1 Samuel 1

1There was a man of Ramathaimsophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliu, the son of Thohu, the son of Suph, an Ephraimite:

2And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.

3And this man went up out of his city upon the appointed days, to adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Silo. And the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were there priests of the Lord.

4Now the day came, and Elcana offered sacrifice, and gave to Phenenna his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions:

5But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna. And the Lord had shut up her womb.

6Her rival also afflicted her, and troubled her exceedingly, insomuch that she upbraided her, that the Lord had shut up her womb:

7And thus she did every year, when the time returned that they went up to the temple of the Lord: and thus she provoked her: but Anna wept, and did not eat.

8Then Elcana her husband said to her: Anna, why weepest thou? and why dost thou not eat? And why dost thou afflict thy heart? Am not I better to thee than ten children?

9So Anna arose after she had eaten and drunk in Silo: And Heli the priest sitting upon a stool, before the door of the temple of the Lord:

10As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears,

11And she made a vow, saying: O Lord, of hosts, if thou wilt look down on the affliction of thy servant, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy servant a man child: I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

12And it came to pass, as she multiplied prayers before the Lord, that Heli observed her mouth.

13Now Anna spoke in her heart, and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard at all. Heli therefore thought her to be drunk,

14And said to her: How long wilt thou, be drunk? digest a little the wine, of which thou hast taken too much.

15Anna answering, said: Not so, my lord: for I am an exceeding unhappy woman, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16Count not thy handmaid for one of the daughters of Belial: for out of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken till now.

17Then Heli said to her: Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.

18And she said: Would to God thy handmaid may find grace in thy eyes. So the woman went on her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more changed.

19And they rose in the morning, and worshipped before the Lord: and they returned, and came into their house at Ramatha. And Elcana knew Anna his wife: and the Lord remembered her.

20And it came to pass when the time was come about, Anna conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the Lord.

21And Elcana her husband went up, and all his house, to offer to the Lord the solemn sacrifice, and his vow.

22But Anna went not up: for she said to her husband: I will not go till the child be weaned, and till I may carry him, that he may appear before the Lord, and may abide always there.

23And Elcana her husband said to her: Do what seemeth good to thee, and stay till thou wean him: and I pray that the Lord may fulfill his word. So the woman stayed at home, and gave her son suck, till she weaned him.

24And after she had weaned him, she carried him with her, with three calves, and three bushels of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Silo. Now the child was as yet very young:

25And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli.

26And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord: I am that woman who stood before thee here praying to the Lord.

27For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him.

28Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord all the days of his life, he shall be lent to the Lord. And they adored the Lord there. And Anna prayed, and said:

1Fuit vir unus de Ramathaimsophim, de monte Ephraim, et nomen ejus Elcana, filius Jeroham, filii Eliu, filii Thohu, filii Suph, Ephrathæus:

2et habuit duas uxores, nomen uni Anna, et nomen secundæ Phenenna. Fueruntque Phenennæ filii: Annæ autem non erant liberi.

3Et ascendebat vir ille de civitate sua statutis diebus, ut adoraret et sacrificaret Domino exercituum in Silo. Erant autem ibi duo filii Heli, Ophni et Phinees, sacerdotes Domini.

4Venit ergo dies, et immolavit Elcana, deditque Phenennæ uxori suæ, et cunctis filiis ejus et filiabus, partes:

5Annæ autem dedit partem unam tristis, quia Annam diligebat. Dominus autem concluserat vulvam ejus.

6Affligebat quoque eam æmula ejus, et vehementer angebat, in tantum ut exprobraret quod Dominus conclusisset vulvam ejus:

7sicque faciebat per singulos annos: cum redeunte tempore ascenderent ad templum Domini, et sic provocabat eam: porro illa flebat, et non capiebat cibum.

8Dixit ergo ei Elcana vir suus: Anna, cur fles? et quare non comedis? et quam ob rem affligitur cor tuum? numquid non ego melior tibi sum, quam decem filii?

9Surrexit autem Anna postquam comederat et biberat in Silo. Et Heli sacerdote sedente super sellam ante postes templi Domini,

10cum esset Anna amaro animo, oravit ad Dominum, flens largiter,

11et votum vovit, dicens: Domine exercituum, si respiciens videris afflictionem famulæ tuæ, et recordatus mei fueris, nec oblitus ancillæ tuæ, dederisque servæ tuæ sexum virilem: dabo eum Domino omnibus diebus vitæ ejus, et novacula non ascendet super caput ejus.

12Factum est autem, cum illa multiplicaret preces coram Domino, ut Heli observaret os ejus.

13Porro Anna loquebatur in corde suo, tantumque labia illius movebantur, et vox penitus non audiebatur. Æstimavit ergo eam Heli temulentam,

14dixitque ei: Usquequo ebria eris? digere paulisper vinum, quo mades.

15Respondens Anna: Nequaquam, inquit, domine mi: nam mulier infelix nimis ego sum: vinumque et omne quod inebriare potest, non bibi, sed effudi animam meam in conspectu Domini.

16Ne reputes ancillam tuam quasi unam de filiabus Belial: quia ex multitudine doloris et mœroris mei locuta sum usque in præsens.

17Tunc Heli ait ei: Vade in pace: et Deus Israël det tibi petitionem tuam quam rogasti eum.

18Et illa dixit: Utinam inveniat ancilla tua gratiam in oculis tuis. Et abiit mulier in viam suam, et comedit, vultusque illius non sunt amplius in diversa mutati.

19Et surrexerunt mane, et adoraverunt coram Domino: reversique sunt, et venerunt in domum suam Ramatha. Cognovit autem Elcana Annam uxorem suam: et recordatus est ejus Dominus.

20Et factum est post circulum dierum, concepit Anna, et peperit filium: vocavitque nomen ejus Samuel, eo quod a Domino postulasset eum.

21Ascendit autem vir ejus Elcana, et omnis domus ejus, ut immolaret Domino hostiam solemnem, et votum suum.

22Et Anna non ascendit: dixit enim viro suo: Non vadam donec ablactetur infans, et ducam eum, ut appareat ante conspectum Domini, et maneat ibi jugiter.

23Et ait ei Elcana vir suus: Fac quod bonum tibi videtur, et mane donec ablactes eum: precorque ut impleat Dominus verbum suum. Mansit ergo mulier, et lactavit filium suum, donec amoveret eum a lacte.

24Et adduxit eum secum, postquam ablactaverat, in vitulis tribus, et tribus modiis farinæ, et amphora vini, et adduxit eum ad domum Domini in Silo. Puer autem erat adhuc infantulus:

25et immolaverunt vitulum, et obtulerunt puerum Heli.

26Et ait Anna: Obsecro mi domine, vivit anima tua, domine: ego sum illa mulier, quæ steti coram te hic orans Dominum.

27Pro puero isto oravi, et dedit mihi Dominus petitionem meam quam postulavi eum.

28Idcirco et ego commodavi eum Domino cunctis diebus quibus fuerit commodatus Domino. Et adoraverunt ibi Dominum. Et oravit Anna, et ait:

1There was a certain man from Ramah of Zophim, on Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. And Peninnah had sons. But Hannah did not have children.

3And this man went up from his city, on the established days, so that he might adore and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord, were in that place.

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

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

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

7And 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.

8Therefore, 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?”

9And 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.

10And since Hannah was bitter in soul, she prayed to the Lord, weeping greatly.

11And 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.”

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

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

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

15Responding, 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.

16You 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.”

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

18And 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.

19And they rose up in the morning, and they worshipped before the Lord. And they returned and arrived at their own house at Ramah. Then Elkanah knew his wife Hannah. And the Lord remembered her.

20And 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.

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

22But 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.”

23And 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.

24And 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.

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

26And 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.

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

28Because 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: