I am giving him to the [Lord], and he will be the [Lord]'s servant for as long as he lives.”

Hannah Prays