1 Samuel 1:6-2:10

New International Version

⁶Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.^(A) ⁷This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.^(B) ⁸Her 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?^(C)”

⁹Once 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 the Lord’s house.^(D) ¹⁰In her deep anguish^(E) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹And she made a vow,^(F) saying, “Lord Almighty^(G), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(H) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,^(I) and no razor^(J) will ever be used on his head.”

¹²As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴and 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.^(K) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^(L) out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”^(M)

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

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

¹⁹Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.^(R) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered^(S) her. ²⁰So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(T) She named^(U) him Samuel,^[a]^(V) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

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

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^(Z) his^[c] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned^(AA) him.

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

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(AE)

“My heart rejoices^(AF) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn^[f]^(AG) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts^(AH) over my enemies,^(AI)
for I delight in your deliverance.

²“There is no one holy^(AJ) like^(AK) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock^(AL) like our God.

³“Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,^(AM)
for the Lord is a God who knows,^(AN)
and by him deeds^(AO) are weighed.^(AP)

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken,^(AQ)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.^(AR)
⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry^(AS) are hungry no more.
She who was barren^(AT) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive;^(AU)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.^(AV)
⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth;^(AW)
    he humbles and he exalts.^(AX)
⁸He raises^(AY) the poor^(AZ) from the dust^(BA)
    and lifts the needy^(BB) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.^(BC)

“For the foundations^(BD) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹He will guard the feet^(BE) of his faithful servants,^(BF)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.^(BG)

“It is not by strength^(BH) that one prevails;
¹⁰ those who oppose the Lord will be broken.^(BI)
The Most High will thunder^(BJ) from heaven;
the Lord will judge^(BK) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength^(BL) to his king
and exalt the horn^(BM) of his anointed.”

Footnotes

1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard by God.
1 Samuel 1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite—all the days of his life.”
1 Samuel 1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your
1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls
1 Samuel 1:24 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.