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There was a man named Elkanah,
who lived at Mount Ephraim. He worshiped the true God, and every
year went with his family to sacrifice to the Lord at Shiloh.
Elkanah had a wife named Hannah, and she loved God too. Was Hannah
happy? One thing made her sorry: she had not child, and she
wished very much to have a son. One
year, when Elkanah and his family went to Shiloh, Hannah felt very sad,
and she determined to tell her sorrow to God. So when the sacrifice
was ended at Shiloh, Hannah went and prayed to the Lord. She cried
very much when she prayed and vowed a vow, and said, "If thou, Lord,
wilt give me a son, I will bring him up for thy service. He shall be
a Nazarite to thee all his life." Hannah was not alone when she
prayed; the old priest was sitting by; his name was Eli. Eli looked
at Hannah while she was praying, and he saw her lips moving, but he could
not hear what she said, and he spoke unkindly to her, and asked her what
she was doing. Hannah told the priest, that she was unhappy, and
that she was telling God all her sorrows, and asking Him to comfort
her. Eli was very glad to find that Hannah prayed with her heart,
and not with her lips alone; and he blessed her, and asked God to hear her
prayer. Then Hannah thanked Eli, and wiped away her tears, and went
home with her husband. Hannah
was now "no more sad." She had told God her sorrow, and
asked Him to give her a child; and she waited for Him to do as He
pleased. She knew that what God does is right and best; and she
trusted all to Him, and was happy.
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