1 Samuel 1

The Family of Elkanah

1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the ^amountains of Ephraim, and his name was ^bElkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of ¹Elihu, the son of ²Tohu, the son of Zuph, ^can Ephraimite. ²And he had ^dtwo wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³This man went up from his city ^eyearly ^fto worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in ^gShiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. ⁴And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an ^hoffering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, ⁱalthough the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶And her rival also ^jprovoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her womb. ⁷So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

Hannah’s Vow

⁸Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not ^kbetter to you than ten sons?”

⁹So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of ^lthe ³tabernacle of the Lord. ^10mAnd she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and ⁴wept in anguish. ¹¹Then she ⁿmade a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed ^olook on the affliction of Your maidservant and ^premember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and ^qno razor shall come upon his head.”

¹²And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. ¹³Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”

¹⁵But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have ^rpoured out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶Do not consider your maidservant a ^swicked ⁵woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”

¹⁷Then Eli answered and said, ^t“Go in peace, and ^uthe God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”

¹⁸And she said, ^v“Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman ^wwent her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

Samuel is Born and Dedicated

¹⁹Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah ^xknew Hannah his wife, and the Lord ^yremembered her. ²⁰So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name ⁶Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

²¹Now the man Elkanah and all his house ^zwent up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. ²²But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will ^atake him, that he may appear before the Lord and ^bremain there ^cforever.”

²³So ^dElkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord ⁷establish ⁸His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

²⁴Now when she had weaned him, she ^etook him up with her, with ⁹three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to ^fthe house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. ²⁵Then they slaughtered a bull, and ^gbrought the child to Eli. ²⁶And she said, “O my lord! ^hAs your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. ²⁷ⁱFor this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. ²⁸Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be ¹lent to the Lord.” So they ^jworshiped the Lord there.