1 Samuel 1

New International Version

The Birth of Samuel

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim,^(A)a Zuphite^[a](B)from the hill country^(C)of Ephraim,^(D)whose name was Elkanah^(E)son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.² He had two wives;^(F)one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³ Year after year^(G)this man went up from his town to worship^(H)and sacrifice to theLordAlmighty at Shiloh,^(I)where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli,^(J)were priests of theLord.⁴ Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice,^(K)he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.^(L)5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion^(M)because he loved her, and theLordhad closed her womb.^(N)6 Because theLordhad closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.^(O)7 This 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.^(P)8 Her 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?^(Q)”

⁹ Once 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.^(R)10 In her deep anguish^(S)Hannah prayed to theLord, weeping bitterly.¹¹ And she made a vow,^(T)saying, “LordAlmighty^(U), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(V)me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to theLordfor all the days of his life,^(W)and no razor^(X)will ever be used on his head.”

¹² As she kept on praying to theLord, Eli observed her mouth.¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk¹⁴ and 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.^(Y)I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^(Z)out my soul to theLord.¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”^(AA)

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

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

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before theLordand then went back to their home at Ramah.^(AF)Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and theLordremembered^(AG)her.²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(AH)She named^(AI)him Samuel,^[b](AJ)saying, “Because I asked theLordfor him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

²¹ When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual^(AK)sacrifice to theLordand to fulfill his vow,^(AL)22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present^(AM)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 theLordmake good^(AN)his^[d]word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned^(AO)him.

²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[e](AP)an ephah^[f]of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of theLordat Shiloh.²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli,²⁶ and 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.²⁷ I prayed^(AQ)for this child, and theLordhas granted me what I asked of him.²⁸ So now I give him to theLord. For his whole life^(AR)he will be given over to theLord.” And he worshiped theLordthere.