1 Samuel 3
1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no manifest vision.
Umfana uSamuyeli wakhonza phambi kukaThixo engaphansi kuka-Eli. Ngalezonsuku ilizwi likaThixo lalingandanga; kwakungelamibono eminengi.
2 Then it happened that, on a certain day, Eli was lying in his place. And his eyes had dimmed, so that he was unable to see.
Ngobunye ubusuku u-Eli, amehlo akhe ayesefiphala esebona kalufifi, wayelele endaweni yakhe yansuku zonke.
3 And so, to prevent the lamp of God from going out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
Isibane sikaNkulunkulu sasingakacitshi, njalo uSamuyeli wayelele phansi ethempelini likaThixo, lapho okwakulebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu khona.
4 And the Lord called Samuel. And responding, he said, “Here I am.”
Uthixo wasembiza uSamuyeli. USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”
5 And he ran to Eli, and he said, “Here I am. For you called me.” And he said: “I did not call. Return and sleep.” And he went away, and he slept.
Wagijimela ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” Kodwa u-Eli wathi, “Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.” Ngakho wabuyela wayalala.
6 And again, the Lord continued to call to Samuel. And rising up, Samuel went to Eli, and he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” And he responded: “I did not call you, my son. Return and sleep.”
Uthixo wambiza futhi wathi, “Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” U-Eli wathi, “Ndodana yami, Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.
Ngalesosikhathi uSamuyeli wayengakamazi uThixo: Ilizwi likaThixo lalingakavezwa kuye.
8 And the Lord continued, and he called to Samuel still a third time. And rising up, he went to Eli.
Uthixo wambiza uSamuyeli okwesithathu, njalo uSamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” Lapho-ke u-Eli wabona ukuthi nguThixo owayebiza umfana.
9 And he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord had called the boy. And he said to Samuel: “Go and sleep. And if he calls to you from now on, you will say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” Therefore, Samuel went away, and he slept in his place.
Ngakho u-Eli watshela uSamuyeli wathi, “Hamba uyelala, njalo nxa ekubiza wena uthi, ‘Khuluma Thixo, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.’” Ngakho uSamuyeli wahamba wayalala endaweni yakhe.
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, just as he had called the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” And Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
Uthixo weza wema khonapho, ebiza njengakuqala esithi, “Samuyeli! Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wathi, “Khuluma, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I am accomplishing a word in Israel. Whoever will hear about it, both his ears will ring.
Uthixo wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Khangela, sekuseduze ukuba ko-Israyeli ngenze into ezakwenza indlebe zomuntu wonke okuzwayo lokho zincencethe.
12 In that day, I will raise up against Eli all the things that I have spoken over his house. I will begin, and I will finish.
Ngalesosikhathi ngizamelana lo-Eli, ngenze konke engakukhuluma mayelana lendlu yakhe kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni.
13 For I have foretold to him that I will judge his house unto eternity, because of iniquity. For he had known that his sons acted shamefully, and he did not chastise them.
Ngoba ngamtshela ukuthi ngizakwahlulela indlu yakhe okulaphakade ngenxa yesono ayesazi; amadodana akhe ayehlambaza uNkulunkulu, yena wehluleka ukuwakhuza.
14 For this reason, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of his house will not be expiated, with victims or with gifts, even forever.”
Ngakho, ngayifungela indlu ka-Eli ngathi, ‘Icala lendlu ka-Eli kaliyikuhlawulwa ngomhlatshelo loba ngomnikelo.’”
15 Then Samuel slept until morning, and he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.
USamuyeli walala phansi kwaze kwaba sekuseni wasevula iminyango yendlu kaThixo. Wayesesaba ukutshela u-Eli umbono,
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and he said, “Samuel, my son?” And responding, he said, “I am here.”
kodwa u-Eli wambiza wathi, “Samuyeli, ndodana yami.” USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”
17 And he questioned him: “What is the word that the Lord has spoken to you? I beg you that you may not conceal it from me. May God do these things to you, and may he add these other things, if you hide from me one word out of all the things that were told to you.”
U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini akutshiloyo kuwe na? Ungangifihleli. Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakujezisa, kube buhlungu kakhulu, nxa uzangifihlela loba kuyini akutshele khona.”
18 And so, Samuel revealed to him all the words, and he did not hide them from him. And he responded: “He is the Lord. May he do what is good in his own eyes.”
Ngakho uSamuyeli wamtshela konke, engamfihlelanga lutho. U-Eli wasesithi, “UnguThixo; kenze lokho akubona kukuhle emehlweni akhe.”
19 And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.
Uthixo wayeloSamuyeli ekukhuleni kwakhe, njalo kayekelanga lalinye lamazwi akhe liwela phansi.
20 And all of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew Samuel to be a faithful prophet of the Lord.
Njalo u-Israyeli wonke kusukela eDani kusiya eBherishebha wakwazi ukuthi uSamuyeli wayebekwe ukuba ngumphrofethi kaThixo.
21 And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh. For the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh, according to the word of the Lord. And the word about Samuel went forth to all of Israel.
Uthixo waqhubeka ebonakala eShilo, njalo khonapho waziveza kuSamuyeli ngelizwi lakhe.
