Hannah’s Vow

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim^(A) in^[a] the hill country of Ephraim.^(B) His name was Elkanah^(C) son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives,^(D) the first named Hannah^(E) and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. ³ This man would go up from his town every year^(F) to worship and to sacrifice^(G) to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh,^(H) where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

⁴ Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat^(I) to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. ⁵ But he gave a double^[b] portion^(J) to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. ⁶ Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. ⁷ Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house,^(K) her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. ⁸ ‘Hannah, why are you crying? ’ her husband, Elkanah, would ask. ‘Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons? ’^(L)

⁹ On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.^[c] The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.^{(M) 10} Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.^{(N) 11} Making a vow,^(O) she pleaded, ‘Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,^(P) remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.’^[d](Q)

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently,^(R) and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, ‘How long are you going to be drunk?^(S) Get rid of your wine! ’

¹⁵ ‘No, my lord,’ Hannah replied. ‘I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.^{(T) 16} Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;^(U) I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.’^(V)

¹⁷ Eli responded, ‘Go in peace,^(W) and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.’^(X)

¹⁸ ‘May your servant find favour with you,’^(Y) she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.^[e](Z)

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterwards, they returned home to Ramah.^(AA) Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.^{(AB) 20} After some time,^[f] Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[g] because she said, ‘I requested him from the Lord.’

²¹ When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice^(AC) and his vow offering to the Lord, ²² Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, ‘After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence^(AD) and to stay there permanently.’^(AE)

²³ Her husband, Elkanah, replied, ‘Do what you think is best,^(AF) and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your^[h] word.’^(AG) So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him.

¹¹ Elkanah went home to Ramah,^(A) but the boy served the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.^(B)

²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife:^(A) ‘May the Lord give you children by this woman in place of the one she^[a] has given to the Lord.’^(B) Then they would go home.