Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mountEphraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
And this man went up out of his cityyearly to worship and to sacrificeunto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, werethere.
ThensaidElkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepestthou? and why eatestthou not? and why is thy heartgrieved? am not I better to theethan ten sons?
And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thouwiltindeedlook on the affliction of thinehandmaid, and remember me, and not forgetthinehandmaid, but wiltgiveuntothinehandmaid a man child, then I willgive him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and thereshall no razorcomeupon his head.
And Hannahanswered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowfulspirit: I havedrunkneitherwine nor strongdrink, but havepoured out my soulbefore the LORD.
And theyrose up in the morningearly, and worshippedbefore the LORD, and returned, and came to theirhouse to Ramah: and ElkanahknewHannah his wife; and the LORDremembered her.
Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was comeaboutafterHannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his nameSamuel, saying, Because I haveasked him of the LORD.
But Hannahwent not up; for she saidunto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I willbring him, that he may appearbefore the LORD, and thereabide for ever.
And Elkanah her husbandsaidunto her, Do whatseemeththeegood; tarryuntilthouhaveweaned him; only the LORDestablish his word. So the womanabode, and gave her son suckuntil she weaned him.
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, withthreebullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.