1. ERamatayim kwakukho mfo uthile ugama linguElikana, unyana kaJeroham, kaElihu, kaTowu wendlu kaZufi. Wayengowesizwe sakwaEfrayim kweleentaba.
2. Lo mfo wayenabafazi ababini, uHana noPenina. UPenina wayezala, kodwa uHana yena engafumani bantwana.
3. Minyaka le lo mfo wayedla ngokuya eShilo, aye kunqula *uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke, anikele amadini. UHofeni noPineyasi, oonyana bakaEli, babengababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo apho.
4. Wayedla ngokuthi uElikana, ngomhla enze idini, akhuphe izabelo zikaPenina nezabantwana bakhe,
5. uHana yena amnike sibe sinye, naxa wayemthanda nje. Kaloku uHana wayeyivinjiwe inzala nguNdikhoyo.
6. Ngaphezu koko umka-ndod' akhe uPenina wayesoloko emcunukisa, emngcungcuthekisa ngokungazali kwakhe.
7. Yayisithi rhoqo le nto ukwenzeka xa beye kwaNdikhoyo eShilo minyaka le. UPenina wayesoloko emnukuneza ngokungazali kwakhe uHana, amtsho ade akhale ezimathontsi, angafuni nokutya oku.
8. Kwakuba njalo indoda yakhe uElikana yayisithi: “Hana, ulilela ntoni? Kutheni ungatyi nokutya oku? Ukhathazwa yintoni kakade, selude waziduba wadandatheka kangaka? Andixabisekanga na kuwe ngaphezu koonyana abalishumi?”
11. wenza isibhambathiso kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Ndikhoyo Somandla, wanga ungayibona inkxwaleko yesicakazana sakho, usikhumbule, ungasilibali isicakazana sakho, kodwa usinike unyana. Ke ndomnikezela kuwe, Ndikhoyo, abe ngowakho bonke ubomi bakhe, yaye neenwele zakhe azinakuze zichetywe.”
12. UHana wathandaza ithuba elide, uEli emjongile, ethe ntsho kuloo milebe.
13. Wayengavakalisi kuthetha uHana, kodwa yayibebezela yona imilebe. UEli wacinga ukuba uHana uyanxila,
14. wathi kuye: “Koda kube nini na unxila? Yahlukana notywala!”
15. “Hayi, mhlekazi, andinxilanga,” waphendula watsho uHana. “Andikhange ndisele iwayini okanye utywala, nto nje ndibuhlungu kakhulu. Wena undibona ndibika intlungu yam kuNdikhoyo.