Bilingual reading

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to the LORD, were there.

When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;

but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.

Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

So year by year, when she went up to the LORD’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

She vowed a vow, and said, “LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”

As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli saw her mouth.

Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD.

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”

Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”

She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more.

They rose up in the morning early and worshiped the LORD, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and stay there forever.”

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him.

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to the LORD’s house in Shiloh. The child was young.

They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.

Therefore I have also given him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is given to the LORD.” He worshiped the LORD there.

كانَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الرَّامَتائيم، صوفِيٌّ مِن جَبَلِ أَفْرائيم، يُقالُ لَه أَلْقانَةُ بنُ يَروحامَ بنِ أَليهُوَ بنِ توحُوَ بنِ صوفٍ الأَفْرائيميّ

وكانَت لَه ٱمرَأَتان، اِسمُ إِحْداهُما حَنَّة، وٱسمُ الأُخْرى فَنِنَّة. فرُزِقَت فَنِنَّةُ بَنين، وحَنَّةُ لم يَكُنْ لَها بَنون

وكانَ ذٰلك الرَّجُلُ يَصعَدُ مِن مَدينَتِه مِن سَنَةٍ إِلى سَنَةٍ لِيَسجُدَ وَيذبَحَ لِرَّبِّ القُوَّاتِ في شيلو. وكانَ هُناكَ ٱبْنا عالي، حُفْني وفِنْحاس، كاهِنَينِ لِلرَّبّ

فلمَّا حانَ اليَومُ وذَبَحَ أَلْقانَة، أَعطى فَنِنَّةَ زَوجَتَه وجَميعَ بَنيها وبَناتِها حِصَصًا

وأَمَّا حَنَّةُ فأَعْطاها حِصَّةَ ٱثنَين، لِأَنَّه كانَ يُحِبُّ حَنَّة، ولٰكِنَّ الرَّبَّ كانَ قد حَبَسَ رَحِمَها

وكانَت ضَرَّتُها تُغضِبُها لِتُثيرَ ثائِرَها، لِأَنَّ الرَّبَّ حَبَسَ رَحِمَها تَمامًا

وهٰكذا كانَ يَحدُثُ سَنَةً بَعدَ سَنَةٍ عِندَ صُعودِها إِلى بَيْتِ الرَّبّ. فكانَت تُغضِبُها، فتَبْكي ولا تَأْكُل

فقالَ لَها أَلْقانَةُ زَوجُها: «يا حَنَّة، ما لَكِ باكِيَةً وما لَكِ لا تَأكُلين، ولِماذا يَكتَئِبُ قَلبُكِ؟ أَلَستُ أَنا خَيرًا مِن عَشَرَةِ بَنين؟»

وقامَت حَنَّةُ، مِن بَعدِ ما أَكَلوا في شيلو وشَرِبوا، وكانَ عالي الكاهِنُ جالِسًا على الكُرسِيِّ إِلى دِعامَةِ هَيكَلِ الرَّبّ

فصَلَّت إِلى الرَّبِّ في مَرارةِ نَفْسِها وبَكَت بُكاءً

ونَذَرَت نَذْرًا وقالَت: «يا رَبَّ القُوَّات، إِن أَنتَ نَظَرتَ إِلى بُؤسِ أَمَتِكَ وذَكَرتَني ولم تَنسَ أَمَتَكَ وأَعطيتَ أَمَتَكَ مَولودًا ذَكَرًا، أُعطِه لِلرَّبِّ لِكُلِّ أَيَّامِ حَياتِه، ولا يَعْلو رَأسَه موسًى»

فلَمَّا أَكثَرَت مِن صَلاتِها أَمامَ الرَّبّ، وكانَ عالي يُراقِبُ فَمَها

وحَنَّةُ تَتَكَلَّمُ في قَلبِها، وشَفَتاها فَقَط تَتَحرَّكان، ولٰكِن لا يُسمَعُ صَوتُها، ظَنَّها عالي سَكْرى

فقالَ لَها عالي: «إِلى متى أَنتِ سَكْرى؟ أَفيقي مِن خَمرِكِ»

فأَجابَت حَنَّةُ وقالَت: «كَلَّا يا سَيِّدي، ولٰكِنِّي ٱمرَأَةٌ مَكْروبَةُ النَّفْس، ولَم أَشرَبْ خَمرًا ولا مُسكِرًا، ولٰكِنِّي أَسكُبُ نَفْسي أَمامَ الرَّبّ

فلا تُنزِلْ أَمَتَكَ مَنزِلَةَ ٱبنَةٍ لا خَيرَ فيها، لِأَنِّي إِنَّما تَكَلَّمتُ إِلى الآنَ مِن شِدَّةِ ما بي مِنَ القَلَقِ والغَيظ»

فأَجابَها عالي قائِلًا: «إِمْضي بِسَلام، وإِلٰهُ إِسْرائيلَ يُعطِيكِ بُغيَتَكِ الَّتي ٱلتَمَستِها مِن لَدُنْه»

فقالَت: «لِتَنَلْ أَمَتُكَ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ». ومَضَتِ المَرأَةُ في سَبيلِها وأَكَلَت، ولَم يَعُدْ وَجهُها كما كان

وبَكَّروا في الصَّباح، وسَجَدوا أَمامَ الرَّبّ، ورَجَعوا ذاهِبينَ إِلى مَنزِلِهم بِالرَّامة. وعَرَفَ أَلْقانَةُ حَنَّةَ زَوجَتَه، وذَكَرَها الرَّبّ

فكانَ في ٱنقِضاءِ الأَيَّامِ أَنَّ حَنَّةَ حَمَلَت وَوَلَدَتِ ٱبنًا، فدَعَته صَموئيل، لِأَنَّها قالَت: «مِنَ الرَّبِّ ٱلتَمَستُه»

وصَعِدَ زَوجُها أَلْقانةُ وكُلُّ بَيتِه، لِيُقَدِّمَ لِلرَّبِّ الذَّبيحَةَ السَّنَوِيَّةَ ويَفِيَ بِنَذرِه

وأَمَّا حَنَّة، فلَم تَصعَدْ، لِأَنَّها قالَت لِزَوجِها: «مَتى فُطِمَ الصَّبِيُّ، أَذهَبُ بِهِ لِيَمثُلَ أَمامَ الرَّبِّ ويُقيمَ هُناكَ لِلأَبَد»

فقالَ لَها أَلْقانَةُ زَوجُها: «إِفعَلي ما يَحسُنُ في عَينَيكِ، وٱمكُثي حتَّى تَفطِميه، وحَسبُنا أَنَّ الرَّبَّ يُحَقِّقُ كَلامَه». فمَكَثَتِ المَرأَةُ تُرضِعُ ٱبنَها حتَّى فطَمَته

فلَمَّا فَطَمَته، صَعِدَت بِه، ومَعَها ثَورٌ ٱبنُ ثَلاثِ سَنَوات، وإِيفَةٌ مِن دَقيق، وزِقُّ خَمْر، وجاءت بِه إِلى الرَّبِّ في شيلو، وكانَ الصَّبِيُّ لا يَزالُ طِفلًا

فذَبَحوا الثَّورَ وقَدَّموا الصَّبِيَّ إِلى عالي

وقالَت: «يا سَيِّدي، حَيَّةٌ نَفْسُكَ! أَنا المَرأَةُ الَّتي وَقَفَتْ لَدَيكَ هٰهُنا تُصَلِّي إِلى الرَّبّ

إِنِّي لِأَجلِ هٰذا الصَّبِيِّ صَلَّيتُ، فأَعطانِيَ الرَّبُّ بُغَيتي الَّتي سَأَلتُها مِن لَدُنه

ولِأَجلِ ذٰلك وَهَبتُه لِلرَّبّ، فيَكونُ عارِيَّةً كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَياتِه». وسَجَدوا هُناكَ لِلرَّبّ