1 Samuel

1 And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zuphi, of the hill country of Ephraim,—whose name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite;

2 and he had two wives, the name of the one Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah,—and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 So then that man went up, out of his city, from time to time, to worship and to sacrifice unto Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh,—and there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto Yahweh.

4 And when the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions;

5 and unto Hannah used he to give one portion,—howbeit Hannah he loved, although Yahweh had restrained her from having children.

6 And her rival used even to cause her great vexation, for the sake of provoking her,—because Yahweh had restrained her from having children.

7 And thus used she to do, year by year, whenever she went up to the house of Yahweh, thus used she to vex her,—and she wept and would not eat.

8 So Elkanah her husband said to her—Hannah! wherefore shouldst thou weep? and wherefore wilt thou not eat? and wherefore should thy heart be sad? Am I not better to thee than ten sons?

9 And Hannah rose up, after she had eaten in Shiloh and after she had drunk,—and Eli the priest was sitting upon his chair, by the door-post of the temple of Yahweh;

10 and she being in bitterness of soul prayed unto Yahweh, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow and said—Yahweh of hosts! If thou wilt look upon the humiliation of thy handmaid, And remember me, And not forget thy handmaid, But wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, Then will I give him unto Yahweh all the days of his life, And no razor shall come upon his head.

12 And so it was, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.

13 But as for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard,—so 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 responded and said—Nay! my lord; A woman depressed in spirit am I: Neither wine nor strong drink have I drunk,—but I poured out my soul before Yahweh.

16 Do not count thy handmaid for an abandoned woman,—for out of the abundance of my grief and my vexation have I spoken hitherto.

17 Then responded Eli, and said—Go and prosper! And the God of Israel grant thy petition which thou hast asked of him!

18 And she said: Let thy serving-woman find favour in thine eyes. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was sad no longer.

19 And they rose up early in the morning, and worshipped before Yahweh, and returned, and entered their own house in Ramah,—and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her.

20 And so it was, when the days had come round during which Hannah was with child, that she bare a son,—and called his name Samuel [“Heard of God”], Because, of Yahweh I asked him.

21 And the man Elkanah and all his house went up, to offer unto Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and [each] his own vow.

22 But Hannah went not up,—for she said to her husband—[Not] till the boy is weaned, Then will I take him, And he shall appear before Yahweh, And abide there evermore.

23 And Elkanah her husband said to her—Do what is good in thine own eyes, tarry until thou have weaned him, Only may Yahweh establish his word! So the woman tarried, and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

24 Then took she him up with her, when she had weaned him, with a bullock of three years old and one ephah of meal, and a skin of wine, and took him to the house of Yahweh at Shiloh,—the boy yet being young.

25 So they slew the bullock,—and took the boy in unto Eli.

26 And she said—Pardon, my lord! By the life of thy soul, my lord,—I am the woman who was standing near thee here, praying unto Yahweh:

27 For this boy I prayed,—And Yahweh hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

28 Hence, I also have loaned him unto Yahweh, all the days that he liveth. He is lent unto Yahweh. And he bowed down there unto Yahweh.