1Samuel 1 - Prayer Tents



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1Samuel 1
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Elkanah and His Family

1There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.H259H376H7436H2022H669H8034H511H1121H3395H1121H453H1121H8459H1121H6689H673 2Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.H8147H802H8034H259H2584H8034H8145H6444H6444H3206H2584H3206 3Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven's Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas.H1931H376H5927H5892H3117H3117H7812H2076H3068H6635H7887H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H3548H3068 4On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children.H3117H511H2076H5414H6444H802H1121H1323H4490 5And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children.H2584H5414H259H639H4490H157H2584H3068H5462H7358 6So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children.H6869H3707H3708H7481H3068H5462H1157H7358 7Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.H6213H8141H8141H1767H5927H1004H3068H3707H1058H398 8"Why are you crying, Hannah?" Elkanah would ask. "Why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn't that better than having ten sons?"H559H511H376H2584H1058H398H3824H3415H2896H6235H1121

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

9Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.H2584H6965H310H398H7887H310H8354H5941H3548H3427H3678H4201H1964H3068 10Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.H4751H5315H6419H3068H1058H1058 11And she made this vow: "O LORD of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut."H5087H5088H559H3068H6635H7200H7200H6040H519H2142H7911H519H5414H519H582H2233H5414H3068H3117H2416H4177H5927H7218 12As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her.H7235H6419H6440H3068H5941H8104H6310 13Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.H2584H1696H3820H8193H5128H6963H8085H5941H2803H7910 14"Must you come here drunk?" he demanded. "Throw away your wine!"H5941H559H7937H5493H3196 15"Oh no, sir!" she replied. "I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD.H2584H6030H559H113H802H7186H7307H8354H3196H7941H8210H5315H6440H3068 16Don't think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow."H5414H519H6440H1323H1100H7230H7879H3708H1696 17"In that case," Eli said, "go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him."H5941H6030H559H3212H7965H430H3478H5414H7596H7592 18"Oh, thank you, sir!" she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.H559H8198H4672H2580H5869H802H3212H1870H398H6440

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

19The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea,H7925H1242H7925H7812H6440H3068H7725H935H1004H7414H511H3045H2584H802H3068H2142 20and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, "I asked the LORD for him."H3117H8622H2584H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H8050H7592H3068 21The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.H376H511H1004H5927H2076H3068H3117H2077H5088 22But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, "Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the LORD permanently."H2584H5927H559H376H5288H1580H935H7200H6440H3068H3427H5704H5769 23"Whatever you think is best," Elkanah agreed. "Stay here for now, and may the LORD help you keep your promise." So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.H511H376H559H6213H5869H2896H3427H1580H3068H6965H1697H802H3427H1121H3243H1580 24When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine.H1580H5927H7969H6499H259H374H7058H5035H3196H935H1004H3068H7887H5288H5288 25After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.H7819H6499H935H5288H5941 26"Sir, do you remember me?" Hannah asked. "I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD.H559H994H113H5315H2416H113H802H5324H6419H3068 27I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.H5288H6419H3068H5414H7596H7592 28Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life." And they worshiped the LORD there.H7592H3068H3117H7592H3068H7812H3068


New Living Translation (NLT). Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. More details.
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