³Year after year^g this man went up from his town to worship^h and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh,ⁱ where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli,^j were priests of the Lord. ⁴Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice,^k he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.^l ⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion^m because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.ⁿ ⁶Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.^o ⁷This 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.^p ⁸Her 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?^q”

⁹Once 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.^r ¹⁰In her deep anguish^s Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹And she made a vow,^t saying, “Lord Almighty^u, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^v 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,^w and no razor^x will ever be used on his head.”

¹²As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴and 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.^y I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^z out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”^a

¹⁷Eli answered, “Go in peace,^b and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.^c”

¹⁸She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.^d” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.^e

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Cross references

gver 21; Ex 23:14; 1 Sa 2:19; 20:6, 29; Lk 2:41
h Dt 12:5–7
iSee Jos 18:1
j 1 Sa 2:31; 14:3
k Lev 7:15–18; Dt 12:17–18
lSee Ge 29:34
mSee Ge 37:3
nSee Ge 11:30; See 29:31
oSee Ge 16:4
p 2 Sa 12:17; Ps 102:4
qSee Ru 4:15
r 1 Sa 3:3
s Job 3:20; 7:11; 10:1; 21:25; 23:2; 27:2; Isa 38:15; Jer 20:18
tSee Jdg 11:30
uSee Ge 17:1; Ps 24:10; 46:7; Isa 1:9
vSee Ge 8:1
wSee Jdg 13:7
x Nu 6:1–21; Jdg 13:5; Lk 1:15
y 2 Ki 4:27
z Ps 42:4; 62:8; La 2:19
a Ps 55:2
b Nu 6:26; 1 Sa 20:42; 2 Ki 5:19; See Ac 15:33
cSee Ge 25:21; Ps 20:3–5
dSee Ge 18:3; Ru 2:13
e Ro 15:13