撒母耳的出生
1有一个以法莲人名叫以利加拿，住在以法莲山区的拉玛·琐非城。他是苏弗的玄孙、托户的曾孙、以利户的孙子、耶罗罕的儿子。 2他有两个妻子，一个叫哈娜，一个叫毗尼娜。毗尼娜有儿有女，哈娜却无儿无女。
3以利加拿每年都从家乡到示罗去敬拜万军之耶和华，献上祭物。当时以利的两个儿子何弗尼和非尼哈在那里做耶和华的祭司。 4每当献完祭后，以利加拿就会把祭肉分给毗尼娜和她的儿女。 5但他会给哈娜双份祭肉，因为他爱哈娜，虽然耶和华使她不能生育。 6毗尼娜见她不能生育，便常常羞辱她、气她。 7每年来到耶和华的殿时，毗尼娜总是惹她伤心哭泣，以致她吃不下饭。 8她的丈夫以利加拿对她说：“哈娜，你为什么哭？为什么不吃饭？为什么心里难过？有我不是比有十个儿子更好吗？”
9一天，他们在示罗吃完饭后，哈娜起来祷告。当时，祭司以利正坐在耶和华殿门口的座位上。 10哈娜心中愁苦，一边祷告一边伤心地哭泣。 11她向上帝许愿说：“万军之耶和华啊，如果你眷顾婢女的痛苦，不忘记婢女，赐给婢女一个儿子，我必让他终生事奉你，永不剃他的头1:11 参见民数记6章。。” 12哈娜在耶和华面前祷告，以利注视着她的嘴唇。 13哈娜在心中默祷，只动嘴唇，不出声音，以利以为她喝醉了， 14便对她说：“你要醉到什么时候呢？醒醒酒吧！” 15哈娜答道：“我主啊，我没有喝醉，我淡酒和烈酒都没有喝。我是心里非常愁苦，在耶和华面前倾诉心事。 16请不要以为我是堕落的女人，我心中非常悲伤痛苦，所以一直在祷告。” 17以利说：“你安心地回去吧，愿以色列的上帝答应你的祈求。” 18哈娜说：“谢谢你恩待婢女。”于是，她就去吃饭，不再愁容满面了。
19第二天，以利加拿一家清早起来敬拜耶和华，然后回到自己的家乡拉玛。以利加拿与哈娜同房，耶和华顾念哈娜， 20使她怀孕。她后来生了一个儿子，给孩子取名叫撒母耳，因为她说：“他是我向耶和华求来的。”
21第二年，以利加拿带全家人前往示罗，向耶和华献年祭并还所许的愿。 22哈娜没有跟他们同去，她告诉丈夫说：“孩子断奶以后，我会把他带去献给耶和华，让他永远住在那里。” 23以利加拿说：“就依你的意思吧。愿耶和华成就祂的应许。”于是，她就留在家中哺养孩子，直到孩子断奶。 24孩子断奶以后，她就把他带到示罗耶和华的殿，并带去三头公牛、十公斤面粉和一袋酒。 25他们宰了一头公牛后，就把孩子带到以利面前。 26哈娜说：“我主啊，我敢在你面前起誓，我就是那一次站在你这里向耶和华祈求的妇人。 27我求耶和华赐给我一个孩子，祂应允了我的祈求。 28现在，我将他献给耶和华，让他终身事奉耶和华。”
他便在那里敬拜耶和华。
Samuel Is Born
1A certain man from Ramathaim in the hill country of Ephraim was named Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Elihu. Elihu was the son of Tohu. Tohu was the son of Zuph. Elkanah belonged to the family line of Zuph. Elkanah lived in the territory of Ephraim. 2Elkanah had two wives. One was named Hannah. The other was named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn’t.
3Year after year Elkanah went up from his town to Shiloh. He went there to worship and sacrifice to the Lord who rules over all. Hophni and Phinehas served as priests of the Lord at Shiloh. They were the two sons of Eli. 4Every year at Shiloh, the day would come for Elkanah to offer a sacrifice. On that day, he would give a share of the meat to his wife Peninnah. He would also give a share to each of her sons and daughters. 5But he would give two shares of meat to Hannah. That’s because he loved her. He also gave her two shares because the Lord had kept her from having children. 6Peninnah teased Hannah to make her angry. She did it because the Lord had kept Hannah from having children. 7Peninnah teased Hannah year after year. Every time Hannah would go up to the house of the Lord, Elkanah’s other wife would tease her. She would keep doing it until Hannah cried and wouldn’t eat. 8Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why don’t you eat? Why are you so unhappy? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10Hannah was very sad. She wept and wept. She prayed to the Lord. 11She made a promise to him. She said, “Lord, you rule over all. Please see how I’m suffering! Show concern for me! Don’t forget about me! Please give me a son! If you do, I’ll give him back to the Lord. Then he will serve the Lord all the days of his life. He’ll never use a razor on his head. He’ll never cut his hair.”
12As Hannah kept on praying to the Lord, Eli watched her lips. 13She was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving. But she wasn’t making a sound. Eli thought Hannah was drunk. 14He said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Stop drinking your wine.”
15“That’s not true, sir,” Hannah replied. “I’m a woman who is deeply troubled. I haven’t been drinking wine or beer. I was telling the Lord all my troubles. 16Don’t think of me as an evil woman. I’ve been praying here because I’m very sad. My pain is so great.”
17Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for.”
18She said, “May you be pleased with me.” Then she left and had something to eat. Her face wasn’t sad anymore.
19Early the next morning Elkanah and his family got up. They worshiped the Lord. Then they went back to their home in Ramah. Elkanah slept with his wife Hannah. And the Lord blessed her. 20So after some time, Hannah became pregnant. She had a baby boy. She said, “I asked the Lord for him.” So she named him Samuel.
Hannah Gives Samuel to the Lord
21Elkanah went up to Shiloh to offer the yearly sacrifice to the Lord. He also went there to keep a promise he had made. His whole family went with him. 22But Hannah didn’t go. She said to her husband, “When the boy doesn’t need me to breast-feed him anymore, I’ll take him to the Lord’s house. I’ll give him to the Lord there. He’ll stay there for the rest of his life.”
23Her husband Elkanah told her, “Do what you think is best. Stay here at home until Samuel doesn’t need you to breast-feed him anymore. May the Lord make his promise to you come true.” So Hannah stayed home. She breast-fed her son until he didn’t need her milk anymore.
24When the boy didn’t need her to breast-feed him anymore, she took him with her to Shiloh. She took him there even though he was still very young. She brought him to the Lord’s house. She brought along a bull that was three years old. She brought 36 pounds of flour. She also brought a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. 25After the bull was sacrificed, Elkanah and Hannah brought the boy to Eli. 26Hannah said to Eli, “Pardon me, sir. I’m the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. And that’s just as sure as you are alive. 27I prayed for this child. The Lord has given me what I asked him for. 28So now I’m giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he’ll be given to the Lord.” And there Eli worshiped the Lord.
