1 Samuel 1:9-2:11

New International Version

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.^(A) ¹⁰In her deep anguish^(B) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹And she made a vow,^(C) saying, “Lord Almighty^(D), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(E) 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,^(F) and no razor^(G) 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.^(H) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^(I) 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.”^(J)

¹⁷Eli answered, “Go in peace,^(K) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.^(L)”

¹⁸She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.^(M)” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.^(N)

¹⁹Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.^(O) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered^(P) her. ²⁰So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(Q) She named^(R) him Samuel,^[a]^(S) 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^(T) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,^(U) ²²Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present^(V) him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”^[b]

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^(W) his^[c] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned^(X) him.

²⁴After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[d]^(Y) an ephah^[e] 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^(Z) 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^(AA) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(AB)

“My heart rejoices^(AC) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn^[f]^(AD) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts^(AE) over my enemies,^(AF)
for I delight in your deliverance.

²“There is no one holy^(AG) like^(AH) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock^(AI) like our God.

³“Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,^(AJ)
for the Lord is a God who knows,^(AK)
and by him deeds^(AL) are weighed.^(AM)

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken,^(AN)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.^(AO)
⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry^(AP) are hungry no more.
She who was barren^(AQ) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive;^(AR)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.^(AS)
⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth;^(AT)
    he humbles and he exalts.^(AU)
⁸He raises^(AV) the poor^(AW) from the dust^(AX)
    and lifts the needy^(AY) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.^(AZ)

“For the foundations^(BA) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹He will guard the feet^(BB) of his faithful servants,^(BC)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.^(BD)

“It is not by strength^(BE) that one prevails;
¹⁰ those who oppose the Lord will be broken.^(BF)
The Most High will thunder^(BG) from heaven;
the Lord will judge^(BH) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength^(BI) to his king
and exalt the horn^(BJ) of his anointed.”

¹¹Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,^(BK) but the boy ministered^(BL) before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard by God.
1 Samuel 1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite—all the days of his life.”
1 Samuel 1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your
1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls
1 Samuel 1:24 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.