1 Samuel 1

1 ¹One man dey wey come from Ramathaim-zophim for di hill country of Ephraim. Im name na Elkanah, di pikin of Jeroham, wey be pikin of Elihu, wey be pikin of Tohu, wey be pikin of Zuph, one Ephraimite. ²E get two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah get pikin, but Hannah no get any. ³Every year e dey comot from im town go worship and offer sacrifice to di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army for Shiloh, di place wey Eli two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, dey serve as priests of our Papa. ⁴Wen Elkanah offer sacrifice, e go share portion give im wife Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. ⁵But Hannah, e go give am double portion, because e love am, even though our Papa don close her womb. ⁶Because our Papa don close her womb, di other wife wey dey rival am no gree stop to dey provoke am well-well, to make her heart heavy. ⁷Every year, wen Hannah go up to di house of our Papa, Peninnah go provoke am, so she go cry and no gree chop. ⁸Her husband Elkanah ask am, “Hannah, why you dey cry? Why you no wan chop? Why your heart dey sorrowful? Abi I no better pass ten sons for you?”

⁹Afta dem chop and drink for Shiloh, Hannah stand up. Eli di priest dey sit for im seat near di doorpost of our Papa temple. ¹⁰Her heart dey pain am well-well, so she pray to our Papa and cry bitterly. ¹¹She make vow say, “Papa wey be Oga of heaven army, if you go just look di suffer of your servant, remember me, no forget your servant, and give am one son, I go give am to our Papa for im whole life, and no razor go touch im head.” ^a a v11 To leave pikin hair without to cut am na di outside sign of Nazirite vow — to set person apart for God for im whole life (check Numbers 6).

¹²As she continue to dey pray for front of our Papa, Eli dey watch her mouth. ¹³Hannah dey pray for inside her heart; her lips dey move but nobody hear her voice. So Eli think say she don drunk. ¹⁴E tell am, “How long you go dey drunk like dis? Comot dis your wine.”

¹⁵“No, my oga,” Hannah answer. “I be woman wey im spirit dey troubled well-well. I no drink wine or any strong drink, but I don pour out my soul for front of our Papa. ¹⁶No take your servant as woman wey no good for anything; na from di deep pain and sorrow wey full my belle I take dey pray here.”

¹⁷Eli answer, “Go in peace, and make di Papa of Israel give you wetin you ask am for.”

¹⁸She say, “Make your servant find favor for your eye.” Then di woman go her way, she chop, and her face no dey cast down again.

¹⁹Early di next morning dem wake up, worship for front of our Papa, and go back home to Ramah. Elkanah sleep with Hannah im wife, and our Papa remember am.

²⁰As time dey go, Hannah come get belle and born one son. She name am Samuel, she say, “Because I ask our Papa for am.” ^b b v20 Di name Samuel sound like di Hebrew word for “I ask God for am” — Hannah name am so because of di very son wey she beg from our Papa.

²¹Wen Elkanah and im whole house go up to offer di yearly sacrifice to our Papa and to complete im vow, ²²Hannah no go. She tell her husband, “Wen I don wean di boy, I go bring am make e appear for front of our Papa, and e go stay dere forever.”

²³“Do wetin better for your eye,” her husband Elkanah talk. “Stay until you don wean am; na only make our Papa keep im word.” So Hannah stay and dey breastfeed her son until she wean am.

²⁴Afta she wean am, she carry di boy go with her, together with one bull wey be three years, about twenty-five pounds of flour, and one jug of wine, and she bring am to di house of our Papa for Shiloh; and di child still small. ²⁵Dem kill di bull and bring di boy come Eli. ²⁶Hannah say, “Abeg, my oga, as sure as say you dey alive, my oga, na me be di woman wey stand here for your side, dey pray to our Papa. ²⁷I pray for dis child, and our Papa don give me wetin I ask am for. ²⁸So I dey give am to our Papa. For im whole life, na to Papa dem give am.” And e worship our Papa dere.