1 Samuel 1

Hannah asks the LORD for a son

¹There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim named Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ²He had two wives. One was named Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. ³Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and to offer sacrifice to the LORD of Armies at Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD there. ⁴On the day Elkanah offered his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, even though the LORD had closed her womb.^{a 6}Her rival kept taunting her bitterly to upset her, because the LORD had closed her womb. ⁷So it went on year after year. Every time Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, Peninnah provoked her, and she wept and would not eat. ⁸Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why do you not eat? Why are you so downcast? Do I not mean more to you than ten sons?” ⁹Once, when the eating and drinking at Shiloh were over, Hannah got up. Eli the priest sat on his seat beside the doorpost of the LORD’s temple. ¹⁰She was in deep anguish, and she prayed to the LORD, weeping without restraint. ¹¹She made a vow and said, “The LORD of Armies, if you will only look on the misery of your servant and remember me, if you will not forget your servant but will give your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD for his whole life, and no razor will ever touch his head.”^{b 12}As she went on praying before the LORD, Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³Hannah was speaking within herself. Only her lips moved; no sound of her voice could be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Get rid of your wine!” ¹⁵But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled in spirit. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. ¹⁶Do not take your servant for a worthless woman. All this time I have been speaking out of my great anguish and distress.” ¹⁷Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel grant what you have asked of him.” ¹⁸She said, “May your servant find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer downcast. ¹⁹Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD and then went back home to Ramah. Elkanah lay with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰In due time Hannah became pregnant and bore a son. She called him Samuel, for she said,”I asked the LORD for him.” ²¹Elkanah went up with his whole household to offer the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. ²²But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him to appear before the LORD, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.” ²³Her husband Elkanah told her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay at home until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD make his word come true.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.^{c 24}Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, about 20 quarts of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. The boy was still young.^{d 25}They slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶Hannah said, “Pardon me, my lord! As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who once stood beside you here, praying to the LORD. ²⁷I prayed for this boy, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸So I in turn give him to the LORD. All the days of his life he is given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.^ef