1st Samuel 1:1There was a man named Elkanah from the Zuph family who lived in Ramathaimzophim, in the hill country of Ephraim. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph from the tribe of Ephraim.
1st Samuel 1:2 Elkanah had 2 wives. The name of one wife was Hannah and the other wife was Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah did not have any children.
1st Samuel 1:3 Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramathaimzophim and went to Shiloh. Elkanah worshiped the Lord the All-Powerful. There in Shiloh Elkanah offered sacrifices to the Lord. The 2 sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were the priests of the Lord in the town of Shiloh.
1st Samuel 1:4 When Elkanah gave an offering to the Lord, he gave pieces of the meat offering to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters.
1st Samuel 1:5 But to Hannah, Elkanah gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.
1st Samuel 1:6 Peninnah would always make Hannah angry and humiliate because the Lord did not give Hannah any children.
1st Samuel 1:7 This happened every year when their family went to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. So, every year Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would begin to cry and would not eat anything.
1 Samuel 1:8 Then Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, said to her: Hannah, why are you crying? Why don’t you eat? Why are you sad? You know you have me and that is better than having 10 sons.
1 Samuel 1:9 After eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah went to the temple of the Lord. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair at the door of the tent.
1 Samuel 1:10 Hannah was very sad. She prayed to the Lord and cried for a long time.
1 Samuel 1:11 Hannah made a special promise to God and said, Lord, you are the one who rule everything, I am your servant, please look at me and see how sad I am. Remember me. Don’t forget me. If you will give me a son, I will bring him here to belong to You for as long as he shall lives and no one will shave off the hair on his head.
1 Samuel 1:12 Hannah kept on praying to God for a long time and Eli saw her talking.
1 Samuel 1:13 But Hannah did not speak loudly, Hannah was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving, but since she did not say the words out loud, Eli thought she was drunk.
1 Samuel 1:14 Then Eli said to Hannah: You have had too much to drink. It is time to put away the wine.
1 Samuel 1:15 But Hannah said to Eli: No, sir, I have not drunk wine or strong alcohol. I am very sad and I told the Lord how I feel.
1 Samuel 1:16 Hannah said to Eli, Do not think I am a bad woman. I have talked to the Lord about all my problems and my pain.
1 Samuel 1:17 Eli said to Hannah: Go in peace. The God of Israel will give to you what you have asked Him for.
1 Samuel 1:18 Hannah answered: I hope that you will think well of me. Hannah went away and eating something, she was not sad anymore.
1 Samuel 1:19 The next morning Elkanah and his family got up, prayed to the Lord and then went back to their home in the town of Ramah. Elkanah had sex with Hannah and the Lord remembered what Hannah had asked.
1 Samuel 1:20 It happen that Hannah became with child and gave birth to a son. Hannah named him Samuel. She said: His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord to give him to me.
1 Samuel 1:21 Elkanah went to Shiloh to offer the sacrifice for that year and the gift he had promised to the Lord. He took his family with him.
1 Samuel 1:22 Hannah did not go with them. She said to her husband, Elkanah: When the boy is old enough to eat solid food, I will take him to Shiloh. I will take Samuel and I will give him to the Lord to work for Him. Then Samuel can always stay there.
1 Samuel 1:23 Her husband Elkanah said to Hannah: You must do what you think is good. You may stay home until the Samuel is old enough to eat solid food. I pray that God will do everything that He has promised you. Hannah stayed at home until her son, Samuel, stopped drinking milk from her.
1 Samuel 1:24 When the boy ,Samuel, was old enough to eat solid food, Hannah took Samuel to the Lord’s house at Shiloh. She also took 3 bull, 10 pounds of flour, and a bottle of wine.
1 Samuel 1:25 They sacrificed a bull and then they took the Samuel to Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 1:26 Hannah said to Eli: Sir, do you remember me? I am the woman who was here with you and prayed to the Lord.
1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed to have this child and the Lord has given me what I asked Him for.
1 Samuel 1:28 And now I give this child to the Lord. He will serve the Lord all his life. Samuel worship the Lord there.