1 Samuel 1:1-28
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Suphite of the highland of Ephraim, named Elkanah, son of Jeroham the son of Elihu the son of Tohu the son of Suph, an Ephrathite.
2 And he had two wives: one’s name was Hannah and the other’s was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 * And this man went up from his city from year to year to do reverence and to sacrifice to Jehovah of Armies at Shiloh; and ʽEli’s two sons Hophni and Pinehas, priests of Jehovah, were there.
4 And one day Elkanah was sacrificing; and he would give a portion to his wife Peninnah and portions to all her sons and daughters,
5 * but would give Hannah one portion in vexation, because he loved Hannah and Jehovah had shut her womb;
6 and her rival provoked her besides, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb;
7 * and thus he did year by year, as often as she went up to Jehovah’s house; thus she provoked her.—And Hannah cried and did not eat.
8 And her husband Elkanah said to her “Hannah, why do you cry? why are you not eating? why do you feel badly? am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 ** And Hannah rose after they had eaten at Shiloh, and went and stood before Jehovah, while Priest ʽEli was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple of Jehovah;
10 and, she being sore at heart, she prayed to Jehovah and wept tears,
11 and made a vow and said “Jehovah of Armies, if you look upon your servant’s wretched state and remember me, and do not forget your servant but give your servant a man-child, then I will give him to Jehovah all his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 And, as she was long praying before Jehovah, ʽEli watched her mouth;
13 and Hannah was speaking inwardly—only her lips moved, but her voice was not audible—and ʽEli thought she was drunk.
14 And ʽEli said to her “How long are you going to exhibit your drunkenness? Get rid of your wine.”
15 But Hannah answered “No, sir, I am a woman in trouble; I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul before Jehovah.
16 Do not take it as if your servant were a reprobate; it was owing to the greatness of my grievance and provocation that I spoke so long.”
17 And ʽEli answered “Go, and good betide you; and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.”
18 And she said “Thank you, sir.” And the woman went her way, and ate, and no longer had the look in her face.
19 And when they rose the next morning they did reverence before Jehovah and came back to their home at Ramah. And Elkanah knew his wife Hannah, and Jehovah remembered her;
20 * and at the turn of the year she had a son, and named him Samuel “because I asked Jehovah for him.”
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his family, went up to sacrifice to Jehovah the annual sacrifice and his vow.
22 * But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband “Not till the boy is weaned, when I will bring him and he shall appear in the presence of Jehovah and stay there permanently”;
23 * and Elkanah her husband said to her “Do what you think best: stay till you wean him; only let Jehovah make good his word.”
24 * And the woman stayed and nursed her son till she weaned him; and when she had weaned him she brought him up with her, with a three-year-old steer and bread and a bushel of flour and a skin of wine, and came to Jehovah’s house at Shiloh, with the boy with them;
25 and they came before Jehovah, and his father made the sacrifice that he made year by year to Jehovah, and brought the boy and slaughtered the steer; and Hannah the boy’s mother brought the boy to ʽEli
26 * and said “O, my lord, as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here by you to pray to Jehovah.
27 It was for this boy that I prayed, and Jehovah has granted me my request that I asked of him.
28 And I on my part have granted him to Jehovah; ever since he has been, he is granted to Jehovah.”
Footnotes
^ 1:3 Or ʽEli’s two sons Hophni and Pinehas were there as priests to Jehovah
^ 1:5 (one portion in vexation) Unc.
^ 1:7 Or as often as she went up, at Jehovah’s house
^ 1:9 Conj.* eaten the stew, and
^ 1:9 Var. omits and went and stood before Jehovah
^ 1:20 Var. Hannah conceived and had a son
^ 1:22 Conj.* shall see Jehovah’s face and
^ 1:23 Var. may Jehovah make good your word
^ 1:24 Var. ephah of meal
^ 1:26 Lit. by your life
