1 Samuel 1

¹Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

³This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to the LORD, were there.

⁴When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;

⁵but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁶Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁷So year by year, when she went up to the LORD’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.

⁸Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁹So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

¹⁰She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

¹¹She vowed a vow, and said, “LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”