THERE was a man of Ephraim from Ramathaim-zophim. He was a son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 

He had two wives; the first was Hannah and the second, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 

This man went up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Self-existent, the God of armies, at Shiloh [the city of the palace of the Self-existent when Israel got to the promised land], where Eli’s two sons – Hophni and Phinehas – were the priests of the Self-existent.

Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave one portion of the meat to his wife, Peninnah, and to each of her sons and daughters, 

but gave double the portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Self-existent had kept her from conceiving. 

Because of that, her rival taunted her severely to provoke her. 

Her rival did this every year whenever they went up to the palace of the Self-existent. On one particular trip , Hannah wept and would not eat. 

“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you grieving? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and had drunk, being bitter, she got up – Eli the priest sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the palace of the Self-existent –

and prayed to the Self-existent, weeping profusely. 

Making a vow, she pleaded, “The Self-existent, the God of armies, if You will consider Your maid’s affliction, think on me – do not forget me – and give Your maid a son, I will give him to the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] all the days of his life; his hair will never be cut.”

As she was praying in the presence of the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] Eli watched her lips. 

 (Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.) Eli thought she was drunk

 and scolded her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

“No, my master,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart to the Self-existent. 

Don’t think of me as a naughty woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”

Eli responded, “Go in peace; may the God of Israel grant the petition you’ve requested from Him.”

“May your servant find mercy with you,” she replied. Then, Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

The next morning, they all got up early to worship the Self-existent. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah had intimate relations with his wife, Hannah, the Self-existent remembered her; 

she conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him ‘Samuel,’ because she said , “I requested him from the Self-existent.”

When Elkanah and all his household went up to offer the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Self-existent,

Hannah did not go; she had pleaded with her husband, “After the child is weaned, I will take him to the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] to stay there permanently,”

and her husband, Elkanah, had consented; he had said, “Do what you think is best; stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Self-existent confirm your word.” So,  Hannah stayed back and nursed her son until she weaned him.

When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour and a jar of wine. (Young as the boy was, she took him to the palace of the Self-existent [the Holy Spirit] at Shiloh.)

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

“Please, my master,” she said, “as sure as you live, my master, I am the woman who prayed to the Self-existent here, beside you. 

I prayed for this boy, and since the Self-existent gave me what I asked Him for, 

I now give the boy to the Self-existent. As long as he lives, he is given to the Self-existent.” Then she worshiped the Self-existent.