1 Havia em Ramataim-Sofim um homem das montanhas de Efraim, chamado Elcana, filho de Jeroão, filho de Eliu, filho de Tolu, filho de Suf, o efraimita.

2 Tinha ele duas mulheres, uma chamada Ana e outra Fenena. Esta última tinha filhos; Ana, porém, não os tinha.

3 Cada ano subia esse homem de sua cidade para adorar o Senhor dos exércitos e oferecer-lhe um sacrifício em Silo, onde se encontravam os dois filhos de Heli, Ofini e Finéias, sacerdotes do Senhor.

4 Cada vez que Elcana oferecia um sacrifício, dava porções à sua mulher Fenena, bem como aos filhos e filhas que ela teve;

5 a Ana, porém, dava uma porção dupla, porque a amava, embora o Senhor a tivesse tornado estéril.

6 Sua rival afligia-a duramente, provocando-a a murmurar contra o Senhor que a tinha feito estéril.

7 Isto se repetia cada ano quando ela subia à casa do Senhor; Fenena continuava provocando-a. Então, Ana punha-se a chorar e não comia.

8 Seu marido dizia-lhe: Ana, por que choras? Por que não comes? Por que estás triste? Não valho eu para ti como dez filhos?

9 {Desta vez} Ana levantou-se, depois de ter comido e bebido em Silo. Ora, o sacerdote Heli estava sentado numa cadeira à entrada do templo do Senhor.

10 Ana, profundamente amargurada, orou ao Senhor e chorou copiosamente.

11 E fez um voto, dizendo: Senhor dos exércitos, se vos dignardes olhar para a aflição de vossa serva, e vos lembrardes de mim; se não vos esquecerdes de vossa escrava e lhe derdes um filho varão, eu o consagrarei ao Senhor durante todos os dias de sua vida, e a navalha não passará pela sua cabeça.

12 Prolongando ela sua oração diante do Senhor, Heli observava o movimento dos seus lábios.

13 Ana, porém, falava no seu coração, e apenas se moviam os seus lábios, sem se lhe ouvir a voz.

14 Heli, julgando-a ébria, falou-lhe: Até quando estarás tu embriagada? Vai-te e deixa passar o teu vinho.

15 Não é assim, meu Senhor, respondeu ela, eu sou uma mulher aflita: não bebi nem vinho, nem álcool, mas derramo a minha alma na presença do Senhor.

16 Não tomes a tua escrava por uma pessoa frívola, porque é a grandeza de minha dor e de minha aflição que me fez falar até aqui.

17 Heli respondeu: Vai em paz, e o Deus de Israel te conceda o que lhe pedes.

18 Encontre a tua serva graça aos teus olhos, ajuntou ela. A mulher se foi, comeu, e o seu rosto não era mais o mesmo.

19 No dia seguinte pela manhã, prostraram-se diante do Senhor, e voltaram para a sua casa em Ramá.

20 Elcana conheceu Ana, sua mulher, e o Senhor lembrou-se dela. Ana concebeu, e, passado o seu tempo, deu à luz um filho que chamou Samuel; porque, dizia, eu o pedi ao Senhor.

21 Elcana, seu marido, foi com toda a sua casa para oferecer ao Senhor o sacrifício anual.

22 Ana, porém, não foi, e disse ao seu marido: Quando o menino for desmamado, eu o levarei para apresentá-lo ao Senhor, e lá ficará para sempre.

23 Faze como achares melhor, respondeu-lhe Elcana; fica até que o tenhas desmamado e que o Senhor se digne confirmar a sua promessa. Ela ficou e aleitou o seu filho até que o desmamou.

24 Após tê-lo desmamado, tomou-o consigo, e levando também três touros, um efá de farinha e um odre de vinho, conduziu-o à casa do Senhor em Silo. O menino era ainda muito criança.

25 Imolaram o touro e conduziram o menino a Heli.

26 Ana disse-lhe: Ouve, meu Senhor, por tua vida, eu sou aquela mulher que esteve aqui em tua presença orando ao Senhor.

27 Eis aqui o menino por quem orei; o Senhor ouviu o meu pedido.

28 Portanto, eu também o dou ao Senhor: ele será consagrado ao Senhor para todos os dias de sua vida. E prostraram-se naquele lugar diante do Senhor.

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill-country of Ephraim, named Elkanah; he was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

2 And he had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah: and Peninnah was the mother of children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Now this man went up from his town every year to give worship and to make offerings to the Lord of armies in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

4 And when the day came for Elkanah to make his offering, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, their part of the feast:

5 But to Hannah he gave one part, though Hannah was very dear to him, but the Lord had not let her have children.

6 And the other wife did everything possible to make her unhappy, because the Lord had not let her have children;

7 And year by year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, she kept on attacking her, so that Hannah gave herself up to weeping and would take no food.

8 Then her husband Elkanah said to her, Hannah, why are you weeping? and why are you taking no food? why is your heart troubled? am I not more to you than ten sons?

9 So after they had taken food and wine in the guest room, Hannah got up. Now Eli the priest was seated by the pillars of the doorway of the Temple of the Lord.

10 And with grief in her soul, weeping bitterly, she made her prayer to the Lord.

11 And she made an oath, and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant, not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man-child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.

12 Now while she was a long time in prayer before the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth.

13 For Hannah's prayer came from her heart, and though her lips were moving she made no sound: so it seemed to Eli that she was overcome with wine.

14 And Eli said to her, How long are you going to be the worse for drink? Put away the effects of your wine from you.

15 And Hannah, answering him, said, No, my lord, I am a woman whose spirit is broken with sorrow: I have not taken wine or strong drink, but I have been opening my heart before the Lord.

16 Do not take your servant to be a good-for-nothing woman: for my words have come from my stored-up sorrow and pain.

17 Then Eli said to her, Go in peace: and may the God of Israel give you an answer to the prayer you have made to him.

18 And she said, May your servant have grace in your eyes. So the woman went away, and took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad.

19 And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.

20 Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.

21 And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.

22 But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.

23 And her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.

24 Then when she had done so, she took him with her, with a three-year old ox and an ephah of meal and a skin full of wine, and took him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh: now the child was still very young.

25 And when they had made an offering of the ox, they took the child to Eli.

26 And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:

27 My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:

28 So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there.