1I byen Rama* 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 Zuf* og kom oprindelig fra Betlehem.*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,* 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 Herren11og 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,* 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 de* Herren der.
English Standard Version
The Birth of Samuel
1There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.2He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.3Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.4On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.5But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.*6And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.7So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.8And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”9After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.10She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.11And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”12As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.13Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.14And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”15But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.16Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”17Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”18And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.19They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.20And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”*
Samuel Given to the Lord
21The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.”23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,* an ephah* of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young.25Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.27For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.28Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
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