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The Birth of Samuel

1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite^a from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.2He had two wives; one was called 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 sacrifice to theLord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of theLord.4Whenever the day came for Elkanah to 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, and theLord had closed her womb.6Because theLord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.7This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of theLord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.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?”

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 theLord’s house.10In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to theLord, weeping bitterly.11And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to theLord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12As she kept on praying to theLord, 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 drunk14and 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. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to theLord.16Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

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

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

19Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before theLord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and theLord remembered her.20So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^b saying, “Because I asked theLord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

21When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to theLord and to fulfill his vow,22Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before theLord, and he will live there always.”^c

23“Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may theLord make good his^d word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

24After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^e an ephah^f of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of theLord at Shiloh.25When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,26and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to theLord.27I prayed for this child, and theLord has granted me what I asked of him.28So now I give him to theLord. For his whole life he will be given over to theLord.” And he worshiped theLord there.