Samuel I_Chapter 1

There was a man from Ephraim named Elkanah in Ramazophe, a mountain area. He was the son of Jeroham, the great grandson of Sopheth, the great grandson of Tohu, and the grandson of Elihu.

He has two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Pinina. Pinina has children, Hannah has no children.

This person comes from this city to Shiloh every year to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of hosts. There were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, who were priests to the Lord.

On the day of the sacrifice, Elkanah divided the sacrificial meat among his wife Penina and her children.

But he gave Hannah a double score because he loved Hannah. But the Lord did not give birth to Hannah.

When Penina saw that the Lord did not give birth to Hannah, he became her adversary and greatly stirred her up to make her angry.

Every year when he goes up to the temple of the Lord, Elkanah gives Hannah a double share. Pinina still stirred her up, causing her to cry and not eat.

Her husband Elkanah said to her, Hannah, why are you crying, not eating, and feeling sad in your heart? Isn’t it better to have me than ten sons?

After they finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Eli the priest sat on his seat by the doorframe of the temple of the Lord.

Hannah’s heart was filled with sorrow, and she wept in pain, praying to the Lord,

Make a vow and say, O Lord of hosts, if you pay attention to the suffering of your maidservants and remember them, and give me a son, I will give him his life to the Lord, without the need for a razor to shave his head.

Hannah kept praying before the Lord, and Eli fixed his gaze on her mouth.

Originally, Hannah prayed silently in her heart, only moving her lips without making a sound, so Eli thought she was drunk.

Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk?”? You shouldn’t drink alcohol.

Hannah replied, “Lord, that’s not the case.”. I am a woman with a troubled heart, not drinking wine or strong wine, but pouring out my heart before the Lord.

Do not regard maidservants as unscrupulous women. I have been praying until now because of being excited and suffering too much.

Eli said, “Go back in peace.”. May the God of Israel grant you what you ask of him.

Hannah said, May my servant find favor in your sight. So the woman went to eat, and her face no longer wore a worried expression.

Early the next morning, they got up and worshipped before the Lord, and then returned to Ramah. When he arrived at home, Elkanah slept with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered Hannah,

Hannah became pregnant. And when the time was fulfilled, he gave birth to a son and named him Samuel, saying, I have sought this from the Lord.

Elkanah and his whole family went up to Shiloh to offer an annual sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill their vows.

But Hannah did not go up and said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him up to the Lord and make him dwell there forever.”.

Her husband Elkanah said, Do as you please. You can wait for your son to wean. May the Lord fulfill his words. So the woman breastfed her son at home until she weaned him.

After weaning, he took the child to Shiloh and went to the temple of the Lord. I brought three more bulls, one Yifa fine noodles, and a leather bag of wine. At that time, the child was still young.

Slaughter a bull and bring the child to Eli.

The woman said, Lord, I swear before you that I am the woman who stood before you and prayed to the Lord.

I pray to have this child. The Lord has given me what I have asked for.

So I will give this child to the Lord, and give him his whole life to the Lord. So he worshipped the Lord there.