HANNAH’S VOW

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophima inA the hill country of Ephraim.b His name was Elkanahc son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives,d the first named Hannahe and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3 This man would go up from his town every yearf to worship and to sacrificeg to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh,h where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meati to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave a doubleB portionj to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. 6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 7 Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house,k her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. 8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”l

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.C The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.m 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.n 11 Making a vow,o she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,p remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”E,q

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently,r and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk?s Get rid of your wine!”

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.t