I Samuel 1:1-28
There was a
certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was
Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an
Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of
the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Now this
man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the
Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were
priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions
to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a
double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And
her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had
closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the
house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not
eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And
why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten
sons?"
After they
had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on
the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply
distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and
said, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your
servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your
servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and
no razor shall touch his head."
As she
continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking
in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli
took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go
on being drunk? Put away your wine from you." But Hannah answered,
"No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine
nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not
regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking
out of my great anxiety and vexation." Then Eli answered, "Go in
peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to
him." And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes."
Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
They rose
early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to
their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered
her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name
Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the Lord."
The man
Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and
to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "As
soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence
of the Lord and dwell there forever." Elkanah her
husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait
until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word." So the
woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. And when she had weaned
him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of
flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at
Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they
brought the child to Eli.
And she
said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing
here in your presence, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the
Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him
to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord."
And he
worshiped the Lord there. 1 (ESV)
This reading is taken from 30 Scripture Readings on Character
& Integrity. The complete book can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KYN53A
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright © 2001,
Wheaton: Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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