1:1 以法蓮山地的拉瑪．瑣非有一個以法蓮人，名叫以利加拿，是蘇弗的玄孫，託戶的曾孫，以利戶的孫子，耶羅罕的兒子。
1:2 他有兩個妻：一名哈拿，一名毘尼拿。毘尼拿有兒女，哈拿沒有兒女。
1:3 這人每年從本城上到示羅，敬拜祭祀萬軍之耶和華；在那裡有以利的兩個兒子何弗尼、非尼哈當耶和華的祭司。
1:4 以利加拿每逢獻祭的日子，將祭肉分給他的妻毘尼拿和毘尼拿所生的兒女；
1:5 給哈拿的卻是雙分，因為他愛哈拿。無奈耶和華不使哈拿生育。
1:6 毘尼拿見耶和華不使哈拿生育，就作她的對頭，大大激動她，要使她生氣。
1:7 每年上到耶和華殿的時候，以利加拿都以雙分給哈拿；毘尼拿仍是激動她，以致她哭泣不吃飯。
1:8 她丈夫以利加拿對她說：「哈拿啊，你為何哭泣，不吃飯，心裡愁悶呢？有我不比十個兒子還好嗎？」
1:9 他們在示羅吃喝完了，哈拿就站起來。祭司以利在耶和華殿的門框旁邊，坐在自己的位上。
1:10 哈拿心裡愁苦，就痛痛哭泣，祈禱耶和華，
1:11 許願說：「萬軍之耶和華啊，你若垂顧婢女的苦情，眷念不忘婢女，賜我一個兒子，我必使他終身歸與耶和華，不用剃頭刀剃他的頭。」
1:12 哈拿在耶和華面前不住地祈禱，以利定睛看她的嘴。
1:13 （原來哈拿心中默禱，只動嘴唇，不出聲音，因此以利以為她喝醉了。）
1:14 以利對她說：「你要醉到幾時呢？你不應該喝酒。」
1:15 哈拿回答說：「主啊，不是這樣。我是心裡愁苦的婦人，清酒濃酒都沒有喝，但在耶和華面前傾心吐意。
1:16 不要將婢女看作不正經的女子。我因被人激動，愁苦太多，所以祈求到如今。」
1:17 以利說：「你可以平平安安地回去。願以色列的上帝允准你向他所求的！」
1:18 哈拿說：「願婢女在你眼前蒙恩。」於是婦人走去吃飯，面上再不帶愁容了。
1:19 次日清早，他們起來，在耶和華面前敬拜，就回拉瑪。到了家裡，以利加拿和妻哈拿同房，耶和華顧念哈拿，
1:20 哈拿就懷孕。日期滿足，生了一個兒子，給他起名叫撒母耳，說：「這是我從耶和華那裡求來的。」
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
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撒母耳是以色列的最後一位士師，在他之後以色列就開始有一位王，也就是掃羅王，而大衛王也是他所膏立的。雖然一個是在會眾面前立的，另一位是在暗地中立的；但是真正合上帝心意的是大衛，而不是掃羅王。
而這樣重要的人物的出身，在此有很溫馨和貼近人心的介紹。首先說到他的家庭狀況，讓人覺得這個家庭是敬畏上帝的家，因為他們會上示羅來過節。然而這看似美滿的家庭，也是有一些問題，就是撒母耳的媽媽哈拿，似乎是不孕症，一直沒有小孩，爸爸只好娶小老婆。偏偏小老婆肚子比較爭氣，有生小孩。媽媽在受到刺激下，向上帝求救，上帝就讓媽媽可以生育，就生下了他！
從這樣的事件中，我們感受到上帝是顧念人的上帝，也是磨練人的上帝！讓人經過磨練之後，學習了禱告和信靠的功課！所以，上帝讓人預見磨難不是壞事，是使人更知如何在上帝面敞開自己，勇敢的向上帝求！正如保羅說：「應當一無掛慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求，和感謝，將你們所要的告訴上帝。上帝所賜、出人意外的平安必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。」（腓立比書4:6-7）
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