1 Samuel 1

There was a man whose name was Elkanah who lived in the town of Ramathaim Zophim. That town was in the hilly area where the people of the tribe of Ephraim live. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, his great-grandfather was Tohu, and his great-great-grandfather was Zuph. Elkanah belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.

Elkanah had two wives. Their names were Hannah and Peninnah. Now Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children. \*

Once every year Elkanah went with his family from Ramah to the city of Shiloh. He would go there to worship God, the commander of the heavenly armies, and offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were serving God as priests there {with their father}.

Every year when Elkanah offered sacrifices, he would give servings of meat to Peninnah and to each of her children. \*

But he would serve Hannah twice as much meat because he loved her very much even though God had not allowed her to give birth to children.

But Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, would try to make Hannah upset. She would remind her that God had not allowed her to give birth to any children. \*

Every year when the family went to God’s sacred tent, Peninnah would make Hannah so upset that Hannah cried and would not eat.

Then her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, you should not be crying. You should eat something. You do not need to be sad. You have me as your loving husband, and that is better than having ten sons {but an unhappy marriage}.” \*

One year, after the family had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah went over to God’s sacred tent to pray. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent {so he could see and speak with the people who came in and out}.

Hannah was very upset, and so she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to God. \*

Hannah made a solemn promise. She said, “God, you command the heavenly armies{, so you are powerful enough to do anything}. I am a woman who serves you devotedly. Please consider how unhappy I am. Please do something to help me. Allow me to give birth to a son. If you do that, then I will dedicate him to you for as long as he lives. And {to show that we have dedicated him,} we will never cut his hair.” \*

Hannah prayed to God for a long time. As she prayed, Eli noticed that her lips were moving.

But Hannah was just praying silently. She was not speaking out loud. So Eli thought that she was drunk.

He said to her, “You should not be getting drunk! Get rid of the wine you have been drinking!” \*

Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk, I am just very sad. I have not been drinking any wine or beer. I have been praying and telling God how I feel and what I want him to do for me.

Do not think that I am a bad woman. Someone has made me feel very badly, so I have a lot to talk to God about. That is all I have been doing.” \*

Eli replied, “I wish that things may go well for you. I hope that God, whom we Israelite people worship, may give you what you have asked of him.”

She replied, “Please continue to hope and pray that good things will happen to me.” Then she returned to her family, and she ate the meal that her husband had served to her. She was not sad anymore. \*

Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped God again. After that, they returned to their home at Ramah. Then Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and God answered her prayer.

She became pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel. That name expressed in her language that God had answered her prayer for a son. \*

The next year, Elkanah went to Shiloh with his family to offer to God the kind of sacrifice he made each year. He also went to make a special offering that he had promised to make.

But Hannah did not go with them. She told her husband, “I want to keep the baby here until I have weaned him. After that, I will take him to Shiloh and present him to God. He will stay there for the rest of his life.”

Elkanah told her, “Do what you think is best. Stay here until you have weaned him. And may God bless this boy as his priest Eli wished he would.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed Samuel until she had weaned him. \*

After she weaned him, even though Samuel was still very young, she took him to God’s sacred tent at Shiloh. She also brought three bulls{, one for an offering that the priests would burn completely and the other two for festive meals that the family and others would share}. She also brought about twenty liters of flour and a large container of wine {because the law of Moses required people to offer that amount of flour and wine with sacrifices}.

Elkanah and Hannah slaughtered the bull {so that the priests could offer it to God on the altar}. Then they brought their son to Eli. \*

Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, please listen to me. I swear by your own life, sir, that what I am saying is true. I am the woman who was praying to God as I stood here beside you.

I prayed that I would have a son, and God answered my prayer. Here he is!

So now I am presenting him to God. He will belong to God as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah and his family worshiped God there. \*