1 Samuel 1:9–28

⁹Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of ^athe temple of the Lord.

¹⁰She, ¹greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

¹¹She ^amade a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed ^blook on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a ¹son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and ^ca razor shall never come on his head.”

¹²Now it came about, as she ¹continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.

¹³As for Hannah, ^ashe was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

¹⁴Then Eli said to her, “^aHow long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

¹⁵But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman ¹oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I ^ahave poured out my soul before the Lord.

¹⁶“Do not ¹consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and ²provocation.”

¹⁷Then Eli answered and said, “^aGo in peace; and may the God of Israel ^bgrant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

¹⁸She said, “^aLet your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and ^bher face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born to Hannah

¹⁹Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in ^aRamah. And Elkanah ¹had relations with Hannah his wife, and ^bthe Lord remembered her.

²⁰It came about ¹in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “^aBecause I have asked him of the Lord.”

²¹Then the man Elkanah ^awent up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.

²²But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will ^abring him, that he may appear before the Lord and ^bstay there forever.”

^23aElkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best ¹to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only ^bmay the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

²⁴Now when she had weaned him, ^ashe took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to ^bthe house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young.

²⁵Then ^athey slaughtered the bull, and ^bbrought the boy to Eli.

²⁶She said, “Oh, my lord! ^aAs your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord.

²⁷“^aFor this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him.

²⁸“^aSo I have also ¹dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And ^bhe worshiped the Lord there.