⁹ After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of ^(A)the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ She was ^(B)deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. ¹¹ And she ^(C)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed ^(D)look on the affliction of your servant and ^(E)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, ^(F)and no razor shall touch his head.”

¹² As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. ¹⁴ And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” ¹⁵ But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but ^(G)I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not regard your servant as ^(H)a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered, ^(I)“Go in peace, and the God of Israel ^(J)grant your petition that you have made to him.” ¹⁸ And she said, ^(K)“Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman ^(L)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

¹⁹ They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at ^(M)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord ^(N)remembered her. ²⁰ And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”^[a]

Samuel Given to the Lord

²¹ The man Elkanah and all his house ^(O)went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord ^(P)and dwell there forever.” ^23 (Q)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; ^(R)only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. ²⁴ And when she had weaned him, ^(S)she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,^[b] an ephah^[c] of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to ^(T)the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. ²⁵ Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. ²⁶ And she said, “Oh, my lord! ^(U)As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. ²⁷ For this child I prayed, ^(V)and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. ²⁸ Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

^(W)And he worshiped the Lord there.