< 1 Samuel 2 >
1 “My heart exults in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies. For I have rejoiced in your salvation.
UHana wasekhuleka esithi: Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza eNkosini. Uphondo lwami luphakanyisiwe eNkosini. Umlomo wami wenziwe banzi phezu kwezitha zami, ngoba ngiyajabula ngosindiso lwakho.
2 Nothing is holy as the Lord is holy. For there is no other beside you. And nothing is strong as our God is strong.
Kakho ongcwele njengeNkosi, ngoba kakho ngaphandle kwakho; futhi kalikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.
3 Do not continue speaking of great things, boasting. Let what is old depart from your mouth. For the Lord is the God of knowledge, and thoughts are prepared for him.
Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja lokuzigqaja, kungaphumi ukuziqakisa emlonyeni wenu; ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wolwazi, lezenzo zilinganiswa yiyo.
4 The bow of the powerful has been overwhelmed, and the weak have been girded with strength.
Idandili lamaqhawe lephukile, kodwa abakhubekileyo babhince amandla.
5 Those who before were filled, have hired themselves out for bread. And the starving have been filled, so that the barren have given birth to many. But she who had borne many sons has become unable.
Ababesuthi baziqhatshisile ngesinkwa, lababelambile kabasenjalo, kwaze kwathi oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa, lolabantwana abanengi uphele amandla.
6 The Lord brings death, and he gives life. He leads away to death, and he brings back again. (Sheol )
INkosi iyabulala njalo iyaphilisa, iyehlisela engcwabeni njalo yenyuse. (Sheol )
7 The Lord impoverishes, and he enriches. He humbles, and he lifts up.
INkosi ipha ubuyanga, njalo iyanothisa; iyehlisela phansi, njalo iphakamise.
8 He raises up the indigent from the dust, and he lifts up the poor from filth, so that they may sit with princes, and take hold of a throne of glory. For the hinges of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the globe upon them.
Iyamphakamisa umyanga ethulini, imphakamisa oswelayo enqunjini yomquba, ukuze ibahlalise leziphathamandla, ibadlise ilifa lesihlalo sobukhosi sodumo; ngoba insika zomhlaba zingezeNkosi, ibekile ilizwe phezu kwazo.
9 He will preserve the feet of his holy ones, and the impious will be silenced in darkness. For no man will prevail by his own strength.
Izagcina inyawo zabangcwele bayo, kodwa ababi bazathuliswa emnyameni; ngoba umuntu kayikunqoba ngamandla.
10 The adversaries of the Lord will dread him. And over them, he will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the parts of the earth, and he will give dominion to his king, and he will lift up the horn of his Christ.”
Abalwa leNkosi bazaphahlazwa; izaduma phezu kwabo isemazulwini; iNkosi izakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba, inike inkosi yayo amandla, iphakamise uphondo logcotshiweyo wayo.
11 And Elkanah went away to Ramah, to his house. But the boy was a minister in the sight of the Lord, before the face of Eli, the priest.
UElkana waya eRama endlini yakhe. Lomfana wayekhonza iNkosi phambi kukaEli umpristi.
12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
Amadodana kaEli ayengabantwana bakaBheliyali; kawayazanga-ke iNkosi.
13 nor the priestly office for the people. And so, no matter who had immolated a victim, the servant of the priest would arrive, while the flesh was still cooking, and he would take a three-pronged hook in his hand,
Njalo umkhuba wabapristi labantu wawunje; wonke umuntu ohlaba umhlatshelo, kube sekufika inceku yompristi, inyama isaphekiwe, ilefologwe elencijo ezintathu esandleni sayo,
14 and put it into the vessel, or into the cauldron, or into the cooking pot, or into the pan, and all that the hook lifted up, the priest took for himself. So they did to all of Israel who arrived at Shiloh.
ihlabe ngayo edengezini, loba egedleleni, loba ebhodweni, loba embizeni; konke ifologwe ekukhuphayo umpristi wayezithathela khona. Benze njalo kuIsrayeli wonke ofika lapho eShilo.
15 In addition, before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would arrive, and he would say to the one who was immolating: “Give me the flesh, so that I may boil it for the priest. For I will not accept cooked meat from you, but raw.”
Njalo engakatshisi amahwahwa, inceku yompristi ifike ithi emuntwini ohlabayo: Letha inyama yokosela umpristi, ngoba kayikuthatha kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza.
16 And the one who was immolating would say to him, “First, allow the fat to be burned today, according to custom, and then take for yourself whatever your soul desires.” But in response, he would say to him: “By no means. For you will give it to me now, otherwise I will take it by force.”
Uba lowomuntu esithi kuyo: Kabatshise lokutshisa amahwahwa khathesi, ubusuzithathela njengokuthanda komphefumulo wakho; ibisisithi kuye: Hatshi, nginika khathesi; uba kungenjalo, ngizayithatha ngamandla.
17 Therefore, the sin of the servants was exceedingly great before the Lord. For they drew men away from the sacrifice of the Lord.
Ngakho isono samajaha saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kweNkosi; ngoba abantu badelela umnikelo weNkosi.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the face of the Lord; he was a youth girded with a linen ephod.
Kodwa uSamuweli wayekhonza phambi kweNkosi engumfana ebhince i-efodi yelembu elicolekileyo.
19 And his mother fashioned a little tunic for him, which she brought to him on the appointed days, ascending with her husband, so that he might immolate the solemn sacrifice.
Futhi unina wayemenzela ijazana, amphathele lona umnyaka ngomnyaka ekwenyukeni kwakhe lomkakhe ukuyahlaba umhlatshelo womnyaka.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And he said to him, “May the Lord repay to you offspring from this woman, on behalf of the loan that you offered to the Lord.” And they went away to their own place.
UEli wasebabusisa oElkana lomkakhe, wathi: INkosi ikunike inzalo ngalowesifazana endaweni yesicelo esicelwe eNkosini. Basebesiya endaweni yabo.
21 Then the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the youth Samuel was magnified with the Lord.
INkosi isimhambele uHana, wasethatha isisu, wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli wasekhula eleNkosi.
22 Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all of Israel, and how they were sleeping with the women who were waiting at the door of the tabernacle.
Kodwa uEli wayesemdala kakhulu; wakuzwa konke amadodana akhe akwenza kuIsrayeli wonke, lokuthi ayelala labesifazana ababuthana emnyango wethente lenhlangano.
23 And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?
Wasesithi kuwo: Lenzelani izinto ezinje? Ngoba ngiyezwa ngabo bonke abantu ngezenzo zenu ezimbi.
24 My sons, do not be willing. For it is no good report that I am hearing, so that you would cause the people of the Lord to transgress.
Hatshi, madodana ami; ngoba kakusumbiko omuhle engiwuzwayo ukuthi lenza abantu beNkosi baphambuke.
25 If a man has sinned against a man, God may be able to be appeased over him. But if a man has sinned against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, that the Lord was willing to kill them.
Uba umuntu esona komunye, abahluleli bazamahlulela; kodwa uba umuntu esona eNkosini, ngubani ozamlamulela? Kodwa kawalalelanga ilizwi likayise; ngoba iNkosi yayifuna ukuwabulala.
26 But the youth Samuel advanced, and grew up, and he was pleasing to the Lord, as well as to men.
Umfana uSamuweli waseqhubeka ekhula, ethandeka kubo bobabili iNkosi labantu.
27 Then a man of God went to Eli, and he said to him: “Thus says the Lord: Was I not revealed openly to the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?
Kwasekufika umuntu kaNkulunkulu kuEli, wathi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngabonakaliswa lokubonakaliswa yini kuyo indlu kayihlo beseGibhithe endlini kaFaro?
28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel for myself as priest, so that he might ascend to my altar, and burn incense to me, and wear the ephod before me. And I gave to the house of your father all the sacrifices of the sons of Israel.
Ngamkhetha yini kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli ukuthi abe ngumpristi wami, anikele elathini lami, atshise impepha, agqoke i-efodi phambi kwami? Ngayinika yini indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo yabantwana bakoIsrayeli eyenziwe ngomlilo?
29 Why have you kicked away my victims and my gifts, which I instructed to be offered in the temple? And why have you given more honor to your sons than to me, so that you eat the first-fruits of every sacrifice of my people Israel?
Kungani likhahlela imihlatshelo yami leminikelo yami engiyilayileyo endlini yami, njalo uhlonipha amadodana akho okwedlula mina, ngokuzikhuluphalisa ngekhethelo leminikelo yonke kaIsrayeli, abantu bami?
30 Because of this, the Lord God of Israel says: I have spoken clearly, so that your house, and the house of your father, may minister in my sight, even forever. But now the Lord says: May this be far from me. Instead, whoever will have glorified me, I will glorify him. But whoever despises me, they will be despised.
Ngakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi: Ngathi lokuthi: Indlu yakho lendlu kayihlo zizahamba phambi kwami kuze kube nininini; kodwa khathesi ithi iNkosi: Kakube khatshana lami; ngoba abangihloniphayo ngizabahlonipha, labangidelelayo bazakweyiswa.
31 Behold the days are arriving, when I will cut off your arm, and the arm of the house of your father, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
Khangela, insuku ziyeza engizaquma ngazo ingalo yakho lengalo yendlu kayihlo, kungabi khona ixhegu endlini yakho.
32 And you will see your rival in the temple, amid all the prosperity of Israel. And there will not be an old man in your house for all days.
Njalo uzabona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami, kuyo yonke impumelelo ezayenzela uIsrayeli; njalo kakuyikuba lexhegu endlini yakho zonke izinsuku.
33 Yet truly, I will not entirely take away a man of you from my altar, but such that your eyes may fail, and your soul may melt away, and a great part of your house may die out, as it pertains to the state of men.
Lowo-ke owakho engingayikumquma asuke elathini lami uzakuba ngowokuqeda amehlo akho, lokudabula umphefumulo wakho; lakho konke ukwanda kwendlu yakho kuzakufa kusebudodeni.
34 But this will be a sign to you, which will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on one day they both will die.
Lalokhu kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe okuzakwehlela amadodana akho womabili, kuHofini loPhinehasi; bobabili bazakufa ngasuku lunye.
35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will act in accord with my heart and my soul. And I will build a faithful house for him. And he will walk before my Christ for all days.
Ngizazimisela umpristi othembekileyo; uzakwenza njengokusenhliziyweni yami lemphefumulweni wami. Njalo ngizamakhela indlu eqinileyo; uzahamba-ke phambi kogcotshiweyo wami zonke izinsuku.
36 Then this will be in the future, that whoever will have remained of your house, he will approach so that he may pray on his behalf. And he will offer a coin of silver, and a twist of bread. And he will say: ‘Permit me, I beg you, one part of the priestly office, so that I may eat a mouthful of bread.’”
Kuzakuthi-ke wonke oseleyo endlini yakho uzakuza akhothame kuye ngenxa yembadalo yesiliva leqebelengwana lesinkwa, athi: Ake ungibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zompristi ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.