A reading from the book of 1 Samuel.

There was a certain man of Ramathiam Zofim, of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was

Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuf, an Ephrothite.

He had two wives. The name of the one was Hanna, and the name of the other,

Penina. And Pinnina had children, but Hanna had no children. Now this man used to go up year

by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh,

where the two sons of Eli, Hoffney and Phineas, were priests of the Lord.

On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Panina his wife and to all

her sons and daughters, but to Hannah he gave a double portion

because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. And her rival used to provoke her

grievously to irritate her because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year.

As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her.

Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.

And Elkanah, her husband, said to her,

Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you not eat,

and why is your heart sad?

Am I not more to you than ten sons?

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh,

Hannah rose.

Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.

She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.

And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of hosts,

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