Add parallel Print Page Options

Elkanah and His Wives

Now there was a certain man from (A)Ramathaim-zophim from the (B)hill country of Ephraim, and his name was (C)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. Now he had (D)two wives: the name of one was (E)Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now that man would go up from his city (F)yearly (G)to worship and to sacrifice to [a]Yahweh of hosts in (H)Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh there. And the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, and he (I)would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, (J)but Yahweh had closed her womb. Her rival, however, (K)would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because Yahweh had closed her womb. And so it would happen year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Yahweh, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? (L)Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (M)the temple of Yahweh. 10 And she, bitter of soul, prayed to Yahweh and wept despondently. 11 And she (N)made a vow and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a seed amongst men, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and (P)a razor shall never come on his head.”

12 Now it happened, as she multiplied her praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, (Q)she was speaking in her heart; only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “(R)How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [b]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I (S)have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not [c]consider your maidservant as a vile woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great complaint and [d]provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “(T)Go in peace; and may the God of Israel (U)grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 And she said, “(V)Let your servant-woman find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and (W)her face was no longer sad.

The Birth of Samuel

19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and turned back and came to their house in (X)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and (Y)Yahweh remembered her. 20 Now it happened [e]in due time that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “(Z)Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

21 Then the man Elkanah (AA)went up with all his household to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the young boy is weaned; then I will (AB)bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh and (AC)stay there forever.” 23 (AD)And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Remain until you have weaned him; only (AE)may Yahweh establish His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, (AF)she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one [f]ephah of flour and a jug of wine and brought him to (AG)the house of Yahweh in Shiloh, although the boy was young. 25 Then (AH)they slaughtered the bull and (AI)brought the young boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! (AJ)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to Yahweh. 27 (AK)For this young boy I prayed, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 (AL)So I have also [g]dedicated him to Yahweh; as long as he lives, he is [h]dedicated to Yahweh.” So (AM)he worshiped Yahweh there.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:3 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit severe
  3. 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit give
  4. 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit my provocation
  5. 1 Samuel 1:20 Lit at the circuit of the days
  6. 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was approx. 21 qt. or 23 l
  7. 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
  8. 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel

A Barren Woman’s Petition is Granted

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim—his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

Now this man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to Adonai-Tzva’ot in Shiloh.[a] (The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were kohanim of Adonai there.) Then on the designated day Elkanah would sacrifice and give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he would give only one portion—even though he loved Hannah—for Adonai had closed her womb. Her rival would taunt her bitterly to provoke her, because Adonai had closed her womb. So it was year after year, whenever she went up to the House of Adonai, that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.

Then her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

After eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up. Now Eli the kohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the Temple of Adonai. 10 While her soul was bitter, she prayed to Adonai and wept. 11 So she made a vow and said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid, remember me and not forget Your handmaid, but grant Your handmaid a son, then I will give him to Adonai all the days of his life and no razor will ever touch his head.”

12 It came to pass, as she prayed long before Adonai, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Now Hannah was praying in her heart—only her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

15 But in response Hannah said, “No, my lord, I am a woman with an oppressed spirit! I haven’t been drinking wine or beer. Instead I’ve been pouring out my soul before Adonai. 16 Don’t consider your handmaid a wicked woman. For out of my great anguish and grief I’ve been praying until now.”

17 Then Eli responded, “Go in shalom, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you asked of Him.”[b]

18 “May your maidservant find favor in your eyes,” she said. So the woman went her way; she ate, and her countenance was no longer dejected.

19 They rose up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then went back to their home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and Adonai remembered her. 20 So it came to pass at the turn of the year that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, “because I have asked Adonai for him.”

21 When the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer the annual sacrifice to Adonai and to fulfill his vow offering, 22 Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him, so he may appear before Adonai and stay there forever.”

23 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him—only may Adonai establish His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour and a jar of wine, and brought him to the House of Adonai in Shiloh, while the child was still young.

25 After they slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “It’s me, my lord!” she said. “As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to Adonai. 27 For this boy I prayed, and Adonai has granted me my petition that I asked of Him. 28 So I in turn dedicate him to Adonai—as long as he lives he is dedicated to Adonai.” Then he bowed in worship there before Adonai.

'撒 母 耳 記 上 1 ' not found for the version: Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.

And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.

And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.

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.