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

1  There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.

2  And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3  And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto YHWH of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto the YHWH.

3  And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and there were Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.

4  And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, that he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

4  And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children.

4  Then the day arrived, and Elkanah immolated. And he gave portions to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and daughters.

5  but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but YHWH had shut up her womb.

5  And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord had closed her womb.

5  But to Hannah he gave one portion with sorrow. For he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb.

6  And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, because YHWH had shut up her womb.

6  For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.

6  And her rival afflicted her and vehemently distressed her, to a great extent, for she rebuked her that the Lord had closed her womb.

7  And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of YHWH, so she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat.

7  So she did year by year, in going up to the house of the Lord; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.

7  And she did so every year, when the time returned for them to ascend to the temple of the Lord. And she provoked her in this way. And so, she wept and did not take food.

8  And Elkanah her husband said unto her: 'Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?'

8  And Helkana her husband said to her, Anna: and she said to him, Here am I, my lord: and he said to her, What ails thee that thou weepest? and why dost thou not eat? and why does thy heart smite thee? am I not better to thee than ten children?

8  Therefore, her husband Elkanah said to her: “Hannah, why are you weeping? And why do you not eat? And for what reason do you afflict your heart? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9  So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk--now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of YHWH;

9  And Anna rose up after they had eaten in Selom, and stood before the Lord: and Heli the priest was on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord.

9  And so, after she ate and drank at Shiloh, Hannah rose up. And Eli, the priest, was sitting on the seat before the door of the temple of the Lord.

10  and she was in bitterness of soul--and prayed unto YHWH, and wept sore.

10  And she was very much grieved in spirit, and prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly.

11  And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O YHWH of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto YHWH all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'

11  And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if thou welt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

11  And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord of hosts, if, in looking with favor, you will see the affliction of your servant and will remember me, and will not forget your handmaid, and if you will give to your servant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall pass over his head.”

12  And it came to pass, as she prayed long before YHWH, that Eli watched her mouth.

12  Then it happened that, while she multiplied prayers before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.

13  Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she had been drunken.

13  And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: and Heli accounted her a drunken woman.

13  For Hannah was speaking in her heart, and only her lips moved, and her voice was barely heard. Therefore, Eli considered her to be drunk,

14  And Eli said unto her: 'How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.'

14  And the servant of Heli said to her, How long wilt thou be drunken? take away thy wine from thee, and go out from the presence of the Lord.

14  and so he said to her: “How long will you be inebriated? You should take only a little wine, but instead you are drenched.”

15  And Hannah answered and said: 'No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before YHWH.

15  Responding, Hannah said: “By no means, my lord. For I am an exceedingly unhappy woman, and I drank neither wine, nor anything that can inebriate. Instead, I have poured out my soul in the sight of the Lord.

16  Count not thy handmaid for a wicked woman: for out of the abundance of my complaint and my vexation have I spoken hitherto.'

16  You should not repute your handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial. For I have been speaking from the abundance of my sorrow and grief, even until now.”

16  Count not your maidservant in your presence a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken hitherto.

17  Then Eli answered and said: 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.'

17  Then Eli said to her: “Go in peace. And may the God of Israel grant to you your petition, which you have begged of him.”

18  And she said: 'Let thy servant find favour in thy sight.' So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

18  And she said, Thine handmaid has found favour in thine eyes: and the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no more sad.

18  And she said, “I wish that your handmaid may find grace in your eyes.” And the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her countenance was no longer changed for the worse.

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

19  And they rise early in the morning, and worship the Lord, and they go their way: and Helkana went into his house at Armathaim, and knew his wife Anna; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.

20  And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she called his name Samuel: 'because I have asked him of YHWH.'

20  And it happened that, in the course of days, Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel, because she had requested him from the Lord.

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

21  Now her husband Elkanah ascended with his entire house, so that he might immolate to the Lord a solemn sacrifice, with his vow.

22  But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband: 'Until the child be weaned, when I will bring him, that he may appear before YHWH, and there abide for ever.'

22  But Anna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, I will not go up until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.

22  But Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, “I will not go, until the infant has been weaned, and until I may lead him, so that he may appear before the sight of the Lord, and may remain always there.”

23  And Elkanah her husband said unto her: 'Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only YHWH establish His word.' So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

23  And Helkana her husband said to her, Do that which is good in thine eyes, abide still until thou shalt have weaned him; but may the Lord establish that which comes out of thy mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.

23  And her husband Elkanah said to her: “Do what seems good to you, and stay until you wean him. And I pray that the Lord may fulfill his word.” Therefore, the woman remained at home, and she breastfed her son, until she withdrew him from milk.

24  And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of YHWH in Shiloh; and the child was young.

24  And she went up with him to Selom with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a bottle of wine: and she entered into the house of the Lord in Selom, and the child with them.

24  And after she had weaned him, she brought him with her, along with three calves, and three measures of flour, and a small bottle of wine, and she led him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. But the boy was still a young child.

25  And when the bullock was slain, the child was brought to Eli.

25  And they brought him before the Lord; and his father slew his offering which he offered from year to year to the Lord; and he brought near the child, and slew the calf; and Anna the mother of the child brought him to Heli.

25  And they immolated a calf, and they presented the boy to Eli.

26  And she said: 'Oh, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto YHWH.

26  And Hannah said: “I beg you, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord: I am that woman, who stood before you here, praying to the Lord.

26  Then Hannah said to Eli, I beseech you, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to the LORD for this boy.

27  For this child I prayed; and YHWH hath granted me my petition which I asked of Him;

27  I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted to me my petition, which I asked of him.

28  therefore I also have lent him to YHWH; as long as he liveth he is lent to the YHWH.' And he worshipped the LORD there.

28  And I lend him to the Lord all his days that he lives, a loan to the Lord: and she said,

28  Because of this, I have also lent him to the Lord, for all the days when he shall be lent to the Lord.” And they adored the Lord in that place. And Hannah prayed, and she said