---
title: "1 Samuel 1 – Catholic Bible (CPDV) & Latin Vulgate · Bless"
url: https://blessbible.app/bible/1-samuel/1/
description: "Anna the wife of Elcana being barren, by vow and prayer obtaineth a son: whom… 1 Samuel 1 in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin Vulgate."
---

# 1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 1 is chapter 1 of 31 in the First Book of Samuel. Here are all 28 verses in the Catholic Public Domain Version, with the Latin of the Clementine Vulgate beside them.

> Anna the wife of Elcana being barren, by vow and prayer obtaineth a son: whom she calleth Samuel: and presenteth him to the service of God in Silo, according to her vow.
>
> — Bp. Richard Challoner, chapter summary

## 1 Samuel 1 (Catholic Public Domain Version)

1. There was a certain man from Ramah of Zophim, on Mount 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. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. And Peninnah had sons. But Hannah did not have children.
3. And this man went up from his city, on the established days, so that he might adore and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord, were in that place.
4. Then the day arrived, and Elkanah immolated. And he gave portions to his wife Peninnah, and to all her sons and daughters.
5. But to Hannah he gave one portion with sorrow. For he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb.
6. And her rival afflicted her and vehemently distressed her, to a great extent, for she rebuked her that the Lord had closed her womb.
7. And she did so every year, when the time returned for them to ascend to the temple of the Lord. And she provoked her in this way. And so, she wept and did not take food.
8. Therefore, her husband Elkanah said to her: “Hannah, why are you weeping? And why do you not eat? And for what reason do you afflict your heart? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9. And so, after she ate and drank at Shiloh, Hannah rose up. And Eli, the priest, was sitting on the seat before the door of the temple of the Lord.
10. And since Hannah was bitter in soul, she prayed to the Lord, weeping greatly.
11. And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord of hosts, if, in looking with favor, you will see the affliction of your servant and will remember me, and will not forget your handmaid, and if you will give to your servant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall pass over his head.”
12. Then it happened that, while she multiplied prayers before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth.
13. For Hannah was speaking in her heart, and only her lips moved, and her voice was barely heard. Therefore, Eli considered her to be drunk,
14. and so he said to her: “How long will you be inebriated? You should take only a little wine, but instead you are drenched.”
15. Responding, Hannah said: “By no means, my lord. For I am an exceedingly unhappy woman, and I drank neither wine, nor anything that can inebriate. Instead, I have poured out my soul in the sight of the Lord.
16. You should not repute your handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial. For I have been speaking from the abundance of my sorrow and grief, even until now.”
17. Then Eli said to her: “Go in peace. And may the God of Israel grant to you your petition, which you have begged of him.”
18. And she said, “I wish that your handmaid may find grace in your eyes.” And the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her countenance was no longer changed for the worse.
19. And they rose up in the morning, and they worshipped before the Lord. And they returned and arrived at their own house at Ramah. Then Elkanah knew his wife Hannah. And the Lord remembered her.
20. And it happened that, in the course of days, Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel, because she had requested him from the Lord.
21. Now her husband Elkanah ascended with his entire house, so that he might immolate to the Lord a solemn sacrifice, with his vow.
22. But Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, “I will not go, until the infant has been weaned, and until I may lead him, so that he may appear before the sight of the Lord, and may remain always there.”
23. And her husband Elkanah said to her: “Do what seems good to you, and stay until you wean him. And I pray that the Lord may fulfill his word.” Therefore, the woman remained at home, and she breastfed her son, until she withdrew him from milk.
24. And after she had weaned him, she brought him with her, along with three calves, and three measures of flour, and a small bottle of wine, and she led him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. But the boy was still a young child.
25. And they immolated a calf, and they presented the boy to Eli.
26. And Hannah said: “I beg you, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord: I am that woman, who stood before you here, praying to the Lord.
27. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted to me my petition, which I asked of him.
28. Because of this, I have also lent him to the Lord, for all the days when he shall be lent to the Lord.” And they adored the Lord in that place. And Hannah prayed, and she said:

## 1 Samuel 1 in Latin (Clementine Vulgate, 1592)

1. Fuit vir unus de Ramathaimsophim, de monte Ephraim, et nomen ejus Elcana, filius Jeroham, filii Eliu, filii Thohu, filii Suph, Ephrathæus:
2. et habuit duas uxores, nomen uni Anna, et nomen secundæ Phenenna. Fueruntque Phenennæ filii: Annæ autem non erant liberi.
3. Et ascendebat vir ille de civitate sua statutis diebus, ut adoraret et sacrificaret Domino exercituum in Silo. Erant autem ibi duo filii Heli, Ophni et Phinees, sacerdotes Domini.
4. Venit ergo dies, et immolavit Elcana, deditque Phenennæ uxori suæ, et cunctis filiis ejus et filiabus, partes:
5. Annæ autem dedit partem unam tristis, quia Annam diligebat. Dominus autem concluserat vulvam ejus.
6. Affligebat quoque eam æmula ejus, et vehementer angebat, in tantum ut exprobraret quod Dominus conclusisset vulvam ejus:
7. sicque faciebat per singulos annos: cum redeunte tempore ascenderent ad templum Domini, et sic provocabat eam: porro illa flebat, et non capiebat cibum.
8. Dixit ergo ei Elcana vir suus: Anna, cur fles? et quare non comedis? et quam ob rem affligitur cor tuum? numquid non ego melior tibi sum, quam decem filii?
9. Surrexit autem Anna postquam comederat et biberat in Silo. Et Heli sacerdote sedente super sellam ante postes templi Domini,
10. cum esset Anna amaro animo, oravit ad Dominum, flens largiter,
11. et votum vovit, dicens: Domine exercituum, si respiciens videris afflictionem famulæ tuæ, et recordatus mei fueris, nec oblitus ancillæ tuæ, dederisque servæ tuæ sexum virilem: dabo eum Domino omnibus diebus vitæ ejus, et novacula non ascendet super caput ejus.
12. Factum est autem, cum illa multiplicaret preces coram Domino, ut Heli observaret os ejus.
13. Porro Anna loquebatur in corde suo, tantumque labia illius movebantur, et vox penitus non audiebatur. Æstimavit ergo eam Heli temulentam,
14. dixitque ei: Usquequo ebria eris? digere paulisper vinum, quo mades.
15. Respondens Anna: Nequaquam, inquit, domine mi: nam mulier infelix nimis ego sum: vinumque et omne quod inebriare potest, non bibi, sed effudi animam meam in conspectu Domini.
16. Ne reputes ancillam tuam quasi unam de filiabus Belial: quia ex multitudine doloris et mœroris mei locuta sum usque in præsens.
17. Tunc Heli ait ei: Vade in pace: et Deus Israël det tibi petitionem tuam quam rogasti eum.
18. Et illa dixit: Utinam inveniat ancilla tua gratiam in oculis tuis. Et abiit mulier in viam suam, et comedit, vultusque illius non sunt amplius in diversa mutati.
19. Et surrexerunt mane, et adoraverunt coram Domino: reversique sunt, et venerunt in domum suam Ramatha. Cognovit autem Elcana Annam uxorem suam: et recordatus est ejus Dominus.
20. Et factum est post circulum dierum, concepit Anna, et peperit filium: vocavitque nomen ejus Samuel, eo quod a Domino postulasset eum.
21. Ascendit autem vir ejus Elcana, et omnis domus ejus, ut immolaret Domino hostiam solemnem, et votum suum.
22. Et Anna non ascendit: dixit enim viro suo: Non vadam donec ablactetur infans, et ducam eum, ut appareat ante conspectum Domini, et maneat ibi jugiter.
23. Et ait ei Elcana vir suus: Fac quod bonum tibi videtur, et mane donec ablactes eum: precorque ut impleat Dominus verbum suum. Mansit ergo mulier, et lactavit filium suum, donec amoveret eum a lacte.
24. Et adduxit eum secum, postquam ablactaverat, in vitulis tribus, et tribus modiis farinæ, et amphora vini, et adduxit eum ad domum Domini in Silo. Puer autem erat adhuc infantulus:
25. et immolaverunt vitulum, et obtulerunt puerum Heli.
26. Et ait Anna: Obsecro mi domine, vivit anima tua, domine: ego sum illa mulier, quæ steti coram te hic orans Dominum.
27. Pro puero isto oravi, et dedit mihi Dominus petitionem meam quam postulavi eum.
28. Idcirco et ego commodavi eum Domino cunctis diebus quibus fuerit commodatus Domino. Et adoraverunt ibi Dominum. Et oravit Anna, et ait:

## Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph numbers and the Catechism's own section headings (never quoted); text at vatican.va.
- CCC ¶ 489: "Conceived By the Power of the Holy Spirit and Born of the Virgin Mary" ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))
- cf. CCC ¶ 2578: In the Old Testament ([vatican.va index](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM))

## Bishop Challoner's notes

Bp. Richard Challoner, notes on the Douay-Rheims (1750); they comment on its older wording.
- Verse 1: “An Ephraimite” … He was of the tribe of Levi, 1. Par. 6. 34, but is called an Ephraimite from dwelling in mount Ephraim.
- Verse 20: “Samuel” … This name imports, asked of God.

## Read at Mass (US)

- Tue, Dec 22, 2026: Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent — First Reading, 1 Samuel 1:24-28
- Wed, Dec 22, 2027 (computed): Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Advent — First Reading, 1 Samuel 1:24-28
- Mon, Jan 10, 2028 (computed): Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, 1 Samuel 1:1-8
- Tue, Jan 11, 2028 (computed): Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time — First Reading, 1 Samuel 1:9-20

1 more date through December 31, 2028, in the [liturgical calendar](https://blessbible.app/calendar/).

Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.

Source: Catholic Public Domain Version (Ronald L. Conte Jr., 2009), public domain; Latin: Clementine Vulgate (1592).