1 Samuel 2
1 Hannah prayed, “I'm so happy in the Lord! He has empowered me! Now I have plenty to say in answer to those who hate me. I celebrate 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 There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, no Rock like our God!
Kakho ongcwele njengeNkosi, ngoba kakho ngaphandle kwakho; futhi kalikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.
3 Don't speak so conceitedly! Don't talk so arrogantly! For the Lord is a God who knows everything—doesn't he judge what you do?
Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja lokuzigqaja, kungaphumi ukuziqakisa emlonyeni wenu; ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wolwazi, lezenzo zilinganiswa yiyo.
4 The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
Idandili lamaqhawe lephukile, kodwa abakhubekileyo babhince amandla.
5 Those who used to have plenty of food now have to work to earn a crust, while those who used to be hungry now have become fat. The woman who was childless now has seven children, while the woman with many children fades away.
Ababesuthi baziqhatshisile ngesinkwa, lababelambile kabasenjalo, kwaze kwathi oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa, lolabantwana abanengi uphele amandla.
6 The Lord kills and he revives; he sends some down to the grave, but he raises others up. (Sheol h7585)
INkosi iyabulala njalo iyaphilisa, iyehlisela engcwabeni njalo yenyuse. (Sheol h7585)
7 The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
INkosi ipha ubuyanga, njalo iyanothisa; iyehlisela phansi, njalo iphakamise.
8 He helps the poor up from the dust; he raises the lowborn from the trash pile and seats them with the upper class in places of honor. For the foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on 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 take care of those who trust him, but the wicked vanish into the darkness, for people don't succeed through their own strength.
Izagcina inyawo zabangcwele bayo, kodwa ababi bazathuliswa emnyameni; ngoba umuntu kayikunqoba ngamandla.
10 The Lord crushes his enemies, he thunders against them from heaven. He rules the whole earth; he strengthens his king, and gives power to the one he has anointed.”
Abalwa leNkosi bazaphahlazwa; izaduma phezu kwabo isemazulwini; iNkosi izakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba, inike inkosi yayo amandla, iphakamise uphondo logcotshiweyo wayo.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
UElkana waya eRama endlini yakhe. Lomfana wayekhonza iNkosi phambi kukaEli umpristi.
12 Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time for the Lord
Amadodana kaEli ayengabantwana bakaBheliyali; kawayazanga-ke iNkosi.
13 or their role as priests to the people. They would send one of their servants over with a fork when anyone came to offer a sacrifice.
Njalo umkhuba wabapristi labantu wawunje; wonke umuntu ohlaba umhlatshelo, kube sekufika inceku yompristi, inyama isaphekiwe, ilefologwe elencijo ezintathu esandleni sayo,
14 The servant would stick the fork into the pot while the meat from the sacrifice was being boiled, and would take whatever meat came up on the fork to Eli's sons. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to 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 fact even before the fat of the sacrifice was burned up the servant would come and would demand from the man sacrificing, “Give me meat to roast for the priest. He doesn't want boiled meat from you—he wants it raw.”
Njalo engakatshisi amahwahwa, inceku yompristi ifike ithi emuntwini ohlabayo: Letha inyama yokosela umpristi, ngoba kayikuthatha kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza.
16 The man might answer, “Let me first burn up all the fat, and then you can have as much as you want.” But the priest's servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me now. If you don't, I'll 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 The sins of these young men were extremely serious from the Lord's perspective because they were treating with contempt the Lord's offerings.
Ngakho isono samajaha saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kweNkosi; ngoba abantu badelela umnikelo weNkosi.
18 But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, wearing a linen ephod.
Kodwa uSamuweli wayekhonza phambi kweNkosi engumfana ebhince i-efodi yelembu elicolekileyo.
19 Every year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
Futhi unina wayemenzela ijazana, amphathele lona umnyaka ngomnyaka ekwenyukeni kwakhe lomkakhe ukuyahlaba umhlatshelo womnyaka.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to replace the one she prayed for and dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return home.
UEli wasebabusisa oElkana lomkakhe, wathi: INkosi ikunike inzalo ngalowesifazana endaweni yesicelo esicelwe eNkosini. Basebesiya endaweni yabo.
21 The Lord blessed Hannah with three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
INkosi isimhambele uHana, wasethatha isisu, wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli wasekhula eleNkosi.
22 Eli was very old, however he had heard about all the things his sons were doing to the people of Israel, and how they were seducing the women who were serving at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Kodwa uEli wayesemdala kakhulu; wakuzwa konke amadodana akhe akwenza kuIsrayeli wonke, lokuthi ayelala labesifazana ababuthana emnyango wethente lenhlangano.
23 He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
Wasesithi kuwo: Lenzelani izinto ezinje? Ngoba ngiyezwa ngabo bonke abantu ngezenzo zenu ezimbi.
24 No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
Hatshi, madodana ami; ngoba kakusumbiko omuhle engiwuzwayo ukuthi lenza abantu beNkosi baphambuke.
25 If a man sins against someone, God can intercede for him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who is going to intercede for him?” But they didn't pay attention to what their father said, for the Lord was planning to put them to death.
Uba umuntu esona komunye, abahluleli bazamahlulela; kodwa uba umuntu esona eNkosini, ngubani ozamlamulela? Kodwa kawalalelanga ilizwi likayise; ngoba iNkosi yayifuna ukuwabulala.
26 The boy Samuel grew physically, and also grew in the approval of both the Lord and the people.
Umfana uSamuweli waseqhubeka ekhula, ethandeka kubo bobabili iNkosi labantu.
27 A man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Didn't I very clearly reveal myself to your forefather's family when they were ruled by Pharaoh in Egypt?
Kwasekufika umuntu kaNkulunkulu kuEli, wathi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngabonakaliswa lokubonakaliswa yini kuyo indlu kayihlo beseGibhithe endlini kaFaro?
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel as my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave to your forefather's family all the Israelites' offerings made with fire.
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 So why have you treated with contempt my sacrifices and offerings that I have ordered for my place of worship? You honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves with the best parts of all the offerings from 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 Consequently, this is the declaration of the Lord: I made a definite promise that your family and your father's family would always serve me as priests. But now the Lord declares: Not anymore! Instead I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me I will treat with contempt.
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 The time is coming when I will bring your family and your father's family to an end. No one will live to an old age.
Khangela, insuku ziyeza engizaquma ngazo ingalo yakho lengalo yendlu kayihlo, kungabi khona ixhegu endlini yakho.
32 You will see tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
Njalo uzabona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami, kuyo yonke impumelelo ezayenzela uIsrayeli; njalo kakuyikuba lexhegu endlini yakho zonke izinsuku.
33 Anyone of your family not cut off from serving at my altar will make your eyes weep and cause you grief. All your descendants will die when full of life.
Lowo-ke owakho engingayikumquma asuke elathini lami uzakuba ngowokuqeda amehlo akho, lokudabula umphefumulo wakho; lakho konke ukwanda kwendlu yakho kuzakufa kusebudodeni.
34 Here is a sign for you that this will happen regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both will die on the same day.
Lalokhu kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe okuzakwehlela amadodana akho womabili, kuHofini loPhinehasi; bobabili bazakufa ngasuku lunye.
35 I will choose for myself a trustworthy priest who will do what I really want, what I have in mind. I will make sure he and his descendants are trustworthy and they will always serve my anointed one.
Ngizazimisela umpristi othembekileyo; uzakwenza njengokusenhliziyweni yami lemphefumulweni wami. Njalo ngizamakhela indlu eqinileyo; uzahamba-ke phambi kogcotshiweyo wami zonke izinsuku.
36 Every one of your descendants who is left will come and bow down to him, asking for money and food, saying, ‘Please give me work as a priest so that I can have food to eat.’”
Kuzakuthi-ke wonke oseleyo endlini yakho uzakuza akhothame kuye ngenxa yembadalo yesiliva leqebelengwana lesinkwa, athi: Ake ungibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zompristi ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.
