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1 Samuel 1
Christian Standard Bible

Hannah’s Vow

1 There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim(A) in[a] the hill country of Ephraim.(B) His name was Elkanah(C) son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives,(D) the first named Hannah(E) and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 3 This man would go up from his town every year(F) to worship and to sacrifice(G) to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh,(H) where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat(I) to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave a double[b] portion(J) to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving. 6 Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 7 Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house,(K) her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat. 8 “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” (L)

9 On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.[c] The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.(M) 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.(N) 11 Making a vow,(O) she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,(P) 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.”[d](Q)

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying silently,(R) 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?(S) 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.(T) 16 Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;(U) I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”(V)

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

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

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.(AA) Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.(AB) 20 After some time,[f] Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[g] because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

21 When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice(AC) and his vow offering to the Lord, 22 Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence(AD) and to stay there permanently.”(AE)

23 Her husband, Elkanah, replied, “Do what you think is best,(AF) and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your[h] word.”(AG) So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull,[i] half a bushel[j] of flour, and a clay jar of wine.(AH) Though the boy was still young,[k] she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh.(AI) 25 Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.

26 “Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live,(AJ) my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy,(AK) and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for,(AL) 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.”(AM) Then he[l] worshiped the Lord there.[m]

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Or from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from
  2. 1:5 Or gave only one; Hb obscure
  3. 1:9 LXX adds and presented herself before the Lord
  4. 1:11 Lit and no razor will go up on his head
  5. 1:18 Lit and her face was not to her again
  6. 1:20 Lit In the turning of the days
  7. 1:20 In Hb, the name Samuel sounds like the phrase “requested from God.”
  8. 1:23 DSS, LXX, Syr; MT reads his
  9. 1:24 DSS, LXX, Syr; MT reads Shiloh with three bulls
  10. 1:24 Lit bull and an ephah
  11. 1:24 Lit And the youth was a youth
  12. 1:28 DSS read she; some Hb mss, Syr, Vg read they
  13. 1:28 LXX reads Then she left him there before the Lord
Close ISV

1 Samuel 1
International Standard Version

The Birth of Samuel

1 A certain man lived in Ramathaim-zophim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim. He was Jeroham’s son Elkanah, the grandson of Elihu and grandson of Tohu, who was the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 That man would go up from his town each year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phineas served as priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah offered sacrifices, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, 5 but he would give twice as much to Hannah because he loved her.

Now the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival would provoke her severely so that she complained loudly[a] because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 Elkanah[b] would do this year after year, as often as Hannah[c] went up to the house of the Lord. Likewise, Peninnah[d] would provoke her, and Hannah[e] would cry and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband told her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why don’t you eat? Why are you upset?[f] Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 Hannah got up after she had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the chair by the doorpost of the tent[g] of the Lord. 10 Deeply distressed, she prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 Hannah[h] made a vow: “Lord of the Heavenly Armies, if you just look at the misery of your maid servant, remember me, and don’t forget your maid servant. If you give your maid servant a son,[i] then I’ll give him to the Lord[j] for all the days of his life,[k] and a razor is never to touch[l] his head.”

12 As she continued to pray in the Lord’s presence, Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Hannah[m] was praying inwardly.[n] Her lips were quivering, and her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Eli told her, “How long will you stay drunk? Put away your wine!”

15 “No, sir!”[o] Hannah replied. “I’m a deeply troubled[p] woman. I’ve drunk neither wine nor beer. I’ve been pouring out my soul in the Lord’s presence. 16 Don’t consider your maid servant a worthless woman. Rather, all this time I’ve been speaking because I’m very anxious and distressed.”

17 “Go in peace,” Eli answered. “May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “Let your servant[q] find favor in your eyes.” Then she[r] went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.[s]

19 They got up early the next morning and worshipped in the Lord’s presence, and then they returned and came to their house at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with[t] his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 By the time of the next year’s sacrifice,[u] Hannah had become pregnant and had borne a son. She named him Samuel[v] because she said,[w] “I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord

21 Then Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and pay his vow. 22 Hannah did not go up because she had told her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence and remain there[x] forever.”[y]

23 “Do what you want,”[z] Elkanah told her. “Stay until you have weaned him, only may the Lord bring about what you’ve said.”[aa] So Hannah[ab] stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24 Then, when she had weaned him, she brought him[ac] up with her to Shiloh,[ad] along with a three-year-old bull,[ae] an ephah[af] of flour, and a skin of wine. She brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh, and the boy[ag] was young.[ah] 25 They slaughtered the bull and brought the boy[ai] to Eli.

26 Hannah[aj] said, “Sir,[ak] as surely as you are alive, I’m the woman who stood before you here praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy, and the Lord granted me the request I asked of him. 28 Now[al] I’m dedicating[am] him to the Lord, and as long as he lives,[an] he will be dedicated[ao] to the Lord.” Then they worshipped[ap] the Lord there.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:6 Or severely to irritate her
  2. 1 Samuel 1:7 Lit. He
  3. 1 Samuel 1:7 Lit. she
  4. 1 Samuel 1:7 Lit. she
  5. 1 Samuel 1:7 Lit. she
  6. 1 Samuel 1:8 Lit. is your heart troubled
  7. 1 Samuel 1:9 Or temple
  8. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit. She
  9. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit. seed of men
  10. 1 Samuel 1:11 So MT; LXX reads him to your presence as a gift until the day of his death
  11. 1 Samuel 1:11 So MT; LXX and DSS read life, and wine or strong drink he won’t drink; Cf. 4QSama
  12. 1 Samuel 1:11 Or cross; MT reads to go over; 4QSama reads to come upon
  13. 1 Samuel 1:13 So MT; 4QSama LXX read She
  14. 1 Samuel 1:13 Lit. in her heart
  15. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit. No, my lord
  16. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit. harsh of spirit; i.e. one whose life is hard
  17. 1 Samuel 1:18 Lit. maid servant
  18. 1 Samuel 1:18 Lit. Then the woman
  19. 1 Samuel 1:18 So LXX; The meaning of MT is uncertain.
  20. 1 Samuel 1:19 Lit. Elkanah knew
  21. 1 Samuel 1:20 Or in due time
  22. 1 Samuel 1:20 The Heb. name Samuel means God has heard
  23. 1 Samuel 1:20 The Heb. lacks she said
  24. 1 Samuel 1:22 So MT; 4QSama reads before there
  25. 1 Samuel 1:22 So MT LXX; 4QSama reads there, and I’ll dedicate him as a Nazirite forever, all his days
  26. 1 Samuel 1:23 Lit. is good in your eye
  27. 1 Samuel 1:23 So LXX and DSS; lit. about what comes out of your mouth; MT reads about his word
  28. 1 Samuel 1:23 Lit. So the woman
  29. 1 Samuel 1:24 So 4QSama; MT employs a Heb. suffix
  30. 1 Samuel 1:24 The Heb. lacks to Shiloh; LXX and DSS add to Shiloh
  31. 1 Samuel 1:24 4QSama LXX read three bulls; meaning of MT is uncertain.
  32. 1 Samuel 1:24 I.e. about a half-bushel; an ephah was a measure of dry capacity equal to about one half of a bushel
  33. 1 Samuel 1:24 So MT LXX; 4QSama reads child
  34. 1 Samuel 1:24 The meaning of MT is uncertain; lit. the lad was a lad; LXX and DSS read and the boy was with them.
  35. 1 Samuel 1:25 So MT; Cf. 4QSama; LXX reads was with them. When they brought him into the presence of the Lord, his father slaughtered the sacrifice, as he did annually for the Lord. Then he brought the child, 25 and he slaughtered the calf. And Hannah his mother brought him
  36. 1 Samuel 1:26 Lit. she
  37. 1 Samuel 1:26 Lit. My lord
  38. 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit. Also
  39. 1 Samuel 1:28 Or lending
  40. 1 Samuel 1:28 So LXX and other Heb. MSS; MT reads is
  41. 1 Samuel 1:28 Or lent
  42. 1 Samuel 1:28 So 4QSama; MT LXXmss read So he worshipped; LXX lacks Then they worshipped the Lord there
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