Elkanah and His Wives
(Psalm 113:1–9)

1There was a man of one of the two Ramathaim Zophim, of mout Ephraim, named Elkana, the sonne of Ieroham, the sonne of Elihu, the sonne of Thohu, the sonne of Zuph, an Ephrathite: 2Which had two wyues, the one called Hanna, & the other Phenenna: And Phenenna had children, but Hanna had no children.

3And this man went vp out of his citie euery yere, to worship and to sacrifice vnto the Lord of hoastes in Silo, where were the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehes, the Lordes priestes. 4And it fel on a day, that Elkana offered, and gaue to Phenenna his wyfe, and to all her sonnes and daughters, portions. 5But vnto Hanna he gaue a worthy portion: for he loued Hanna, & the Lorde had made her barren. 6And her enemie Phenenna vexed her sore, forasmuche as she vpbrayded her, because the Lord had made her barren. 7(And so dyd he yere by yere) and as oft as she wet vp to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that she wept, and dyd not eate. 8Then sayde Elkana her husband to her: Hanna, why wepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thine hearte troubled? Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes?

Hannah Prays for a Son

9So Hanna rose vp after that they had eaten and drunke in Silo. (And Eli the priest sate vpon a stoole by one of the postes of the temple of the Lorde.) 10And she was troubled in her minde, and prayed vnto the Lord, & wept sore, 11And vowed a vowe, and sayd: O Lord of hoastes, if thou wilt loke on the trouble of thyne handmayde and remembre me, and not forget thyne hand mayde, but geue vnto thyne handmayde a man childe, I will geue him vnto the Lorde all the dayes of his lyfe, and there shall no rasor come vpon his head.

12And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth. 13For Hanna spake in her hearte, & her lippes did but moue onely, but her voyce was not hearde, & therfore Eli thought she had ben drunken. 14And Eli sayde vnto her: Howe long wilt thou be drunken? Put away from thee the wine that thou hast. 15Hanna aunswered, and sayde, Not so my Lord: I am a woman of a sorowful hearte, I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drincke, but haue powred out my soule before the Lorde: 16Count not thine handmayde for a wicked woman: for out of the aboundaunce of my heauynesse & griefe, haue I spoken hytherto. 17Eli aunswered her againe, and sayde: Go in peace, the God of Israel graunt thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18She said: Let thyne handmayde finde grace in thy sight. And so the woman went her way, and dyd eate, and loked no more sad.

The Birth of Samuel

19And they rose vp early, & worshipped before the Lorde, and then returned, & came to their house to Ramath: And when Elkana knewe Hanna his wyfe, the Lorde remembred her. 20For in processe of time it came to passe, that she conceaued, and bare a sonne, & called his name Samuel, saying: Because I haue asked him of the Lorde.

21And the man Elkana and all his house, went vp to offer vnto the Lorde the yerely sacrifice, and also his vowe. 22Neuerthelesse, Hanna wet not vp, but sayde vnto her husband: I will tary vntill the lad be weaned, and then I will bryng hym, that he may appeare before the Lord, and there abyde for euer. 23Elkana her husband aunswered her: Do what seemeth thee best, tary at home vntyll thou hast weaned him, and I beseche the Lord to make good his saying. And so the woman abode, and gaue her sonne sucke, vntyll she weaned hym. 24And when she had weaned hym, she toke hym with her, with three bullockes, and an Epha of floure, and a bottle of wine, and brought hym vnto the house of the Lorde in Silo, and the child was young. 25And they slue a bulloke, and brought in the lad to Eli. 26And she sayd: Oh my Lorde, as thy soule lyueth my Lorde, I am the woman that stoode before thee here praying vnto the Lorde. 27For this lad I prayed, and the Lorde hath geuen me my desyre whiche I asked of him: 28And therfore I haue geuen him vnto the Lord, as long as he liueth he shalbe geuen to the Lorde. And he worshipped the Lorde there.