1 Un tur bija kāds virs no Ramataim-Cofimas, no Ēfraima kalniem, vārdā Elkana, Jerohāma dēls, tas bija Elihus dēls, un tas atkal Tohus dēls, kas atkal bija efratieša Cūfa dēls.
2 Un tam bija divas sievas, vienai bija vārds Anna, bet otrai bija vārds Penīna; un Penīnai bija bērni, bet Annai bērnu nebija.
3 Un šis vīrs gāja ikgadus kalnup no savas dzimtās pilsētas uz Šilo, lai pielūgtu Dievu, to Kungu Cebaotu, un lai Viņam upurētu kaujamos upurus; un tur bija divi Ēļa dēli—Hofnus un Pinehass, kuri bija tā Kunga priesteri.
4 Un tanī dienā, kad Elkana nesa kaujamo upuri, viņš iedeva savai sievai Penīnai un visiem viņas dēliem un viņas meitām devas,
5 Bet Annai viņš deva divkāršu devu, jo viņš Annu mīlēja, bet tas Kungs bija viņas klēpi aizslēdzis.
6 Bet viņas sāncense to daudz apbēdināja, to kaitinādama, pat novezdama līdz dusmām viņas miesas neauglības dēj, jo tas Kungs bija uz laiku aizslēdzis viņas klēpi.
7 Un tā notika gadu no gada: tiklīdz viņa nogāja tā Kunga namā, tā šī to kaitināja, ka viņa raudāja un neēda.
8 Tad Elkana, viņas vīrs, tai sacīja: „Anna, kāpēc tu raudi? Un kāpēc tu neēd? Un kāpēc tava sirds ir nosku-musi? Vai es tev neesmu vairāk vērts nekā desmit dēli?“
9 Un kad nu atkal vienreiz Šilo Anna bija ēdusi un dzērusi, viņa piecēlās un nāca tā Kunga priekšā, bet priesteris Ēlis sēdēja uz krēsla pie divi ieejas stabiem tā Kunga svētnīcas priekšā.
10 Un viņas dvēsele bija pilna skumju, tā lūdza nepārtraukti to Kungu un gauži raudāja.
11 Tad viņa deva solījumu, sacīdama: „Kungs Cebaot! Ja Tu laipnīgi norau-dzītos uz savas kalpones bēdām, un ja Tu mani atcerētos, un Tu arī neaizmirstu savu kalponi un piešķirtu savai kalponei dēlu, tad es to novēlētu uz visu viņa mūža laiku tam Kungam, un dzenamais nazis nenāktu pār viņa galvu.“
12 Kad nu viņa vēl ilgi lūdzās tā Kunga priekšā, tad Ēlis sāka vērot tās muti,
13 Jo Anna runāja savā sirdī, tikai viņas lūpas kustējās, bet viņas balss nebija dzirdama, tāpēc Ēlis noturēja viņu par iedzērušu.
14 Un Ēlis tai sacīja: „Cik ilgi tu būsi sava dzēruma varā? Lai no tevis atstājas dzēriena skurbums!“
15 Bet Anna atbildēja un sacīja: „Ak nē, mans kungs, es esmu nelaimīga sieva! Es neesmu ne vīnu, nedz reibināmu dzērienu dzērusi, bet es esmu savu dvēseli izkratījusi tā Kunga priekšā.
16 Neturi savu kalponi par tik negodīgu sievieti, jo es esmu tikai līdz šim vaļu ļāvusi savām lielajām bēdām un savās sirds skumjām.“
17 Tad Ēlis atbildēja un sacīja: „Ej ar mieru, lai Israēla Dievs piepilda tavu lūgšanu, ko tu esi no Viņa lūgusi!“
18 Un viņa sacīja: „Lai tava kalpone atrod labvēlību tavās acīs!“ Un tad sieva aizgāja savu ceļu, un tā ēda, un viņas seja vairs neizskatījās tik noskumusi.
19 Un tie cēlās agri no rīta, nometās zemē lūgšanās tā Kunga priekšā un griezās atpakaļ un gāja uz savām mājām Rāmā. Un Elkana atzina savu sievu Annu, un tas Kungs viņu pieminēja.
20 Un pēc kāda laika Anna kļuva grūta un dzemdēja dēlu un nosauca viņa vārdu Samuēls, jo viņa sacīja: „Es to esmu izlūgusies no tā Kunga.“
21 Un kad viņas vīrs Elkana ar visu savu dzimtu nogāja kalnā, lai nestu tam Kungam savu gadskārtējo kaujamo upuri un savu īpašo solījuma devu,
22 Tad Anna negāja līdz, bet sacīja savam vīram: „Kad puisītis būs atšķirts, tad es viņu uzvedīšu augšā, lai viņš parādās tā Kunga priekšā un lai viņš tur paliek uz mūžu.“
23 Un viņas vīrs Elkana tai sacīja: „Dari, kā tev labāk patīk; paliec arī šeitan, līdz kamēr tu būsi viņu atšķīrusi! Lai tikai tas Kungs piepilda savu solījumu!“ Tā šī sieva palika mājās un zīdīja savu dēlu, tiekāms tā viņu atšķīra.
24 Un kad viņa bija to atradinājusi, tad viņa to veda sev līdz, ari trīs vēršus un ēfu miltu un vienu ādas trauku ar vīnu, un noveda uz Šilo tā Kunga namā; bet puisēns bija vēl jauniņā.
25 Un kad nu tie vērsi bija nokāvuši un upurējuši un pieveda zēnu pie Eja,
26 Tad viņa sacīja: „Mans kungs, tik tiešām, ka tava dvēsele dzīvo, mans kungs! Es esmu tā pati sieva, kas šeitan pie tevis stāvēja, lūgdama to Kungu.
27 Es lūdzu pēc šī zēna, un tas Kungs man to ir devis, ko es esmu no Viņa lūgusi.
28 Tādēļ es ari to tam Kungam kā izlūgtu esmu novēlējusi uz visu mūžu, kamēr tas dzīvos, —viņš ir no tā Kunga izlūgts!“ Un viņi tur pielūdza to Kungu.
Elkanah and His Family at Shiloh
1 There was a man named Elkanah, from the tribe of Ephraim, who lived in the town of Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham and grandson of Elihu, and belonged to the family of Tohu, a part of the clan of Zuph. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. 3 Every year Elkanah went from Ramah to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Each time Elkanah offered his sacrifice, he would give one share of the meat to Peninnah and one share to each of her children. 5 And even though he loved Hannah very much he would give her only one share, because the Lord had kept her from having children. 6 Peninnah, her rival, would torment and humiliate her, because the Lord had kept her childless. 7 This went on year after year; whenever they went to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would cry and refuse to eat anything. 8 Her husband Elkanah would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why are you always so sad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?”
Hannah and Eli
9-10 One time, after they had finished their meal in the house of the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli the priest was sitting in his place by the door. 11 Hannah made a solemn promise: “Lord Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don't forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”
12 Hannah continued to pray to the Lord for a long time, and Eli watched her lips. 13 She was praying silently; her lips were moving, but she made no sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk, 14 and he said to her, “Stop making a drunken show of yourself! Stop your drinking and sober up!”
15 “No, I'm not drunk, sir,” she answered. “I haven't been drinking! I am desperate, and I have been praying, pouring out my troubles to the Lord. 16 Don't think I am a worthless woman. I have been praying like this because I'm so miserable.”
17 “Go in peace,” Eli said, “and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for.”
18 “May you always think kindly of me,” she replied. Then she went away, ate some food, and was no longer sad.
Samuel's Birth and Dedication
19 The next morning Elkanah and his family got up early, and after worshiping the Lord, they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had intercourse with his wife Hannah, and the Lord answered her prayer. 20 So it was that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, and explained, “I asked the Lord for him.”
21 The time came again for Elkanah and his family to go to Shiloh and offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and the special sacrifice he had promised. 22 But this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the Lord, where he will stay all his life.”
23 Elkanah answered, “All right, do whatever you think best; stay at home until you have weaned him. And may the Lord make your promise come true.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her child.
24 After she had weaned him, she took him to Shiloh, taking along a three-year-old bull, a bushel of flour, and a leather bag full of wine. She took Samuel, young as he was, to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 After they had killed the bull, they took the child to Eli. 26 Hannah said to him, “Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the Lord. 27 I asked him for this child, and he gave me what I asked for. 28 So I am dedicating him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he will belong to the Lord.”
Then they worshiped the Lord there.
