1 Samuel 1:3-11

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

³ Now this man used to go up year by year from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.^{(A) 4} On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters,^{(B) 5} but to Hannah he gave a double portion^[a] because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.^{(C) 6} Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.^{(D) 7} So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”^(E)

⁹ After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord.^[b] Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.^{(F) 10} She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. ¹¹ She made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants,^[c] and no razor shall touch his head.”^(G)