1 There was a man whose name was Elkanah. He lived in a town called Ramah. [ a ] This town was in the hill country where Ephraim's tribe lived. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Elihu. Elihu was the son of Tohu. Tohu was the son of Zuph. Zuph belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives. One wife was called Hannah and the other wife was called Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah did not have any children.
3 Every year, Elkanah left his home in Ramah to go to the town of Shiloh. [ b ] He went there to worship the Lord Almighty and to offer sacrifices to him. [ c ] Hophni and Phinehas served the Lord at Shiloh as his priests. Eli was their father.
4 Every year, when Elkanah offered his sacrifices to God, he gave some of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to her sons and daughters. 5 Because Elkanah loved Hannah very much, he always gave twice as much meat to her. But the Lord had not let Hannah give birth to any children.
6 Peninnah was not kind to Hannah and she made Hannah very upset. She did this because the Lord had not let Hannah give birth to any children. 7 This happened every year when they went to the Lord 's house in Shiloh. Peninnah would cause Hannah to be upset. Then Hannah would weep. She would refuse to eat anything. 8 Hannah's husband, Elkanah, said to her, ‘Why should you weep and refuse to eat? Do not be so sad. I love you, and that is better than ten sons.’
9 One day they had offered sacrifices at Shiloh. They had finished eating and drinking. Hannah stood up to pray to God. Eli the priest was sitting on his chair beside the door of the Lord 's temple. [ d ] 10 Hannah was very upset as she prayed to the Lord . She could not stop weeping. 11 She made a promise to God. She prayed, ‘ Lord Almighty, you can see how sad I am. Please be kind to me, your servant. Remember me and do not forget me. Please give a son to me, your servant. If you do that, I will give him to serve you for all of his life. Nobody will ever cut his hair.’ [ e ]
12 Hannah continued to pray to the Lord . Eli watched her mouth while it moved. 13 Hannah was praying quietly inside herself. Her lips moved but Eli could not hear her voice. So he thought that she was drunk. 14 He said to her, ‘Are you always drunk like that? Throw away your wine.’
15 Hannah replied, ‘No, sir, I have not drunk any wine or strong drink. I have much trouble deep inside myself. I have told the Lord about all my problems. 16 Please sir, do not think that I am a bad woman. I am praying like this because I am very sad and upset.’
17 Eli said to Hannah, ‘Go and let your mind have peace. I pray that Israel's God will give you what you have asked him for.’
18 Hannah said to him, ‘I will try to do what pleases you, sir.’
Then Hannah went away and she ate some food. Her face was not sad now.
19 Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and they worshipped the Lord . Then they went back to their home in Ramah. Elkanah had sex with his wife Hannah. The Lord remembered what she had asked him for. 20 Hannah became pregnant. Later, she gave birth to a son. She gave him the name ‘Samuel’. She said, ‘His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.’ [ f ]
21 Next year, Elkanah went to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to the Lord , as he had promised to do. His family went with him. 22 But Hannah did not go as well. She said to her husband, ‘I will not go until the boy is older. When he can eat proper food, I will take him to Shiloh to give him to the Lord . Then he will live there for all his life.’
23 Elkanah said to Hannah, ‘You must do what seems right to you. Stay here at home until the boy begins to eat proper food. May the Lord help you, as he has promised.’
So Hannah stayed at home with her son while he continued to drink milk from her breasts.
24 When Samuel started to eat proper food, Hannah took him to Shiloh. She took him to the Lord 's house there when he was still a young boy. She took with her a bull that was three years old. She also took a big bag of flour and a leather bag full of wine. 25 They killed the bull for the sacrifice. Then Hannah took Samuel to Eli. 26 Hannah said to Eli, ‘Please believe me sir. I am the woman who stood here before. You saw me when I was praying to the Lord . 27 I prayed that the Lord would give me a son and he answered my prayer. 28 Now I will give this child to serve the Lord . He will be the Lord 's servant for his whole life.’
Then Elkanah's family worshipped the Lord there.
1 There was a man named Elkanah from the Zuph family who lived in Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph from the tribe of Ephraim.
2 Elkanah had two wives. One wife was named Hannah and the other wife was named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.
3 Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and went up to Shiloh. He worshiped the Lord All-Powerful at Shiloh and offered sacrifices to the Lord there. Shiloh was where Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served as priests of the Lord . 4 Whenever Elkanah offered his sacrifices, he always gave one share of the food to his wife Peninnah and a share of the food to each of Peninnah’s children. 5 Elkanah always gave an equal share [ a ] of the food to Hannah. He did this because he loved her very much, even though the Lord had not let Hannah have any children.
6 Peninnah always upset Hannah and made her feel bad because the Lord had not made her able to have children. 7 This happened every year when their family went to the Lord ’s house at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would begin to cry and would not eat anything. One year when this happened, 8 her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why are you so sad? You have me. Isn’t that better than having even ten sons?”
9 After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the Lord. [ b ] Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the Lord ’s Holy Building. [ c ] 10 Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the Lord . 11 She made a special promise to God and said, “ Lord All-Powerful, you can see how sad I am. Remember me. Don’t forget me. If you will give me a son, I will give him to you. He will be yours his whole life, and as a Nazirite, he will not drink wine or strong drink, [ d ] and no one will ever cut his hair.”
12 Hannah prayed to the Lord a long time. Eli was watching her mouth while she was praying. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving, but since she did not say the words out loud, Eli thought she was drunk. 14 He said to her, “You have had too much to drink. It is time to put away the wine.”
15 Hannah answered, “Sir, I have not drunk any wine or beer. I am deeply troubled, and I was telling the Lord about all my problems. 16 Don’t think I am a bad woman. I have been praying so long because I have so many troubles and am very sad.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you what you asked for.”
18 Hannah said, “May you be happy with me.” Then she left and ate something. She was not sad anymore.
19 Early the next morning Elkanah’s family got up. They worshiped the Lord and then went back home to Ramah.
Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered Hannah. 20 By that time the following year, Hannah had become pregnant and had a son. She named him Samuel. [ e ] She said, “His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.”
21 Elkanah went to Shiloh to offer the sacrifice for that year and the gift he had promised to the Lord . He took his family with him. 22 But Hannah did not go. She told Elkanah, “When the boy is old enough to eat solid food, I will take him to Shiloh. Then I will give him to the Lord . He will become a Nazirite. [ f ] He will stay there at Shiloh.”
23 Hannah’s husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think is best. You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat solid food. May the Lord do what you [ g ] have said.” So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was old enough to eat solid food.
24 When the boy was old enough to eat solid food, Hannah took him to the Lord ’s house at Shiloh. She also took a bull that was three years old, 20 pounds [ h ] of flour, and a bottle of wine.
25 They went before the Lord. Elkanah killed the bull as a sacrifice to the Lord as he usually did. [ i ] Then Hannah gave the boy to Eli. 26 She said to him, “Pardon me, sir. I am the same woman who stood near you praying to the Lord . I promise that I am telling the truth. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord answered my prayer. He gave me this child. 28 And now I give this child to the Lord . He will serve [ j ] the Lord all his life.”
Then Hannah left the boy there [ k ] and worshiped the Lord .
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord , were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord , so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord .
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord , and wept sore.
11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord , that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord .
16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord , and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord .
21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord , and there abide for ever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord .
27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord ; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord . And he worshipped the Lord there.
1 Now there was a man from ( A ) Ramathaim-zophim from the ( B ) hill country of Ephraim, and his name was ( C ) Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had ( D ) two wives: the name of one was ( E ) Hannah and the name of the [ a ] other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man would go up from his city ( F ) yearly ( G ) to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of armies in ( H ) Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he ( I ) would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, ( J ) but the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival, moreover, ( K ) would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 And it happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord , that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband would say to her, “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why is your heart sad? ( L ) Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of ( M ) the [ b ] temple of the Lord . 10 She, [ c ] greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she ( N ) made a vow and said, “ Lord of armies, if You will indeed ( O ) look on the affliction of Your bond-servant and remember me, and not forget Your bond-servant, but will give Your bond-servant a [ d ] son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and ( P ) a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she [ e ] continued praying before the Lord , that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, ( Q ) she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “ ( R ) How long will you behave like a drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [ f ] despairing in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I ( S ) have poured out my soul before the Lord . 16 Do not [ g ] consider your bond-servant a useless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “ ( T ) Go in peace; and may the God of Israel ( U ) grant your request that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “ ( V ) Let your bond-servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and ( W ) her face was no longer sad .
19 Then they got up early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord , and returned again to their house in ( X ) Ramah. And Elkanah [ h ] had relations with Hannah his wife, and ( Y ) the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [ i ] in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying , “ ( Z ) Because I have asked for him of the Lord .”
21 Then the man Elkanah ( AA ) went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “ I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will ( AB ) bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and ( AC ) stay there for life.” 23 ( AD ) Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do [ j ] what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him; only ( AE ) may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, ( AF ) she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull, one ephah of flour, and a jug of wine, and brought him to ( AG ) the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then ( AH ) they [ k ] slaughtered the bull, and ( AI ) brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! ( AJ ) As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord . 27 ( AK ) For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28 ( AL ) So I have also [ l ] dedicated him to the Lord ; as long as he lives he is [ m ] dedicated to the Lord .” And ( AM ) he worshiped the Lord there.
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, ( A ) a Zuphite [ a ] ( B ) from the hill country ( C ) of Ephraim, ( D ) whose name was Elkanah ( E ) son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; ( F ) one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year ( G ) this man went up from his town to worship ( H ) and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, ( I ) where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, ( J ) were priests of the Lord . 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, ( K ) he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ( L ) 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion ( M ) because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. ( N ) 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. ( O ) 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. ( P ) 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? ( Q ) ”
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. ( R ) 10 In her deep anguish ( S ) Hannah prayed to the Lord , weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, ( T ) saying, “ Lord Almighty ( U ) , if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember ( V ) 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, ( W ) and no razor ( X ) 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. ( Y ) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring ( Z ) 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.” ( AA )
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, ( AB ) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. ( AC ) ”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes. ( AD ) ” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. ( AE )
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. ( AF ) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered ( AG ) her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. ( AH ) She named ( AI ) him Samuel, [ b ] ( AJ ) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual ( AK ) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, ( AL ) 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present ( AM ) him before the Lord , and he will live there always.” [ c ]
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 ( AN ) his [ d ] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned ( AO ) him.
24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, [ e ] ( AP ) an ephah [ f ] 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 ( AQ ) 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 ( AR ) he will be given over to the Lord .” And he worshiped the Lord there.
