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?”