The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 There was a man from Ramatayim-Tzofim, in the hills of Efrayim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Yerocham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tochu, the son of Tzuf, from Efrat.
1
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill-country of Ephraim, named Elkanah; he was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:
2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other P'ninah. P'ninah had children, but Hannah had no children.
2
And he had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah was the mother of children, but Hannah had no children.
3 This man went up from his city every year to worship and sacrifice to ADONAI-Tzva'ot in Shiloh. The two sons of 'Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, were cohanim of ADONAI there.
3
Now this man went up from his town every year to give worship and to make offerings to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4 One day, when Elkanah was sacrificing, he gave a portion of the sacrifice to his wife P'ninah and portions to each of her sons and daughters;
4
And when the day came for Elkanah to make his offering, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, their part of the feast:
5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved Hannah, even though ADONAI had kept her from having children.
5
But to Hannah he gave one part, though Hannah was very dear to him, but the Lord had not let her have children.
6 Her rival taunted her and made her feel bad, because ADONAI had kept her from having children.
6
And the other wife did everything possible to make her unhappy, because the Lord had not let her have children;
7 He did the same every year; and each time she went up to the house of ADONAI, she taunted her so much that she would cry and not eat.
7
And year by year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, she kept on attacking her, so that Hannah gave herself up to weeping and would take no food.
8 Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying, and why aren't you eating? Why be so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
8
Then her husband Elkanah said to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? and why are you taking no food? why is your heart troubled? am I not more to you than ten sons?
9 So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. 'Eli the cohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of ADONAI.
9
So after they had taken food and wine in the guest room, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was seated by the pillars of the doorway of the Temple of the Lord.
10 In deep depression she prayed to ADONAI and cried.
10
And with grief in her soul, weeping bitterly, she made her prayer to the Lord.
11 Then she took a vow; she said, "ADONAI-Tzva'ot, if you will notice how humiliated your servant is, if you will remember me and not forget your servant but will give your servant a male child, then I will give him to ADONAI for as long as he lives; and no razor will ever come on his head."
11
And she made an oath, and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant, not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man-child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.
12 She prayed for a long time before ADONAI; and as she did so, 'Eli was watching her mouth.
12
Now while she was a long time in prayer before the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth.
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart - her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard -so 'Eli thought she was drunk.
13
For Hannah's prayer came from her heart, and though her lips were moving she made no sound: so it seemed to Eli that she was overcome with wine.
14 'Eli said to her, "How long are you going to stay drunk? Stop drinking your wine!"
14
And Eli said to her, How long are you going to be the worse for drink? Put away the effects of your wine from you.
15 But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a very unhappy woman. I have not drunk either wine or other strong liquor; rather, I've been pouring out my soul before ADONAI.
15
And Hannah, answering him, said, No, my lord, I am a woman whose spirit is broken with sorrow: I have not taken wine or strong drink, but I have been opening my heart before the Lord.
16 Don't think of your servant as a worthless woman; because I have been speaking from the depth of my distress and anger."
16
Do not take your servant to be a good-for-nothing woman: for my words have come from my stored-up sorrow and pain.
17 Then 'Eli replied, "Go in peace. May the God of Isra'el grant what you have asked of him."
17
Then Eli said to her, Go in peace: and may the God of Israel give you an answer to the prayer you have made to him.
18 She replied, "May your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her face was no longer sad.
18
And she said, May your servant have grace in your eyes. So the woman went away, and took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They got up early in the morning and worshipped before ADONAI, then returned and came to their house in Ramah. Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and ADONAI remembered her.
19
And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.
20 She conceived; and in due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Sh'mu'el, "because I asked ADONAI for him." "Sh'mu'el" is derived from shem El, "name of God," but sounds like sha'ul me'el, "asked from God."
20
Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.
21 The husband, Elkanah, went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to ADONAI and fulfill his vow.
21
And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.
22 But Hannah did not go up, explaining to her husband, "Not till the child has been weaned. Then I will bring him, so that he can appear before ADONAI and live there forever."
22
But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.
23 Her husband Elkanah answered her, "Do what seems good to you; stay here until you have weaned him. Only may ADONAI bring about what he said." So the woman stayed behind and nursed the child, until she weaned him.
23
And her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.
24 After weaning him, she took him up with her, along with three young bulls, a bushel of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of ADONAI in Shiloh, even though he was just a child.
24
Then when she had done so, she took him with her, with a three-year old ox and an ephah of meal and a skin full of wine, and took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh: now the child was still very young.
25 After the bull had been slaughtered, the child was brought to 'Eli;
25
And when they had made an offering of the ox, they took the child to Eli.
26 and she said, "My lord, as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here near you, praying to ADONAI.
26
And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:
27 I prayed for this child, and ADONAI has granted the request I asked of him.
27
My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:
28 Therefore, I too have loaned him to ADONAI - as long as he lives, he is on loan to ADONAI."And he prostrated himself there before ADONAI.
28
So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.