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Hannah’s Vow

¹ There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim^(C1) in^(F1) the hill country of Ephraim.^(C2) His name was Elkanah^(C3) son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives,^(C1) the first named Hannah^(C2) and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. ³ This man would go up from his town every year^(C1) to worship and to sacrifice^(C2) to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh,^(C3) 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^(C1) to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. ⁵ But he gave a double^(F1) portion^(C1) 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,^(C1) 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?” ^(C1)

⁹ On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.^(F1) The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.^{(C1) 10} Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.^{(C1) 11} Making a vow,^(C1) she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction,^(C2) remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son,^(F1) I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”^(F2)(C3)

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently,^(F1)(C1) 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?^(C1) 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.^{(C1) 16} Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;^(C1) I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”^(C2)

¹⁷ Eli responded, “Go in peace,^(C1) and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”^(C2)

¹⁸ “May your servant find favor with you,”^(C1) she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.^(F1)(C2)

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.^(C1) Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.^{(C2) 20} After some time,^(F1) Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^(F2) because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

²¹ When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice^(C1) 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^(C1) and to stay there permanently.”^(C2)

²³ Her husband Elkanah replied, “Do what you think is best,^(F1)(C1) and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your^(F2) word.”^(C2) 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,^(F1) half a bushel^(F2) of flour, and a clay jar of wine.^(C1) Though the boy was still young,^(F3) she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh.^{(C2) 25} Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.

²⁶ “Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live,^(C1) my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed for this boy,^(C1) and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for,^{(C2) 28} I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.”^(C1) Then he^(F1) worshiped the Lord there.^(F2)