< Kings I 2 >
1 My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in your salvation.
UHana wasekhuleka esithi: “Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza kuThixo; kuThixo uphondo lwami luphakeme. Umlomo wami uyaziklolodela izitha zami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ekusindiseni kwakho.
2 For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides you.
Kakho ongcwele njengoThixo; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakho; akulaDwala elinjengo-Nkulunkulu wethu.
3 Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs.
Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja kanje loba uyekele umlomo wakho ukhuluma ukuzikhukhumeza okunje, ngoba uThixo unguNkulunkulu owaziyo, njalo izenzo zilinganiswa nguye.
4 The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
Amadandili amabutho ephukile, kodwa labo abakhubekayo bahlonyiswe ngamandla.
5 They that were full of bread are brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has waxed feeble.
Labo ababesuthi baziqhatshisa ngokudla, kodwa labo ababelambile kabalambi futhi. Lowo owayeyinyumbakazi usezele abantwana abayisikhombisa, kodwa lowo owayelamadodana amanengi uyacikizeka.
6 The Lord kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave, and brings up. (Sheol )
Uthixo uletha ukufa njalo enze ukuphila, wehlisela phansi engcwabeni njalo avuse. (Sheol )
7 The Lord makes poor, and makes rich; he brings low, and lifts up.
Uthixo uthumela ubuyanga kanye lenotho; uyathobekisa njalo uyaphakamisa.
8 He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of glory:
Uvusa abayanga ethulini aphakamise abaswelayo esilotheni; abahlalise lamakhosana. Enze bathole isihlalo sodumo sibe yilifa labo. Ngoba izisekelo zomhlaba ngezikaThixo; umise umhlaba phezu kwazo.
9 granting his petition to him that prays; and he blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength can’t man prevail.
Uzalondoloza inyawo zabathembekileyo bakhe, kodwa ababi bazathuliselwa emnyameni. Akusikho ngamandla ukuthi umuntu ehlule;
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
labo abaphikisa uThixo bazaphahlazwa. OPhezukonke uzaduma amelane labo esezulwini; uThixo uzakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba. Uzayinika amandla inkosi yakhe aphakamise lophondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”
11 and departed to Armathaim: and the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Heli the priest.
Emva kwalokho u-Elikhana wabuyela ekhaya eRama, kodwa umfana wakhonza phambi kukaThixo ngaphansi kuka-Eli umphristi.
12 And the sons of Heli the priest [were] evil sons, not knowing the Lord.
Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abaxhwalileyo, ayengamnanzi uThixo.
13 And the priest's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed [was this: ] the servant of the priest came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth [was] in his hand.
Kwakungumkhuba wabaphristi labantu ukuthi kokuphela nxa loba ngubani enikele umhlatshelo, njalo lapho inyama isaphekwa, inceku yomphristi yayisiza iphethe ifologwe elencijo ezintathu.
14 And he struck it into the great cauldron, or into the brazen vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself: so they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Selom.
Yayihlaba ngayo epaneni loba egedleleni loba ebhodweni kumbe embizeni, umphristi abe esezithathela loba kuyini okuphume lefologwe. Le yiyo indlela abaphatha ngayo bonke abako-Israyeli abafika eShilo.
15 And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savour, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take of you sodden flesh out of the cauldron.
Kodwa lalapho amahwahwa engakatshi, inceku yomphristi yayisiya emuntwini onikelayo ithi, “Nika umphristi inyama yokosa; kasoze ayamukele kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza kuphela.”
16 And [if] the man that sacrificed said, First let the fat be burnt, as it is fit, and take for yourself of all things which your soul desires: then he would say, Nay, for you shall give it me now; and if not I will take it by force.
Lapho umuntu ethe kuyo, “Yekela amahwahwa aqale atshe, ube usuthathake lokho okufunayo,” inceku yayiphendula ithi, “Hatshi, ngiqhubela yona khathesi; nxa ungenzi njalo, ngizayihluthuna ngamandla.”
17 So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they set at nothing the offering of the Lord.
Lesisono samajaha sasisikhulu kakhulu emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba babephatha umnikelo kaThixo ngokwedelela.
18 And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girded with a linen ephod.
Kodwa uSamuyeli wayekhonza phambi kukaThixo engumfana egqoka isembatho samahlombe selineni.
19 And his mother made him a little doublet, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Minyaka yonke unina wayemenzela ingubo encane ayise kuye lapho esiya khonale lomkakhe ukuyanikela umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke.
20 And Heli blessed Helcana and his wife, saying The Lord recompense to you seed of this woman, in return for the loan which you have lent to the Lord: and the man returned to his place.
U-Eli wayebusisa u-Elikhana lomkakhe, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angalipha abantwana ngalo owesifazane ukuba bathathe isikhundla salowo amkhulekelayo wasemnika uThixo.” Emva kwalokho babebuyela ekhaya.
21 And the Lord visited Anna, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
Uthixo waba lomusa kuHana; wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Kusenjalo, umfana uSamuyeli wakhula phambi kukaThixo.
22 And Heli [was] very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel.
Ngalesosikhathi u-Eli, owayesemdala kakhulu, wezwa ngakho konke okwakusenziwa ngamadodana akhe ku-Israyeli wonke kanye lokuthi ayelala njani labesifazane ababesebenza esangweni lethente lokuhlangana.
23 And he said to them, Why do you according to this thing, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?
Ngakho wathi kuwo, “Kungani lisenza izinto ezinje na? Ngizizwa ngabantu bonke lezizenzo zenu ezimbi.
24 Nay [my] sons, for the report which I hear [is] not good; do not so, for the reports which I hear [are] not good, so that the people do not serve God.
Hatshi, madodana ami; akusimbiko omuhle engiwuzwa usanda phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo.
25 If a man should at all sin against another, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? But they listened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would by all means destroy them.
Nxa umuntu esona komunye umuntu, uNkulunkulu angaba ngumeli wakhe kodwa nxa umuntu esona kuThixo, ngubani ongamkhulumela na?” Kodwa amadodana akhe kawakulalelanga ukukhuza kukayise, ngoba kwakuyisifiso sikaThixo ukuba awabulale.
26 And the child Samuel advanced, and was in favour with God and with men.
Umfana uSamuyeli waqhubeka ekhula ngomzimba langokuthandeka kuThixo lasebantwini.
27 And a man of God came to Heli, and said, Thus says the Lord, I plainly revealed myself to the house of your father, when they were servants in Egypt to the house of Pharao.
Ngalesosikhathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu wafika ku-Eli wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Kangizibonakalisanga ngokubalulekileyo endlini kayihlo lapho babeseGibhithe ngaphansi kukaFaro na?
28 And I chose the house of your father out of all the tribes of Israel to minister to me in the priest's office, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel for food.
Ngakhetha uyihlo phakathi kwezizwana zonke zako-Israyeli ukuba abe ngumphristi wami, ukuba aye e-alithareni lami, ukuba atshise impepha, lokuba agqoke isembatho samahlombe phambi kwami. Njalo nganika indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo eyenziwa ngomlilo ngabako-Israyeli.
29 And therefore have you looked upon my incense-offering and my meat-offering with a shameless eye, and have honoured your sons above me, so that they should bless themselves with the first fruits of every sacrifice of Israel before me?
Pho kungani useyisa imihlatshelo yami kanye leminikelo engayiphawulela indlu yami yokuhlala na? Kungani uhlonipha amadodana akho okudlula mina ngokuzikhuluphalisa lina ngokwenu ngezingxenye zekhethelo zeminikelo yonke eyenziwa ngabantu bako-Israyeli na?’
30 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel, I said, Your house and the house of your father shall pass before me for ever: but now the Lord says, That be far from me; for I will only honour them that honour me, and he that sets me at nothing shall be despised.
Ngakho-ke uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Ngathembisa ukuthi indlu yakho lendlu kayihlo zizakhonza phambi kwami nini lanini.’ Kodwa khathesi uThixo uthi, ‘Akusenjalo kimi!’ Labo abangihloniphayo ngizabahlonipha, kodwa labo abangeyisayo bazakweyiswa.
31 Behold, the days come when I will destroy your seed and the seed of your father's house.
Isikhathi siyeza lapho engizaphungula khona amandla akho lamandla endlu kayihlo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu omdala kusendo lwakwenu
32 And you shall not have an old man in my house for ever.
njalo uzabona usizi lapho engihlala khona. Lanxa okuhle kuzakwenziwa ku-Israyeli, kwabosendo lwakho akuyikuba lomuntu omdala.
33 And [if] I do not destroy a man of your from my altar, [it shall be] that his eyes may fail and his soul may perish; and every one that remains in your house shall fall by the sword of men.
Lowo lalowo wakini engingayikumsusa e-alithareni lami uzayekelwa nje ukuba amehlo akhe afiphale lokuba azwise inhliziyo yakho ubuhlungu, njalo yonke inzalo yakho izakufa kuyikhona isephakathi kwempilo.
34 And this which shall come upon your two sons Ophni and Phinees shall be a sign to you; in one day they shall both die.
‘Njalo okwenzakala emadodaneni akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe, bobabili bazakufa langa linye.
35 And I will raise up to myself a faithful priest, who shall do all that is in my heart and in my soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my Christ for ever.
Ngizakuzimisela umphristi othembekileyo ozakwenza mayelana lokusenhliziyweni yami lengqondweni yami. Ngizamisa indlu yakhe iqine, njalo uzakhonza phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kokuphela.
36 And it shall come to pass that he that survives in your house, shall come to do obeisance before him for a little piece of silver, saying, Put me into one of your priest's offices to eat bread.
Lapho-ke bonke abosendo lwakho abaseleyo bazakuza bakhothame kuye becela uhlamvu lwesiliva loqweqwe lwesinkwa njalo bakhalaze besithi, “Ake ungibeke kwesinye isikhundla sobuphristi ukuze ngithole ukudla ngidle.”’”