1 Un tur bija kāds vīrs no Ramataim-Cofimas, no Efraima kalniem, vārdā Elkana, Jerohāma dēls, tas bija Ēlihus 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 ik gadus kalnup no savas dzimtās pilsētas uz Šīlo, 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 deva 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 dēļ, jo Tas Kungs bija 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 noskumusi? Vai es tev neesmu vairāk vērts nekā desmit dēli?" 9 Un tad Anna cēlās, kad bija ēdusi un dzērusi Šīlo. Jo 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 Savas kalpones bēdas uzlūkotu 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 skujamais 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 nedz vīnu, nedz reibinošu dzērienu dzērusi, bet es esmu savu dvēseli izkratījusi Tā Kunga priekšā. 16 Neturi savu kalponi par tik negodīgu sievu, jo es esmu tikai līdz šim vaļu ļāvusi savām lielajām bēdām un savas 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 viņu vārdā 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 solījuma upuri, 22 tad Anna negāja līdzi, bet sacīja savam vīram: "Kad puisītis būs atšķirts no krūts, 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 šeit, līdz kamēr tu būsi viņu atšķīrusi. Ka tikai Tas Kungs piepildītu Savu vārdu!" Tā šī sieva palika mājās un zīdīja savu dēlu, tiekāms tā viņu atšķīra no krūts. 24 Un, kad viņa bija to atšķīrusi, viņa veda to sev līdzi, arī trīs vēršus un ēfu miltu, un vienu ādas trauku ar vīnu, un noveda uz Šīlo Tā Kunga namā; bet puisēns bija vēl jauns. 25 Tad tie nokāva vērsi un pieveda zēnu pie Ēļa. 26 Un viņa sacīja: "Mans kungs, tik tiešām, ka tava dvēsele dzīvo, mans kungs! Es esmu tā pati sieva, kas šeit 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 arī 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.
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
