1 Samuel 1:9-20

Christian Standard Bible

⁹ On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.^[a] The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.^{(A) 10} Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.^{(B) 11} Making a vow,^(C) she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,^(D) remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”^[b](E)

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently,^(F) and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk?^(G) Get rid of your wine!”

¹⁵ “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.^{(H) 16} Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;^(I) I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”^(J)

¹⁷ Eli responded, “Go in peace,^(K) and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”^(L)

¹⁸ “May your servant find favor with you,”^(M) she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.^[c](N)

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah.^(O) Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.^{(P) 20} After some time,^[d] Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[e] because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”