1 Samuel 1
1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.
O nwere otu nwoke onye Zuf, si na Ramataim, nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem. Aha ya bụ Elkena nwa Jeroham, nwa Elihu, nwa Tohu, nwa Zuf, onye Ifrem.
2 He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.
Elkena lụrụ ndị inyom abụọ, aha nke mbụ bụ Hana, ebe aha nke abụọ bụ Penina. Penina nwere ụmụ, ma Hana enweghị nwa.
3 Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh there.
Kwa afọ, nwoke a na-esi nʼobodo ya gaa Shaịlo ife ofufe na ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile aja. Ọ bụ nʼebe ahụ ka ụmụ ndị ikom abụọ Elayị a na-akpọ Hofni na Finehaz, bụ ndị nchụaja Onyenwe anyị nọ.
4 Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
Nʼụbọchị ọbụla Elkena na-achụ aja ya, ọ na-ekenye Penina na ụmụ ya ndị ikom na ndị inyom ọtụtụ oke site nʼanụ o ji chụọ aja.
5 But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.
Ma ọ na-enye Hana oke mmadụ abụọ, nʼihi na ọ hụrụ ya nʼanya, ọ bụ ezie na Onyenwe anyị mechiri akpanwa ya.
6 And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
Ma Penina na-eme ka obi jọọ Hana njọ karịa, site nʼikpasu ya iwe, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị mechiri akpanwa ya.
7 This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat.
Ihe ndị a na-eme kwa afọ. Penina na-akwa Hana emo, na-achị ya ọchị oge niile ha gara nʼụlọ Onyenwe anyị, si otu a na-eme ka ọ na-akwa akwa, gharakwa iri nri.
8 Then Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had ten sons.)”
Mgbe Hana bidoro ịkwa akwa otu a, Elkena na-ajụ ya sị, “Hana, ọ bụ gịnị mere i ji na-akwa akwa? Gịnị mere ị naghị eri nri? Gịnị mere obi ji ajọ gị njọ? Ọ bụ na mụ adịghị gị mma karịa ụmụ ndị ikom iri nye gị?”
9 One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.
Otu ụbọchị mgbe ha risiri nri, ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ na Shaịlo, Hana biliri ọtọ. Nʼoge a, Elayị onye nchụaja nọdụrụ ala nʼoche ya nʼakụkụ ọnụ ụzọ ụlọ Onyenwe anyị.
10 Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
Nʼọnọdụ obi mwute Hana kwara akwa, kpee ekpere, kpọkuo Onyenwe anyị.
11 She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”
O kwere nkwa sị, “O! Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, ọ bụrụ na ị ga-elekwasị anya na nhụju anya nke ohu gị nwanyị ma cheta m, ghara ichefu ohu gị nwanyị, ma nye ya nwa nwoke, mgbe ahụ, aga m enyeghachi ya Onyenwe anyị ogologo ụbọchị niile nke ndụ ya. Agụba agakwaghị aga nʼisi ya mgbe ọbụla.”
12 As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
Mgbe ọ nọgidere na-ekpe ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị, Elayị nọ na-ele ya anya nʼọnụ.
13 But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
Ka Hana nọ na-ekpe ekpere nʼobi ya, naanị egbugbere ọnụ ya na-emegharị emegharị, ma enweghị onye na-anụ olu ya. Mgbe ahụ, Elayị chere nʼobi ya na ọ bụ nwanyị mmanya na-egbu.
14 He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
Elayị sịrị ya, “Ruo ole mgbe ka ị ga-akwụsị ịṅụbiga mmanya oke? Si nʼebe mmanya dị wezuga onwe gị!”
15 Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.
Ma Hana zara sị ya, “Mba, onyenwe m, aṅụghị m mmanya ọbụla! Kama abụ m nwanyị obi ya dị ilu nke ukwuu. Anọ m na-ekwupụtara Onyenwe anyị ihe dị m nʼobi.
16 Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
Biko agụla ohu gị nwanyị dịka onye ajọ omume. Esi m nʼobi mwute na-akwasara Onyenwe anyị ụwa m.”
17 Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from him.”
Elayị zara sị ya, “Laa nʼudo, ka Chineke Izrel mezuoro gị dịka arịrịọ gị niile si dị.”
18 She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked sad.
Hana zara sị, “Ka m bụrụ onye si nʼaka gị nata ihuọma.” O jiri obi ụtọ laghachi, malitekwa iri nri ya. Ihu ya agbarụkwaghị ọzọ.
19 Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,
Nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, ha biliri kpọọ isiala nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, mgbe ahụ, ha laghachiri nʼụlọ ha dị na Rema. Mgbe ha laruru, Elkena bakwuru nwunye ya Hana, Onyenwe anyị chetakwara ya.
20 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”
Mgbe oge ruru, o mere ka Hana tụrụ ime, mụọ nwa nwoke. Ọ gụrụ ya Samuel, nʼihi na ọ sịrị, “Arịrịọ m Onyenwe anyị maka ya.”
21 The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].
Mgbe di ya, bụ Elkena na ndị ezinaụlọ ya gara Shaịlo ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja nke afọ ahụ, na ịchụkwa aja metụtara nkwa dị iche nke o kwere Onyenwe anyị,
22 But Hannah did not go [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”
Hana esoghị ha, ọ gwara di ya, “Mgbe nwantakịrị a kwụsịrị ịṅụ ara, ka m duru ya ga chee ya nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, ọ ga-ebikwa nʼebe ahụ ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.”
23 Elkanah said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
Elkena bụ di ya sịrị ya, “Mee ihe ọbụla i chere kwesiri ekwesi. Nọdụ ruo mgbe ọ hapụrụ ịṅụ ara, ma ka Onyenwe anyị mezuo okwu ya.” Hana nọgidere nʼụlọ tutu ruo mgbe ọ zụlitere nwantakịrị ahụ, kwụsị ya ịṅụ ara.
24 After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.
Mgbe ọ kwụsịrị nwantakịrị ahụ ịṅụ ara, nwantakịrị ahụ ka dị ntakịrị. Ma o duuru ya, jiri oke ehi gbara afọ atọ, na iri lita ụtụ ọka abụọ na abụọ, na otu karama mmanya, gaa nʼụlọ Onyenwe anyị dị na Shaịlo.
25 After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.
Mgbe ha ji oke ehi ahụ chụsịa aja, ha kpọtaara Elayị nwantakịrị ahụ.
26 Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].
Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị, “Onyenwe m, dịka ị si na-adị ndụ, ọ bụ m bụ nwanyị ahụ guzoro onwe ya nso nʼebe ị nọ kpee ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị.
27 I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.
Nʼihi nwa a ka m kpere ekpere, Onyenwe anyị emelara m ihe m rịọrọ nʼaka ya.
28 So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.
Ma ugbu a, ana m enyeghachi ya Onyenwe anyị ka ọ bụrụ nke ya ndụ ya niile.” O fere Onyenwe anyị ofufe nʼebe ahụ.
