1 Samuel 1:1-28
The Birth of Samuel
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 her husband 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.
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...Elkanah had two wives...One wife was named Hannah and the other wife was named Peninnah...Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not...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...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...Elkanah always gave an equal share 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...
Peninnah always upset Hannah and made her feel bad because the LORD had not made her able to have children...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, 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?”...
After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the LORD...Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the LORD’s Holy Building...Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the LORD...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, and no one will ever cut his hair.”...Hannah prayed to the LORD a long time. Eli was watching her mouth while she was praying...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...He said to her, “You have had too much to drink...It is time to put away the wine.”...Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered Hannah...By that time the following year, Hannah had become pregnant and had a son...She named him Samuel...She said, “His name is Samuel because I asked the LORD for him.”...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...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...He will stay there at Shiloh.”...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 have said.”...So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was old enough to eat solid food...
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 of flour, and a bottle of wine...They went before the LORD...Elkanah killed the bull as a sacrifice to the LORD as he usually did...Then Hannah gave the boy to Eli...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...I prayed for this child, and the LORD answered my prayer...He gave me this child...And now I give this child to the LORD...He will serve the LORD all his life.”...Then Hannah left the boy there and worshiped the LORD....