1 Samuel 1

The story opens with Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah is barren, while Peninnah provokes her for her inability to conceive. During their annual pilgrimage to Shiloh, Hannah prays tearfully to God, vowing that if she is given a son, she will dedicate him to the Lord for life as a Nazarite. Eli, the high priest, initially mistakes her silent prayer for drunkenness. Once he understands her plight, he blesses her. God remembers Hannah, and she conceives and gives birth to Samuel.