Hannah Asks the Lord for a Child
1 Elkanah lived in Ramah, a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan of the Ephraim tribe. Elkanah's father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu.
2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.
3 Once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the Lord All-Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the Lord's priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.
4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters. 5 But he gave Hannah even more, because he loved Hannah very much, even though the Lord had kept her from having children of her own.
6 Peninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable about not having any children, 7 especially when the family went to the house of the Lord each year.
One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began crying and refused to eat. 8 So Elkanah asked, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship. 10 Hannah was heartbroken and was crying as she prayed, 11 “Lord All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I promise to give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.”
12-13 Hannah prayed silently to the Lord for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk. 14 “How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up!”
15-16 “Sir, please don't think I'm no good!” Hannah answered. “I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the Lord about my problems.”
17 Eli replied, “Go home. Everything will be fine. The God of Israel will answer your prayer.”
18 “Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.
Samuel Is Born
19 Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and worshiped the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Later the Lord blessed Elkanah and Hannah 20 with a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked the Lord for him.
Hannah Gives Samuel to the Lord
21 The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the Lord. 22 But Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the Lord, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.”
23 “You know what's best,” Elkanah said. “Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him. I'm sure the Lord will help you do what you have promised.” Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.
24-25 When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the Lord's house. They brought along a three-year-old bull, a sack containing about nine kilograms of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.
26 “Sir,” Hannah said, “a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the Lord 27 to give me a child. Here he is! The Lord gave me just what I asked for. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will be the Lord's servant for as long as he lives.”
Hannah Prays
Elkanah worshiped the Lord there at Shiloh, and
Samuēla dzimšana
1 Bija kāds vīrs no Ramataim-Cofīmas Efraima kalnos. Viņu sauca Elkāna, Jerohāma dēls, Ēlīhu dēls, Tohū dēls, efrātieša Cūfa dēls. 2 Viņam bija divas sievas – vienu sauca Hanna un otru Peninna. Peninnai bija bērni, bet Hannai bērnu nebija. 3 Šis vīrs no savas pilsētas ik gadu devās zemoties un upurēt Pulku Kungam uz Šīlo, kur abi Ēlī dēli, Hofnī un Pinhāss, bija Kunga priesteri. 4 Tajā dienā, kad Elkāna upurēja, viņš deva daļas savai sievai Peninnai un visiem tās dēliem un meitām, 5 bet Hannai viņš deva divreiz lielāku daļu, jo mīlēja Hannu, kaut arī Kungs bija noslēdzis viņas klēpi. 6 Un viņas sāncense viņu ļoti kaitināja, lai sarūgtinātu, jo Kungs bija noslēdzis viņas klēpi. 7 Tā tas bija no gada uz gadu: kad vien viņa devās uz Kunga namu, tā viņu kaitināja, un viņa raudāja un neēda. 8 Un viņas vīrs Elkāna tai jautāja: “Hanna, kāpēc tu raudi? Kāpēc tu neēd, un kāpēc tava sirds bēdājas? Vai es tev neesmu labāks kā desmit dēli?” 9 Kad Šīlo bija ēsts un dzerts, Hanna cēlās kājās. Un priesteris Ēlī sēdēja uz krēsla pie Kunga tempļa durvīm. 10 Viņa bija ļoti sarūgtināta, un viņa lūdzās Kungu un gauži raudāja. 11 Viņa deva zvērestu, sacīdama: “Pulku Kungs, ja tu lūkot uzlūkosi savu nabaga kalponi, atcerēsies un neaizmirsīsi mani, savu kalponi, un dosi savai kalponei dēlu, es viņu atdošu Kungam uz visu mūžu, un skujamais nazis neskars viņa galvu!” 12 Kamēr viņa jo ilgi lūdzās Kunga priekšā, Ēlī vēroja viņas muti, 13 jo Hanna runāja savā sirdī – kustējās tikai viņas lūpas, bet balss nebija dzirdama. Un Ēlī domāja, ka viņa ir reibumā. 14 Ēlī viņai sacīja: “Cik ilgi tu būsi reibumā? Atskurbsti no vīna!” 15 Bet Hanna atbildēja: “Nē, mans kungs, ne vīnu, ne skurbu dzērienu neesmu dzērusi, es esmu nelaimīga sieva – izkratīju sirdi Kunga priekšā. 16 Neturi savu kalponi par tādu nelieti, jo aiz sirds pārpilnības un bēdām esmu te runājusi!” 17 Un Ēlī atbildēja: “Ej ar mieru, un Israēla Dievs piepildīs lūgumu, ko tu esi viņam izteikusi.” 18 Viņa teica: “Kaut tava kalpone gūtu tavu vēlību!” Un sieva devās savu ceļu, un viņa ēda un vairs nelikās noskumusi. 19 No rīta viņi cēlās agri, zemojās Kunga priekšā un devās atpakaļ uz savām mājām Rāmā. Tad Elkāna gulēja ar savu sievu Hannu, un Kungs viņu atcerējās. 20 Kad laiks apritēja, Hanna kļuva grūta un dzemdēja dēlu. Viņa to nosauca par Samuēlu , sacīdama: “No Kunga esmu viņu izlūgusies.”
21 Elkāna un viss viņa nams devās pienest Kungam ikgadējo upuri un solījuma upuri. 22 Bet Hanna negāja līdzi un teica savam vīram: “Kad zēns būs atšķirts, es to vedīšu Kunga priekšā un atstāšu tur uz mūžu.” 23 Un viņas vīrs Elkāna atbildēja: “Dari, kā tev šķiet labi, paliec, līdz tu viņu atšķirsi. Patiesi, Kungs turēs, ko solījis.” Un sieva palika un zīdīja savu dēlu, līdz viņu atšķīra. 24 Kad viņa to bija atšķīrusi, viņa veda to līdzi un ar trim vēršiem, ēfu miltu un vīna trauku atnāca uz Kunga namu Šīlo. Zēns bija pavisam mazs. 25 Tad nokāva vērsi un atveda zēnu pie Ēlī. 26 Un viņa teica: “Ak, mans kungs, lai tava dvēsele dzīvo, mans kungs, – es esmu tā sieva, kas te pie tevis stāvēja un lūdza Kungu! 27 Par šo zēnu es lūdzos, un Kungs ir piepildījis manu lūgumu, ko viņam izteicu. 28 Tad nu es viņu atdodu Kungam – uz visu mūžu viņš ir dots Kungam!” Un viņi tur zemojās Kungam.
