Samuel’s Birth

1 There was a [certain] man named Elkanah son of Jeroham from ·Ramathaim [Ramah; ^Cjust north of Jerusalem] in the ·mountains [hill country] of Ephraim. Elkanah was from the ·family [or region] of Zuph. (Jeroham was Elihu’s son. Elihu was Tohu’s son, and Tohu was the son of Zuph ·from the family group of Ephraim [an Ephraimite].) ² Elkanah had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none [^Cchildlessness carried a serious social stigma].

³ Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and ·went up [traveled] to Shiloh [^Cthe central worship place at that time, 30 miles north of Jerusalem, where the tabernacle was located] to worship the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts] and to offer sacrifices to him. Shiloh was where Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, served as priests of the Lord. ⁴ ·When [^LOn the day] Elkanah offered sacrifices, he always gave ·a share of the meat [portions] to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But Elkanah always gave Hannah ·a double portion of the meat because he loved her and the Lord had kept her from having children [or only one portion of the meat even though he loved her, because the Lord had kept her from having children; ^Conly one portion would be needed since there was no child to feed]. ⁶ ·Peninnah [^LHer rival/foe] would ·tease [taunt] Hannah and ·upset [provoke; irritate; make fun of] her, because the Lord had ·made her unable to have children [^Lclosed her womb]. ⁷ This happened ·every year [^Lyear after year] ·when [whenever] they went up to the house of the Lord at Shiloh [1:3]. Peninnah would ·upset [taunt; provoke] Hannah until Hannah would cry and not eat anything. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why won’t you eat? Why are you ·sad [downhearted]? ·Don’t I mean more [or Am I not better] to you than ten sons?”

⁹ Once, after ·they had eaten their meal [^Leating and drinking] in Shiloh [1:3], Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on ·a chair [the seat] ·near the entrance to [by the doorpost of] the Lord’s ·house [temple; Tabernacle]. ¹⁰ Hannah was so ·sad [anguished; deeply distressed; ^Lbitter] that she cried bitterly ·and [as she] prayed to the Lord. ¹¹ She made this ·promise [vow], saying, “Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts], if you will look on the ·sorrow [affliction; misery; humiliation] of your maidservant, and will ·remember [^Lremember and not forget] me, and will give ·me [^Lyour maidservant] a son, I will give him back to ·you [^Lthe Lord] all the days of his life, and no one will ever ·cut his hair [^Ltouch his head] with a razor [^Cindicating consecration to the Lord as a Nazirite; Num. 6:1–5].”

¹² While Hannah kept praying [^Lbefore the Lord], Eli watched her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying ·in her heart [silently]; her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “·Stop getting [^LHow long are you going to stay…?] drunk! ·Throw away [Get rid of; Put away] your wine!”

¹⁵ Hannah answered [^Land said], “No, sir, I have not drunk any wine or ·beer [^Tstrong drink; ^Can alcoholic beverage made of grain]. I am ·a deeply troubled woman [very discouraged; oppressed in spirit], and I was ·telling the Lord about all my problems [^Lpouring out my heart/soul to/before the Lord]. ¹⁶ Don’t think ·I am [your maidservant is] an ·evil [worthless] woman. I have been praying all this time ·because I have many troubles and am very sad [^Lout of great anguish/anxiety and sorrow/resentment].”

¹⁷ Eli answered, “·Go! I wish you well [Go in peace!]. May the God of Israel ·give you what [^Lgrant the request/petition] you asked of him.”

¹⁸ Hannah said, “May ·I always please you [your servant find favor in your sight].” So she left and ate something, and ·she [^Lher face/countenance] was not sad anymore.

¹⁹ Early the next morning they got up and worshiped [^Lbefore] the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah ·had sexual relations with [^Lknew] his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ So Hannah ·became pregnant [^Lconceived], and in time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [^Csounds like “God heard” in Hebrew], saying, “His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Gives Samuel to God

²¹ ·Every [or The next] year Elkanah went with his whole family to Shiloh [1:3] to offer sacrifices and to keep the ·promise [vow] he had made to ·God [^Lthe Lord]. ²² ·But one time [^LBut] Hannah did not go with him. She told her husband, “When the boy is ·old enough to eat solid food [weaned], I will take him to Shiloh [1:3]. Then I will give him to [… and present him before] the Lord, and he will ·always live there [stay there permanently/forever].”

²³ Elkanah, Hannah’s husband, said to her, “Do what you think is best. ·You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat [Stay until you have weaned him]. May the Lord ·do what you have said [bring about his promise; ^Lconfirm/establish his word].” So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was ·old enough to eat [weaned].

²⁴ When Samuel was ·old enough to eat [weaned], [^Lthough still very young,] Hannah took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh [1:3], along with a three-year-old bull, ·one-half bushel [^Lan ephah] of flour, and a ·leather bag filled with [skin of] wine. ²⁵ After they had ·killed the bull for the sacrifice [^Lslaughtered the bull], they brought Samuel to Eli. ²⁶ Hannah said to Eli, “As surely as you live, sir, I am the same woman who stood ·near [beside] you praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the Lord answered my ·prayer [request; petition] and gave him to me. ²⁸ Now I ·give him back [dedicate him; ^Llend him] to the Lord. He ·will belong [is dedicated/given over/lent] to the Lord all his life.” And ·he [or they] worshiped the Lord there.