1 Samuel 1
1
The birth of Samuel
1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite#1:1 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 6:26-27,33-35; or from Ramathaim Zuphim. from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah would say to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?’
9Once 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. 10In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember 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, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’
12As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14and 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. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’
17Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’
18She said, ‘May your servant find favour in your eyes.’ Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19Early the next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,#1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard by God. saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him.’
Hannah dedicates Samuel
21When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfil his vow, 22Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, ‘After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.’#1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite – all the days of his life.’
23‘Do what seems best to you,’ her husband Elkanah told her. ‘Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his#1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your word.’ So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,#1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls an ephah#1:24 That is, probably about 16 kilograms of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26and she said to him, ‘Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshipped the Lord there.
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1 Samuel 1: NIVUK
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
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1 Samuel 1
1
Samuel’s Birth
1There was a man named Elkanah from Ramathaim Zophim in the mountains of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, grandson of Elihu, great-grandson of Tohu, whose father was Zuph from the tribe of Ephraim. 2Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3Every year this man would go from his own city to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served there as priests of the Lord.
4Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to his wife Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. 5He would also give one portion to Hannah because he loved her, even though the Lord had kept her from having children. 6Because the Lord had made her unable to have children, her rival ⌞Peninnah⌟ tormented her endlessly in order to make her miserable. 7This happened year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would make her miserable, and Hannah would cry and not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why haven’t you eaten? Why are you so downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9One day, after Hannah had something to eat and drink in Shiloh, she got up. (The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the door of the Lord’s temple.) 10Though she was resentful, she prayed to the Lord while she cried. 11She made this vow, “Lord of Armies, if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to you for as long as he lives. A razor will never be used on his head.” 12While Hannah was praying a long time in front of the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 13She was praying silently. Her voice couldn’t be heard; only her lips were moving. Eli thought she was drunk.
14“How long are you going to stay drunk?” Eli asked her. “Get rid of your wine.”
15Hannah responded, “No sir. I’m not drunk. I’m depressed. I’m pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16Don’t take me to be a good-for-nothing woman. I was praying like this because I’ve been troubled and tormented.”
17Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request.”
18“May you continue to be kind to me,” she said. Then the woman went her way and ate. She was no longer sad.
19Early in the morning Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped in front of the Lord. Then they returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”
Samuel’s Childhood
21To keep his vow, Elkanah and his entire household again went to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord. 22But Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “I’ll wait until the boy is weaned. Then I’ll bring him and present him to the Lord, and he’ll stay there permanently.”
23“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Wait until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord keep his word.” The woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24As soon as she had weaned Samuel, she took him with her. She also brought a three-year-old bull,#1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek, Latin, Syriac; Masoretic Text “three bulls.” (See verse 25.) half a bushel of flour, and a full wineskin. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh while the boy was ⌞still⌟ a child.
25Then the parents butchered the bull and brought the child to Eli. 26“Sir,” Hannah said, “as sure as you live, I’m the woman who stood here next to you and prayed to the Lord. 27I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. 28In return, I am giving him to the Lord. He will be dedicated to the Lord for his whole life.”
And they worshiped the Lord there.
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