From Barrenness to Purpose: Hannah's Answered Prayer

1. 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. 2. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3. This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there. 4. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions; 5. but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb. 6. Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. 7. As he did so year by year, when she went up to Yahweh’s house. Her rival provoked her; therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. 8. 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?” 9. 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 Yahweh’s temple. 10. She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, weeping bitterly. 11. She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh 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 Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.” 12. As she continued praying before Yahweh, Eli saw her mouth. 13. Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14. Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!” 15. 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 Yahweh. 16. Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.” 17. Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.” 18. 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. 19. They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her. 20. When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.” 21. The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22. 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 Yahweh, and stay there forever.” 23. Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may Yahweh establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him. 24. When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to Yahweh’s house in Shiloh. The child was young. 25. They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26. She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Yahweh. 27. I prayed for this child; and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of him. 28. Therefore I have also given him to Yahweh. As long as he lives he is given to Yahweh.” He worshiped Yahweh there. 1. Hannah prayed, and said: “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. 2. There is no one as holy as Yahweh, For there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God. 3. “Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, For Yahweh is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed. 4. “The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength. 5. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes. 6. “Yahweh kills, and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up. 7. Yahweh makes poor, and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. 8. He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them. 9. He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for no man shall prevail by strength. 10. Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.” 11. Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest. 12. Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh. 13. The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14. and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15. Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.” 16. If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires”; then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17. The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised the offering of Yahweh. 18. But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod. 19. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home. 21. Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh. 22. Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 23. He said to them, “Why do you do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. 24. No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey. 25. If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them. 26. The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh, and also with men. 27. A man of God came to Eli, and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28. Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29. Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30. “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32. You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33. The man of yours, whom I don’t cut off from my altar, will consume your eyes and grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34. “‘This will be the sign to you, that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35. I will raise me up a faithful priest, that will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house; and he will walk before my anointed forever. 36. It will happen, that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’” 1. The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. Yahweh’s word was precious in those days. There were not many visions, then. 2. At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), 3. and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yahweh’s temple, where God’s ark was; 4. Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” 5. He ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.” He went and lay down. 6. Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” 7. Now Samuel didn’t yet know Yahweh, neither was Yahweh’s word yet revealed to him. 8. Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child. 9. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10. Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.” 11. Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. 13. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them. 14. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.” 15. Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of Yahweh’s house. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 16. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son!” He said, “Here I am.” 17. He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.” 18. Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. He said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him.” 19. Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh. 21. Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by Yahweh’s word.

1. Let us fear therefore, lest perhaps anyone of you should seem to have come short of a promise of entering into his rest. 2. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, even as they also did, but the word they heard didn’t profit them, because it wasn’t mixed with faith by those who heard. 3. For we who have believed do enter into that rest, even as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, they will not enter into my rest”; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4. For he has said this somewhere about the seventh day, “God rested on the seventh day from all his works”; 5. and in this place again, “They will not enter into my rest.” 6. Seeing therefore it remains that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good news was preached before failed to enter in because of disobedience, 7. he again defines a certain day, today, saying through David so long a time afterward (just as has been said), “Today if you will hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” 8. For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. 9. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10. For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his. 11. Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. 12. For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13. There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. 14. Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession. 15. For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. 16. Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need. 1. For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2. The high priest can deal gently with those who are ignorant and going astray, because he himself is also surrounded with weakness. 3. Because of this, he must offer sacrifices for sins for the people, as well as for himself. 4. Nobody takes this honor on himself, but he is called by God, just like Aaron was. 5. So also Christ didn’t glorify himself to be made a high priest, but it was he who said to him, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father.” 6. As he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 7. He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear, 8. though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 9. Having been made perfect, he became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation, 10. named by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 11. About him we have many words to say, and hard to interpret, seeing you have become dull of hearing. 12. For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food. 13. For everyone who lives on milk is not experienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a baby. 14. But solid food is for those who are full grown, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. 1. Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, 2. of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3. This will we do, if God permits. 4. For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5. and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, 6. and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame. 7. For the land which has drunk the rain that comes often on it, and produces a crop suitable for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receives blessing from God; 8. but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned. 9. But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things for you, and things that accompany salvation, even though we speak like this. 10. For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. 11. We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, 12. that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises. 13. For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, 14. saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15. Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16. For men indeed swear by a greater one, and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation. 17. In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath; 18. that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to take hold of the hope set before us. 19. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil; 20. where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

1. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps had nearly slipped. 3. For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4. For there are no struggles in their death, but their strength is firm. 5. They are free from burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men. 6. Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence covers them like a garment. 7. Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit. 8. They scoff and speak with malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression. 9. They have set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through the earth. 10. Therefore their people return to them, and they drink up waters of abundance. 11. They say, “How does God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12. Behold, these are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase in riches. 13. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence, 14. For all day long I have been plagued, and punished every morning. 15. If I had said, “I will speak thus”; behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. 16. When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me; 17. Until I entered God’s sanctuary, and considered their latter end. 18. Surely you set them in slippery places. You throw them down to destruction. 19. How they are suddenly destroyed! They are completely swept away with terrors. 20. As a dream when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will despise their fantasies. 21. For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart. 22. I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. 23. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. 24. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 25. Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. 26. My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27. For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you. 28. But it is good for me to come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.