1 Samuel 1

Modern

Literal

Elkanah and His Wives

¹Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim^a in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu,^b the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

¹And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim. And his name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

²And to him were two wives: The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, and Hannah had no children.

³Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

³And that man went up from his city from days to days to bow and sacrifice to YHWH of Hosts in Shiloh. And were there the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of YHWH.

⁴And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

⁴And whenever came the time for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions.

⁵But to Hannah he would give a double portion,^a for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

⁵And to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although YHWH had closed her womb.

⁶Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her.

⁶And her rival also provoked her severely to make her miserable, because YHWH had shut up her womb.

⁷And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.

⁷And it was year by year, when she went up to the house of YHWH, that she provoked her. And she wept and did not eat.

⁸“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁸And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Hannah Prays for a Son

⁹So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

⁹And Hannah arose after they had finished eating in Shiloh, and after drinking, and Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH.

¹⁰In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

¹⁰And she was bitter of soul, and she prayed to YHWH and wept bitterly.

¹¹And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

¹¹And she made a vow and said, “O YHWH of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant, and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and will give to your maidservant a male seed, I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and a razor shall not go up on his head.”

¹²As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

¹²And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the face of YHWH, that Eli watched her mouth.

¹³Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.

So Eli thought she was drunk

¹³And Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. And Eli thought she was drunk.

¹⁴and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”

¹⁴And Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

¹⁵“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

¹⁵And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; and I have not drunk any wine or strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the face of YHWH.

¹⁶Do not take your servant for a wicked woman, for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

¹⁶Do not put your maidservant before the face of a daughter of worthlessness, for out of the abundance of my anguish and grief I have been speaking until now.”

¹⁷“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”

¹⁷And Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

¹⁸“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began to eat, and her face was no longer downcast.

¹⁸And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your eyes.” And the woman went her way, and ate, and her face was not sad for herself anymore.

The Birth of Samuel

¹⁹The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah.

And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

¹⁹And they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the face of YHWH, and they returned and came to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and YHWH remembered her.

²⁰So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^a saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

²⁰And it came to pass, in the coming around of the days, that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, “For from YHWH I have asked for him.”

²¹Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,

²¹And the man Elkanah went up, and all his house, to offer to YHWH the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

²²but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”^a

²²And Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “Until the child is weaned, then I will bring him, that he may appear before YHWH and remain there even to forever.”

²³“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.”^a

So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

²³And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him. Only let YHWH establish His word.” And the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

²⁴Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull,^a an ephah of flour,^b and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.

²⁴And she took him up with her when she had weaned him, along with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of YHWH in Shiloh; and the boy was a young boy.

²⁵And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

²⁵And they slaughtered a bull and brought the boy to Eli.

²⁶“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.

²⁶And she said, “Please, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you in this place praying to YHWH.

²⁷I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,

²⁷I prayed for this boy, and YHWH has granted to me my petition that I asked of Him.

²⁸I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.”

So they worshiped^a the LORD there.

²⁸And also I have granted him to YHWH. As long as the days that he lives he shall be granted to YHWH.” And they bowed low there before YHWH.