There was a certain man of Ramah, of the pupils of the prophets, of the hill country of the House of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, a man having a portion in the holy things in the hill country of the House of Ephraim.

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

And that man used to go up from his city, periodically from festival to festival, to bow down and to sacrifice before the LORD Sebaoth at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinahas, were serving before the LORD.

And on the festival when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.

And he would give to Hannah one choice portion, because he loved Hannah. And from before the LORD offspring was withheld from her.

And her rival used to provoke her, also to anger her in order to make her jealous, because from before the LORD offspring was withheld from her.

And so he did year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the LORD’s sanctuary, she used to anger her. And she was weeping and would not eat.

And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, ‘Hannah, why are you weeping? And why did you not eat? And why is your heart sad to you? Is not my goodwill better to you than ten sons?’

And Hannah rose, after she had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

And she was bitter of soul and she prayed before the LORD and wept abundantly.

And she swore an oath and said, ‘O LORD Sebaoth, the affliction of thy maidservant is indeed revealed before Thee. And let my memory come in before Thee and do not keep thy maidservant far away. And give to thy maidservant a son in the midst of the sons of men. And I will hand him over, that he may serve before the LORD all the days of his life. And the dominion of man will not be upon him.’

And when she continued praying before the LORD, Eli was waiting for her until she would stop.

And Hannah was praying in her heart. Only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. And Eli took her to be as a drunken woman.

And Eli said to her, ‘How long will you act insane? Will you not let your wine evaporate from you?’

And Hannah answered and said, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman anguished of spirit. I have drunk neither new nor old wine, but I have told the humiliation of my soul in prayer before the LORD.

Do not rebuke your maidservant as a daughter of wickedness, for from the abundance of my jealousy and my anger I lingered in prayer until now.’

And Eli answered and said, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant you your petition which you have made from before Him.’

And she said, ‘Let your maidservant find favour in your sight.’ Then the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.

They rose early in the morning and bowed down before the LORD. Then they went back to their house, to Ramah. And Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and her memory went in before the LORD.

And at the time of the completing of the days Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called him name Samuel, for she said, ‘I have asked him from before the LORD.’

And the man Elkanah and all the people of his house went up to sacrifice before the LORD the sacrifice of the festival, and to fulfil his vow.

But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, ‘As soon as the boy is weaned, I will bring him that he be seen before the LORD and live there for ever.’

And her husband Elkanah said to her, ‘Do what seems right in your sight; wait until you have weaned him. Only, may the LORD establish his words.’ So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one measure of flour and a skin of wine; and she brought him to the sanctuary of the LORD, to Shiloh. And the boy was young.

And they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.

And she said, ‘Please, my lord! By your life, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here with you to pray before the LORD.

Concerning this boy I prayed; and the LORD granted me my petition which I made from before Him.

And I have als handed him over that he may be serving before the LORD. All the days that he lives, he will serve before the LORD.’ And he bowed down before the LORD there.