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.
Hannas barnløshed
1I byen Rama1,1 Hebraisk: Ramatajim. Rama betyder „høj” og Ramatajim „dobbelthøjen”. Det er forskellige navne på den samme by. i Efraims højland boede en mand, som hed Elkana. Hans far hed Jeroham, hans bedstefar hed Elihu, hans oldefar hed Tohu, og hans tipoldefar hed Zuf1,1 Ifølge 1.Krøn. 6,18-23 var Zuf fra kehatitternes slægt i Levis stamme. og kom oprindelig fra Betlehem.1,1 Da Betlehem også er kendt under navnet Efrat(a), kaldes folk fra Betlehem undertiden Efratitter, som der står i den hebraiske tekst her. En del levitter slog sig ned i Betlehem, men flyttede senere nordpå til Efraims område, jf. 1.Mos. 48,7, Ruth 1,1, Mika 5,1, Dom. 17,7-9.
2Elkana havde to koner, Hanna og Peninna. Peninna havde børn, men Hanna havde ingen. 3Hvert år rejste Elkana sammen med sin familie til helligdommen i Shilo for at tilbede Herren, den Almægtige, og ofre til ham. Det var på den tid, da Elis to sønner Hofni og Pinehas gjorde tjeneste som præster. 4Når kødet fra offerdyret skulle fordeles, gav Elkana Peninna og hvert af hendes børn et stykke hver, 5men Hanna gav han to stykker,1,5 Teksten er svær at tyde. Kan også oversættes: „et stykke beregnet til to” eller „dobbelt portion”. for han elskede hende, selvom Herren ikke havde givet hende børn. 6Peninna plejede at håne Hanna og komme med spydige bemærkninger, fordi hun ikke kunne få børn. 7Hvert år gik det på samme måde. Når de rejste op til Herrens hus i Shilo, gjorde Peninna så meget nar af Hanna, at hun græd og ikke ville spise.
8„Hvad er der i vejen, Hanna?” plejede Elkana at spørge. „Hvorfor spiser du ikke? Hvorfor er du så ked af det? Betyder jeg ikke mere for dig end ti sønner?”
9Engang, under offermåltidet i Shilo, rejste Hanna sig og gik over til Herrens Hus for at bede. Præsten Eli sad som sædvanlig på sin stol ved indgangen. 10I sin dybe smerte og under heftig gråd bad Hanna til Herren 11og aflagde et løfte. „Åh, almægtige Gud, om du dog ville forbarme dig og se min elendighed,” bad hun. „Hvis du vil høre min bøn og give mig en søn, så vil jeg give ham tilbage til dig. Han skal tilhøre dig hele sit liv, og som tegn på det vil jeg lade være med at klippe hans hår.”
12Sådan bad hun i lang tid. Fra sin plads iagttog Eli hende og så, at hun bevægede læberne, men han kunne ikke høre hendes bøn, 13for hun bad i stilhed. Eli troede derfor, at hun var beruset. 14„Hvorfor kommer du her, når du er beruset?” sagde han: „Se dog at blive ædru!” 15Men Hanna svarede: „Nej, nej, herre, jeg er ikke beruset. Jeg er i stor nød, og jeg udøste mit hjerte for Herren. 16Du må ikke tro, at jeg er en dårlig kvinde. Jeg har hverken drukket vin eller øl. Jeg bad, fordi jeg er ulykkelig.” 17„Hvis det er sådan, det forholder sig, så gå du blot herfra med fred,” svarede Eli. „Må Israels Gud bønhøre dig, hvad du end har bedt ham om.” 18„Tak for din venlighed,” udbrød Hanna. Så gik hun derfra og deltog i offermåltidet og var ikke længere bedrøvet.
Samuels fødsel
19Tidligt næste morgen stod Elkana og hans familie op for endnu en gang at tilbede Herren, inden de vendte tilbage til Rama. Da de var hjemme igen, lå Elkana med sin kone Hanna, og Herren besvarede hendes bøn. 20Hun blev gravid, og inden året var omme, fødte hun en søn, som hun kaldte Samuel,1,20 Samuel betyder „Gud har hørt”. for hun sagde: „Jeg bad Herren om at få en søn, og han hørte min bøn.”
21Næste år, da Elkana og hans familie skulle til Shilo for at bringe det årlige brændoffer og et løfteoffer til Herren, 22tog Hanna ikke med. „Jeg venter, til drengen er vænnet fra,” sagde hun til sin mand. „Så vil jeg bringe ham til Herrens hus og lade ham blive der, så længe han lever.” 23„Gør, som du synes bedst,” svarede Elkana. „Bliv du her og pas drengen. Og må Herren hjælpe dig til at holde dit løfte.” Så blev Hanna hjemme og passede barnet.
24Da drengen var vænnet fra, bragte Hanna ham til Herrens hus i Shilo. Hun medbragte en treårs tyr som offergave, en sæk med ca. 13 kg mel og en lædersæk med vin. 25Efter offerceremonien bragte Hanna sit barn til Eli. 26„Husker du mig?” spurgte hun Eli. „Jeg er den kvinde, som stod her og udøste mit hjerte for Herren. 27Jeg bad om, at Herren ville give mig en søn, og her er han. Herren hørte min bøn. 28Nu vil jeg give ham tilbage til Herren, så han kan tjene Herren hele sit liv.” Så tilbad de1,28 Teksten siger „han”, og det henviser til Elkana, som var repræsentant for den lille familie. Han var med uden at være direkte nævnt ved navn. Se også 2,11. Herren der.
