Elkanah and His Wives

1Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2Now he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3Now that man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to [†]Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh there. 4And the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, and he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had closed her womb. 6Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because Yahweh had closed her womb. 7And so it would happen year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Yahweh, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Yahweh. 10And she, bitter of soul, prayed to Yahweh and wept despondently. 11And she made a vow and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a seed amongst men, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”

12Now it happened, as she multiplied her praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13As for Hannah, she 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, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [†]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16Do not [†]consider your maidservant as a vile woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great complaint and [†]provocation.” 17Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18And she said, “Let your servant-woman find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

The Birth of Samuel

19Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and turned back and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and Yahweh remembered her. 20Now it happened [†]in due time that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

21Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to Yahweh 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 young boy is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh and stay there forever.” 23And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Remain until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24Now when she had weaned him, she 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 the house of Yahweh in Shiloh, although the boy was young. 25Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the young boy to Eli. 26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to Yahweh. 27For this young boy I prayed, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28So I have also [†]dedicated him to Yahweh; as long as he lives, he is [†]dedicated to Yahweh.” So he worshiped Yahweh there.