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- There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
- He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
- Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.
- Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
- But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.
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- Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from 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.
- He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
- Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there.
- When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
- but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb.
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- And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
- This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.
- Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"
- Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
- In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
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- Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
- It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.
- Then 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 better to you than ten sons?"
- Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
- She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
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- And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember 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, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
- As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
- Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk
- and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
- "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.
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- She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head."
- Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
- As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
- Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you."
- But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
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- Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."
- Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."
- She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
- Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
- So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."
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- "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation."
- Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him."
- She said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight " So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
- Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
- It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD."
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- When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
- Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."
- "Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
- After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
- When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,
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- Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.
- But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever."
- Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
- Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.
- Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli.
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- and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
- I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
- So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.
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- She said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD.
- "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
- "So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD " And he worshiped the LORD there.
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