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Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking at Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple[a] of Yahweh.) 10 She was deeply troubled,[b] so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow[c] and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child[d] then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.”[e] 12 While[f] she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth. 13 Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her to be drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like someone who is drunk? Put away your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord. I am a woman deeply distressed,[g] but I have not drunk wine or strong drink. Rather, I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not regard your female servant as worthless,[h] but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.” 18 And she said, “May your female slave find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went on her way and ate something, and her face did not look sad any longer.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:9 This is not the temple of Solomon (ca. 966 bc), but rather the tabernacle that first resided at Shiloh after the conquest of Joshua.
  2. 1 Samuel 1:10 Literally “bitter of soul”
  3. 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “vowed a vow”
  4. 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “an offspring of men”
  5. 1 Samuel 1:11 “A razor will never pass over his head” indicates that Hannah promised to dedicate her son to Yahweh as a Nazirite, according to the terms of Num 6:1–21
  6. 1 Samuel 1:12 Literally “And it happened that when”
  7. 1 Samuel 1:15 Literally “difficult of spirit”
  8. 1 Samuel 1:16 Literally “as a daughter of Belial/daughter of worthlessness”
  9. 1 Samuel 1:18 Literally “her faces were not for her any longer”

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.(A) 10 In her deep anguish(B) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow,(C) saying, “Lord Almighty(D), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember(E) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,(F) and no razor(G) will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled.(H) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring(I) out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”(J)

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace,(K) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.(L)

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.(M)” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.(N)

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