Hannah Dedicates Samuel

21 When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual(A) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,(B) 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present(C) him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[a]

23 “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good(D) his[b] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned(E) him.

24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[c](F) an ephah[d] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at 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 the Lord. 27 I prayed(G) for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life(H) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite—all the days of his life.”
  2. 1 Samuel 1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your
  3. 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls
  4. 1 Samuel 1:24 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

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