1 Samuel 1:21-28

Expanded Bible

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.