1 Samuel 1:1-20

Wycliffe Bible

1 There was a man of Ramathaim in Zophim, of the hill (country) of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihi, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.

² And Elkanah had two wives; the name to the one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and sons were to Peninnah; but Hannah had none free children. (And Elkanah had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.)

³ And that man went up from his city in the days that were ordained, to worship and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And [the] two sons of Eli were there, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord.

⁴ Then the day came, and Elkanah offered, and he gave parts to Peninnah, his wife (and he gave portions to his wife Peninnah), and to all his sons and daughters;

⁵ forsooth he gave sorrowfully one part, either double, to Hannah, for he loved Hannah; forsooth the Lord had closed her womb. (and sorrowfully he gave only one special portion to Hannah; for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed up her womb.)

⁶ And (Peninnah,) her enemy tormented her, and anguished (her) greatly, in so much that she upbraided her, that the Lord had closed (up) her womb.

⁷ And so Peninnah did each year, when the time came that they went up into the house of the Lord; and so she stirred Hannah. And then she wept, and took no meat. (And Peninnah did so each year, when the time came that they went up to the House of the Lord; and so she tormented Hannah. And then Hannah wept, and ate no food.)

⁸ Therefore Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why weepest thou, and why eatest thou not, and why is thine heart tormented? Whether I am not better to thee than be ten sons? (Am I not better to thee than ten sons?)

⁹ Soothly Hannah rose, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And the while Eli [the priest] was on his great seat before the posts of the house of the Lord, (And Hannah rose up, after that she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And while Eli the priest was on his great throne, beside the door of the House of the Lord,)

¹⁰ and when she was in bitter sorrow of soul, she prayed (to) the Lord, and wept largely (and greatly wept);

¹¹ and she made a vow to the Lord, and said, Lord God of hosts, if thou beholdest, and seest the torment of thy servantess, and if thou hast mind of me, and forgettest not thine handmaid, and givest a son to thy servantess, I shall give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come upon his head.

¹² And it was done, when she multiplied her prayers before the Lord, that Eli espied her mouth.

¹³ Forsooth Hannah spake in her heart, and only her lips were moved, and utterly her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli guessed her drunken, (And Hannah spoke in her heart, so that only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And so Eli guessed that she was drunk.)

¹⁴ and he said to her, How long shalt thou be drunken? Avoid thou a little the wine, by which thou art moist (Be thou done with the wine, by which thou art made drunk).

¹⁵ Hannah answered, and said, Nay, my lord, for I am an unhappy woman; I have not drunk wine, neither anything that may make drunken, but I have poured out my soul in the Lord’s sight (but I have poured out my soul before the Lord);

¹⁶ guess thou not thine handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial, for of the multitude of my sorrow and of my mourning I have spoken unto this present time. (think thou not that thy servantess is one of the daughters of Belial, for until this present time I have spoken out of the multitude of my sorrow, and of my mourning.)

¹⁷ Then Eli said to her, Go thou in peace, and (the) God of Israel give to thee the asking that thou hast prayed him (for).

¹⁸ And she said, I would that thine handmaid find grace in thine eyes. And the woman went into her way, and ate, and her cheers were no more changed diversely. (And she said, I desire that thy servantess find favour in thine eyes. And the woman went her way, and ate, and her face was no longer sad.)

¹⁹ And they rised (up) early, and worshipped before the Lord; and they turned again, and came into their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife; and the Lord thought on her (and the Lord remembered her).

²⁰ And it was done after the compass of days, Hannah conceived, and childed a son, and called his name Samuel; for she had asked him of the Lord (for she had asked for him from the Lord).