Elkanah and His Wives (Psalm 113:1–9)
1 UDB There was a man named Elkanah, a descendant of Zuph, who lived in the city of Ramah in the hill country where the people of the tribe of Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the clan of Zuph. BSB BSB: Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 UDB He had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Now Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children. BSB BSB: He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 UDB Once every year, Elkanah went up with his family from Ramah to the city of Shiloh. He would go there to worship Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, and offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, helped their father to do the work as priests of Yahweh there. BSB BSB: Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
4 UDB Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he would give some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters. BSB BSB: And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
5 UDB But he gave a larger amount of meat to Hannah because he loved her very much, even though Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children. BSB BSB: But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
6 UDB But his other wife, Peninnah, would mock Hannah to make her feel miserable, reminding her Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children. BSB BSB: Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her.
7 UDB This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh at Shiloh, Peninnah always ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat. BSB BSB: And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.
8 UDB Then Elkanah would say to her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why are you eating nothing? You are so sad! Surely it is better for you to have me as your husband than to have even ten sons!" BSB BSB: “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Hannah Prays for a Son 9 UDB One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up to pray. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh. BSB BSB: So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10 UDB Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh. BSB BSB: In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
11 UDB She made a solemn promise, saying, "O Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, if you will look at me and see how miserable your servant is, and remember me and do not forget your servant, but please allow your servant to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you for the rest of his life, and no razor will ever cut his hair." BSB BSB: And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
12 UDB As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah's lips moving as she was praying. BSB BSB: As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
13 UDB But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk. BSB BSB: Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk
14 UDB He said to her, "How long will you continue to get drunk? Get rid of your wine!" BSB BSB: and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”
15 UDB Hannah replied, "Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very miserable and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel. BSB BSB: “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 UDB Do not think that your servant is a worthless woman, for I have been praying like this because I am so ashamed and upset." BSB BSB: Do not take your servant for a wicked woman, for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”
17 UDB Eli replied, "I wish that things may go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israelite people worship, may give you what you asked of him." BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”
18 UDB She replied, "I want you to think highly about your servant." Then she returned to her family, and after she ate something she was sad no more. BSB BSB: “May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began to eat, and her face was no longer downcast.
The Birth of Samuel 19 UDB Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh again, and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Then Elkanah slept with Hannah, and Yahweh answered her prayer. BSB BSB: The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
20 UDB She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean "heard by God," because she said, "Yahweh heard me when I requested a son from him." BSB BSB: So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21 UDB The following year, Elkanah went up to Shiloh with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised to give him previously. BSB BSB: Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
22 UDB But Hannah did not go with them. She said to her husband, "After I have weaned the baby, I will take him to Shiloh and present him to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life." BSB BSB: but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”
23 UDB Elkanah said, "Do what you think is best. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh may enable you to do what you have promised." So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him. BSB BSB: “Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 UDB After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the house of Yahweh that was at Shiloh. She took along with her and her son a three year old bull, about twenty liters of flour, and a container of wine. BSB BSB: Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
25 UDB After Hannah and Elkanah had slaughtered the bull and offered it to Yahweh on the altar, they brought the boy to Eli. BSB BSB: And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
26 UDB Then Hannah said to him, "Sir, do you remember me? I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you several years ago. BSB BSB: “Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
27 UDB I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is that child! BSB BSB: I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,
28 UDB So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives." Then Elkanah and his family worshiped Yahweh there. BSB BSB: I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
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