1 Samuel 1

₁There was a man from the town of Ramathaim in Mount Ephraim. He was a descendant of Zuph and his name was Elkanah. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham, Jeroham was the son of Elihu, Elihu was the son of Tohu and Tohu was the son of Zuph from the land of Ephrath. ₂Elkanah had 2 wives. The name of one wife was Hannah and the other wife was Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah did not have any children. ₃Every year Elkanah went from the town of Ramathaim to Shiloh to pray and sacrifice to the Lord who rules over all. The 2 sons of Eli were Hophni and Phinehas. They were the priests of the Lord in the town of Shiloh. ₄When Elkanah gave an offering to the Lord, he gave pieces of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. ₅He loved Hannah a lot but he could give her only one piece of meat because God did not let her have any children. ₆Then Peninnah laughed at Hannah and humiliated her because the Lord did not give Hannah any children. ₇Peninnah did this every year. When Hannah went to the tent of the Lord, Peninnah mocked her. Hannah cried and she did not want to eat. ₈Then her husband Elkanah said to her: ‘Hannah, why are you crying? Why don't you eat? Why are you sad? You know you have me and that is better than having 10 sons.’

₉One day after they had eaten and had something to drink in Shiloh, Hannah went to the tent of the Lord. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair at the door of the tent. ₁₀Hannah was very sad. She prayed to the Lord and cried for a long time. ₁₁She made a promise to the Lord and said: ‘Lord, You who rule over everything, I am your servant. Please look deep inside me and see how sad I am. Please think of me and do not forget me. If You give me a son, I will bring him here to belong to You for as long as he lives and no one will shave off the hair on his head.’

₁₂Hannah kept on praying to God for a long time and Eli saw her talking. ₁₃But Hannah did not speak loudly, only her lips moved. Eli could not hear what she was saying and he thought that she was drunk. ₁₄Then Eli said to Hannah: ‘How long are you going to stay drunk? Go now and come back when you are no longer drunk.’

₁₅But Hannah said to Eli: ‘No, sir, I have not drunk wine or beer. I am very sad and I told the Lord how I feel. ₁₆Do not think I am a bad woman. I have talked to the Lord about all my problems and my pain.’

₁₇Eli said to Hanna: ‘I hope you will have peace and I pray that the God of Israel will give to you what you have asked Him for.’ ₁₈Hannah answered: ‘I hope that you will think well of me.’ She went and, after eating something, she was not sad anymore.

₁₉The next morning Elkanah and his family got up, prayed to the Lord and then went back to their home in the town of Ramah. Elkanah had sex with Hannah and the Lord remembered what she had asked and He was good to her. ₂₀At the end of that year she became pregnant and she had a son. She named him Samuel. She said: ‘His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord to give him to me.’

₂₁Elkanah and his family went again to sacrifice the offering like he did every year. He also went to do what he had promised God. ₂₂Hannah did not go with them. She said to her husband: ‘When my son stops drinking the milk from my breasts, I will take him and I will give him to the Lord to work for Him. Then he can always stay there.’

₂₃Her husband Elkanah said to her: ‘You must do what you think is good. Stay at home until the child no longer drinks milk from you. I pray that God will do everything that He has promised you.’

Hannah stayed at home until her son stopped drinking milk from her. ₂₄After he stopped drinking from her, she took him with her to the tent of the Lord in Shiloh. The boy was still very young. Hannah took a bull that was 3 years old and an ephah of flour and a skin-bag of wine. ₂₅They sacrificed the bull and then they took the boy to Eli the priest. ₂₆Hannah said to Eli: ‘Sir, do you remember me? I am the woman who was here with you and prayed to the Lord. ₂₇I prayed to have this child and the Lord has given me what I asked Him for. ₂₈And I decided to give him to the Lord. He will belong to the Lord for as long as he lives.’

Elkanah and his family then worshipped the Lord there.