1 Samuel 1
1
A Barren Woman’s Petition is Granted
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim—his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2He had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
3Now this man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to Adonai-Tzva’ot in Shiloh. (The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were kohanim of Adonai there.)
4Then on the designated day Elkanah would sacrifice and give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters,
5but to Hannah he would give only one portion—even though he loved Hannah—for Adonai had closed her womb.
6Her rival would taunt her bitterly to provoke her, because Adonai had closed her womb.
7So it was year after year, whenever she went up to the House of Adonai, that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.
8Then her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9After eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up. Now Eli the kohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the Temple of Adonai.
10While her soul was bitter, she prayed to Adonai and wept.
11So she made a vow and said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid, remember me and not forget Your handmaid, but grant Your handmaid a son, then I will give him to Adonai all the days of his life and no razor will ever touch his head.”
12It came to pass, as she prayed long before Adonai, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13Now Hannah was praying in her heart—only her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14Then Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”
15But in response Hannah said, “No, my lord, I am a woman with an oppressed spirit! I haven’t been drinking wine or beer. Instead I’ve been pouring out my soul before Adonai.
16Don’t consider your handmaid a wicked woman. For out of my great anguish and grief I’ve been praying until now.”
17Then Eli responded, “Go in shalom, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you asked of Him.”
18“May your maidservant find favor in your eyes,” she said. So the woman went her way; she ate, and her countenance was no longer dejected.
19They rose up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then went back to their home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and Adonai remembered her.
20So it came to pass at the turn of the year that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, “because I have asked Adonai for him.”
21When the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer the annual sacrifice to Adonai and to fulfill his vow offering,
22Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him, so he may appear before Adonai and stay there forever.”
23So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him—only may Adonai establish His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour and a jar of wine, and brought him to the House of Adonai in Shiloh, while the child was still young.
25After they slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
26“It’s me, my lord!” she said. “As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to Adonai.
27For this boy I prayed, and Adonai has granted me my petition that I asked of Him.
28So I in turn dedicate him to Adonai—as long as he lives he is dedicated to Adonai.” Then he bowed in worship there before Adonai.
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1 Samuel 1: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
1 Samuel 1
1
Samuel’s birth
1Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite#1.1 LXX; MT Ramathaim-zophim from the highlands of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was from the tribe of Ephraim, and he was the son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph. 2Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn’t.
3Every year this man would leave his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of heavenly forces in Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas were the LORD’s priests. 4Whenever he sacrificed, Elkanah would give parts of the sacrifice to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5But he would give only one part of it to Hannah, though he loved her, because the LORD had kept her from conceiving.#1.5 Heb uncertain; Syr But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he loved her, though the LORD had kept her from conceiving. 6And because the LORD had kept Hannah from conceiving, her rival would make fun of her mercilessly, just to bother her. 7So that is what took place year after year. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would make fun of her. Then she would cry and wouldn’t eat anything.
8“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah would say to her. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you#1.8 Or your heart so sad? Aren’t I worth more to you than ten sons?”
9One time, after eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up and presented herself before the LORD.#1.9 LXX; MT lacks presented herself before the LORD. (Now Eli the priest was sitting in the chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.) 10Hannah was very upset and couldn’t stop crying as she prayed to the LORD. 11Then she made this promise: “LORD of heavenly forces, just look at your servant’s pain and remember me! Don’t forget your servant! Give her a boy! Then I’ll give him to the LORD for his entire life. No razor will ever touch his head.”
12As she kept praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth. 13Now Hannah was praying in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice was silent, so Eli thought she was drunk.
14“How long will you act like a drunk? Sober up!” Eli told her.
15“No sir!” Hannah replied. “I’m just a very sad woman. I haven’t had any wine or beer but have been pouring out my heart to the LORD. 16Don’t think your servant is some good-for-nothing woman. This whole time I’ve been praying out of my great worry and trouble!”
17Eli responded, “Then go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you’ve asked from him.”
18“Please think well of me, your servant,” Hannah said. Then the woman went on her way, ate some food, and wasn’t sad any longer.#1.18 LXX; MT lacks sad.
19They got up early the next morning and worshipped the LORD. Then they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had sex with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 20So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, which means “I asked the LORD for him.”#1.20 Samuel means God has heard but here is connected to the Heb verb to ask.
Samuel’s dedication
21When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and keep his solemn promise, 22Hannah didn’t go.
“I’ll bring the boy when he is weaned,” she told her husband, “so he can be presented to the LORD and stay there permanently. I will offer him as a nazirite forever.”#1.22 DSS (4QSama); MT lacks I will offer… forever.
23“Do what seems best to you,” said her husband Elkanah. “Stay here until you’ve weaned him. But may the LORD bring to pass what you’ve#1.23 LXX, DSS (4QSama); MT he promised.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24When he had been weaned and was still very young,#1.24 Or and the boy was a boy; Heb uncertain Hannah took him, along with a three-year-old bull, #1.24 LXX, DSS (4QSama), Syr; MT three bulls an ephah#1.24 An ephah was approximately twenty quarts. of flour, and a jar of wine, and brought him to the LORD’s house at Shiloh. 25They slaughtered the bull, then brought the boy to Eli.
26“Excuse me, sir!” Hannah said. “As surely as you live, sir, I am the woman who stood here next to you, praying to the LORD. 27I prayed for this boy, and the LORD gave me what I asked from him. 28So now I give this boy back to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is given to the LORD.”
Then they worshipped there before the LORD.#1.28 Some Heb manuscripts, Syr, Vulg; MT he(Eli?) worshipped; DSS (4QSama) and she (Hannah) left him there and worshipped the LORD.
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