Di Pikin Wey She Give Back

For di doorway of God house, one woman dey pray. Her lips dey move, but no sound dey comot. Tears dey run for her face. Di old priest wey dey look her squeeze face. E think say na wine don catch her.

Dis na di time of di judges, before Israel get king. For di hill country of Ephraim, for one town wey dem dey call Ramathaim, one man dey live wey im name na Elkanah. E get two wives. One na Peninnah, wey get children. Di other one na Hannah, wey Elkanah love, but she no get pikin. Every year, di family dey travel go Shiloh, where di tabernacle, di house of di Lord, dey. For there, di old priest Eli and im two sons dey serve. For di time of sacrifice, Elkanah dey give portions of meat to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah, e dey give special double portion, because e love her. But di Lord never give Hannah pikin.

Year after year, Peninnah dey provoke Hannah, dey touch her sore place, until Hannah go cry and she no go chop. Elkanah try console her. Hannah, why you dey cry? Why you no dey chop? Why your heart dey heavy like dis? I no better for you pass ten sons? E mean am with good heart. But e no reach di pain wey dey inside. So after di food for Shiloh, Hannah stand up go di house of di Lord. Eli di priest dey siddon for im chair near di doorpost. And Hannah, with bitter heart, pray to di Lord, she cry, she cry well well.

She make vow. Lord of hosts, if you go look di suffering of your servant and remember me, and give me son, I go give am to di Lord all di days of im life, and no razor go ever touch im head. She dey pray for inside her heart, na only her lips dey move. Eli look am and conclude say she don drink. How long you go dey drunk like dis? e talk with vex. Comot dat wine from your body. No, my lord, Hannah answer. I be woman wey get trouble for spirit. I no drink anything. Na my soul I dey pour for di front of di Lord. Eli voice change. Go for peace, e talk, and make di God of Israel give you wetin you ask am. And Hannah go, she chop, and her face no dey sad again.

When dem reach house for Ramah, di Lord remember Hannah. She born one son and she name am Samuel, she talk say, because I ask di Lord for am. When di family dey go Shiloh di next year, Hannah stay for house. I go wait until e stop to suck breast, she talk, then I go carry am go, so dat e go appear for di front of di Lord and stay there forever. When Samuel don stop to suck breast, she carry am go Shiloh, with one young bull, flour and wine. She find Eli. My lord, you remember me? I be di woman wey stand for here dey pray. Na dis pikin I pray for, and di Lord don give me wetin I ask am. So now, I dey give am back to di Lord. As long as e dey alive, e belong to di Lord. And dem worship di Lord for there.

Hannah promise, say no razor go touch her son head, dey follow di law of di Nazirite for di book of Numbers. Nazirite na person wey dem set apart for God through one special vow, and one sign of am na hair wey dem no cut. Most Nazirite vow na for small time. But Hannah give Samuel to God for im whole life, as dem tell Samson mama make she do for Samson. Long hair for grown man for Israel fit be sign wey everybody go see every day, say e belong to God.

Hannah story dey First Samuel chapter one. Samuel grow up to become di prophet wey anoint David for Bethlehem. Many hundred years after, another woman for di same line of hope, Mary, go sing one song wey resemble Hannah own, and her son too go belong to God completely. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Hannah pour her heart give God. If you go talk true, wetin you go pour give am?