1 Samuel 1
New Century Version
Samuel’s Birth
1 There was a man named Elkanah son of Jeroham from Ramathaim in the mountains of Ephraim. Elkanah was from the family 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.) 2 Elkanah had two wives named Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and went up to Shiloh to worship the Lord All-Powerful and to offer sacrifices to him. Shiloh was where Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, served as priests of the Lord. 4 When Elkanah offered sacrifices, he always gave a share of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to her sons and daughters. 5 But Elkanah always gave a special share of the meat to Hannah, because he loved Hannah and because the Lord had kept her from having children. 6 Peninnah would tease Hannah and upset her, because the Lord had made her unable to have children. 7 This happened every year when they went up to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset 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? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once, after they had eaten their meal in Shiloh, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the entrance to the Lord’s house. 10 Hannah was so sad that she cried and prayed to the Lord. 11 She made a promise, saying, “Lord All-Powerful, see how sad I am. Remember me and don’t forget me. If you will give me a son, I will give him back to you all his life, and no one will ever cut his hair with a razor.”[a]
12 While Hannah kept praying, Eli watched her mouth. 13 She was praying in her heart so her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “Stop getting drunk! Throw away your wine!”
15 Hannah answered, “No, sir, I have not drunk any wine or beer. I am a deeply troubled woman, and I was telling the Lord about all my problems. 16 Don’t think I am an evil woman. I have been praying because I have many troubles and am very sad.”
17 Eli answered, “Go! I wish you well. May the God of Israel give you what you asked of him.”
18 Hannah said, “May I always please you.” When she left and ate something, she was not sad anymore.
19 Early the next morning Elkanah’s family got up and worshiped the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So Hannah became pregnant, and in time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him.”
Hannah Gives Samuel to God
21 Every year Elkanah went with his whole family to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and to keep the promise he had made to God. 22 But one time Hannah did not go with him. She told him, “When the boy is old enough to eat solid food, I will take him to Shiloh. Then I will give him to the Lord, and he will always live there.”
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. May the Lord do what you have said.” So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was old enough to eat.
24 When Samuel was old enough to eat, Hannah took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh, along with a three-year-old bull, one-half bushel of flour, and a leather bag filled with wine. 25 After they had killed the bull for the sacrifice, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli. 26 She said to Eli, “As surely as you live, sir, I am the same woman who stood near you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me. 28 Now I give him back to the Lord. He will belong to the Lord all his life.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
Footnotes
- 1:11 cut . . . razor People who made special promises not to cut their hair or to drink wine or beer were called Nazirites. These people gave a specific time in their lives, or sometimes their entire lives, to the Lord. See Numbers 6:1–5.
- 1:20 Samuel This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “God heard.”
1 Samuel 1
1599 Geneva Bible
The First Book of Samuel
1 1 The genealogy of Elkanah father of Samuel. 2 His two wives. 5 Hannah was barren, and prayed to the Lord. 15 Her answer to Eli. 20 Samuel is born. 24 She doth dedicate him to the Lord.
1 There was a man of one of the two [a]Ramathaim Zophim, of mount Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 (A)And this man went up out of his city every year, to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in [b]Shiloh, where were the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, Priests of the Lord.
4 And on a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions,
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy [c]portion: for he loved Hannah, and the Lord had made her barren.
6 ¶ And her adversary vexed her sore, forasmuch as she upbraided her, because the Lord had made her barren.
7 (And so did he year by year) and as oft as she went up to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that she wept and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thine heart troubled? am not I better to thee than ten [d]sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after that they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh (and Eli the Priest sat upon a stool by one of the posts of the [e]Temple of the Lord)
10 And she was troubled in her mind, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore:
11 Also she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look on the trouble of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, (B)and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.
13 For Hannah spake in her heart: her lips did move only, 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 [f]drunkenness from thee.
15 Then Hannah answered and said, Nay my lord, but I am a woman [g]troubled in spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have (C)poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid [h]for a wicked woman: for of the abundance of my complaint and my grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered, and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 She said again, Let thine handmaid find [i]grace in thy sight: so the woman went her way, and did eat, and looked no more sad.
19 ¶ Then they rose up early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. Now Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord [j]remembered her.
20 For in process of time Hannah conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Samuel, Because, said she, I have asked him of the Lord.
21 ¶ So the man [k]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 tarry until the child be weaned, then I will bring him that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.
23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him: only the Lord accomplish his [l]word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24 ¶ And when she had weaned him, she took him with her with three bullocks and an Ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was [m]young.
25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 And she said, Oh my Lord, as thy [n]soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood with thee here praying unto the Lord.
27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord hath given me my desire which I asked of him.
28 Therefore also I have [o]given him unto the Lord: as long as he liveth he shall be given unto the Lord: and he [p]worshipped the Lord there.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:1 There were two Ramatus, so that in this city in mount Ephraim were Zophim, that is, the learned men and Prophets.
- 1 Samuel 1:3 For the Ark was there at that time.
- 1 Samuel 1:5 Some read, a portion with an hearty cheer.
- 1 Samuel 1:8 Let this suffice thee, that I love thee no less, than if thou hadst many children.
- 1 Samuel 1:9 That is of the house where the Ark was.
- 1 Samuel 1:14 Hebrew, thy wine.
- 1 Samuel 1:15 Hebrew, of an hard spirit.
- 1 Samuel 1:16 Hebrew, for a daughter of Belial.
- 1 Samuel 1:18 That is, pray unto the Lord for me.
- 1 Samuel 1:19 According to her petition.
- 1 Samuel 1:21 This Elkanah was a Levite, 1 Chron. 6:27, and as some write once a year they accustomed to appear before the Lord with their families.
- 1 Samuel 1:23 Because her prayer took effect, therefore it was called the Lord’s promise.
- 1 Samuel 1:24 Hebrew, a child.
- 1 Samuel 1:26 That is, most certainly.
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Hebrew, lent.
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Meaning, Eli gave thanks to God for her.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
