1 Samuel 1:1-28

1 Now there happened to be a certain man of Ra·math·a´im-zo´phim of the mountainous region of E´phra·im, and his name was El·ka´nah, the son of Je·ro´ham, the son of E·li´hu, the son of To´hu, the son of Zuph, an E´phra·im·ite. 2 And he had two wives, the name of the one being Han´nah, and the name of the other being Pe·nin´nah. And Pe·nin´nah came to have children, but Han´nah had no children. 3 And that man went up out of his city from year to year to prostrate himself and to sacrifice to Yehowah of armies in Shi´loh. And there is where the two sons of E´li, Hoph´ni and Phin´e·has, were priests to Yehowah.

4 And there came to be a day when El·ka´nah proceeded to sacrifice, and he gave to Pe·nin´nah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions; 5 but to Han´nah he gave one portion. Nonetheless it was Han´nah that he loved, and, as for Yehowah, he had closed up her womb. 6 And her rival wife also vexed her sorely for the sake of making her feel disconcerted because Yehowah had closed up her womb. 7 And that was the way she would do year by year, as often as she went up into the house of Yehowah. That was the way she would vex her, so that she would weep and not eat. 8 And El·ka´nah her husband proceeded to say to her: “Han´nah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat, and why does your heart feel bad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 Then Han´nah got up after they had eaten in Shi´loh and after the drinking, while E´li the priest was sitting upon the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yehowah. 10 And she was bitter of soul, and she began to pray to Yehowah and to weep greatly. 11 And she went on to make a vow and say: “O Yehowah of armies, if you will without fail look upon the affliction of your slave girl and actually remember me, and you will not forget your slave girl and actually give to your slave girl a male offspring, I will give him to Yehowah all the days of his life, and no razor will come upon his head.”

12 And it occurred that while she prayed extendedly before Yehowah, E´li was watching her mouth. 13 As for Han´nah, she was speaking in her heart; only her lips were quivering, and her voice was not heard. But E´li took her for drunk. 14 So E´li said to her: “How long will you behave drunk? Put away your wine from upon you.” 15 At this Han´nah answered and said: “No, my lord! A woman hard pressed in spirit I am; and wine and intoxicating liquor I have not drunk, but I pour out my soul before Yehowah. 16 Do not make your slave girl like a good-for-nothing woman, for it is out of the abundance of my concern and my vexation that I have spoken until now.” 17 Then E´li answered and said: “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.” 18 To this she said: “Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes.” And the woman proceeded to go on her way and to eat, and her face became self-concerned no more.

19 Then they got up early in the morning and prostrated themselves before Yehowah, after which they returned and came into their house at Ra´mah. El·ka´nah now had intercourse with Han´nah his wife, and Yehowah began remembering her. 20 So it came about at the rolling around of a year that Han´nah became pregnant and brought a son to birth and proceeded to call his name Samuel, because, said she, “it is from Yehowah that I have asked him.”

21 In time the man El·ka´nah went up with all his household to sacrifice to Yehowah the yearly sacrifice and his vow offering. 22 As for Han´nah, she did not go up, for she had said to her husband: “As soon as the boy is weaned, I must bring him, and he must appear before Yehowah and dwell there to time indefinite.” 23 At this El·ka´nah her husband said to her: “Do what is good in your eyes. Stay at home until you wean him. Only may Yehowah carry out his word.” So the woman stayed at home and kept nursing her son until she weaned him.

24 Accordingly just as soon as she had weaned him, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull and one e´phah of flour and a large jar of wine, and she proceeded to enter the house of Yehowah in Shi´loh. And the boy was with her. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to E´li. 26 With that she said: “Excuse me, my lord! By the life of your soul, my lord, I am the woman that was standing with you in this place to pray to Yehowah. 27 It was with reference to this boy that I prayed that Yehowah should grant me my petition that I asked of him. 28 And I, in my turn, have lent him to Yehowah. All the days that he does happen to be, he is one requested for Yehowah.”

And he proceeded to bow down there to Yehowah.

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