1 Samũeli 1
1 Na rĩrĩ, nĩ kwarĩ na mũndũ ũmwe wa kuuma Ramathaimu, Mũzofimu kuuma bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu, nake eetagwo Elikana mũrũ wa Jerohamu, mũrũ wa Elihu, mũrũ wa Tohu, mũrũ wa Zufu, Mũefiraimu.
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.
2 Aarĩ na atumia eerĩ; ũmwe eetagwo Hana na ũrĩa ũngĩ eetagwo Penina. Penina aarĩ na ciana, no Hana ndaarĩ na ciana.
He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Mwaka o mwaka mũndũ ũcio nĩambataga kuuma itũũra rĩake agathiĩ Shilo kũhooya na kũrutĩra Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe igongona. Shilo nĩkuo Hofini na Finehasi, ariũ eerĩ a Eli, maarĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai a Jehova.
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.
4 Rĩrĩa rĩothe mũthenya wa Elikana wakinyaga wa kũruta igongona-rĩ, nĩagayagĩra mũtumia wake Penina nyama, hamwe na aanake ake othe o na airĩtu.
Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
5 No nĩaheaga Hana rũgai maita meerĩ, tondũ nĩamwendete, nowe Jehova nĩamũhingĩte nda.
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.
6 Na tondũ Jehova nĩamũhingĩte nda-rĩ, mũiruwe nĩaikaraga akĩmũthirĩkagia nĩguo amũngʼũrĩkie.
And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
7 Naguo ũndũ ũcio ũgĩthiĩ na mbere mwaka o mwaka. Rĩrĩa rĩothe Hana aambataga athiĩ nyũmba ya Jehova-rĩ, mũiruwe nĩamũthirĩkagia nginya akarĩra, akaaga kũrĩa irio.
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.
8 Nake Elikana mũthuuriwe akamũũria atĩrĩ, “Hana, ũrarĩra nĩkĩ? Ũraaga kũrĩa nĩkĩ? Ũkuĩte ngoro nĩkĩ? Githĩ niĩ ndikĩrĩte ihĩĩ ikũmi harĩwe?”
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.)”
9 Hĩndĩ ĩmwe maarĩkia kũrĩa na kũnyua marĩ kũu Shilo-rĩ, Hana agĩũkĩra. Na rĩrĩ, Eli, mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, aikarĩire gĩtĩ itoonyero rĩa hekarũ ya Jehova.
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.
10 Hana akĩrĩra mũno na akĩhooya Jehova, arĩ na ruo rwa ngoro.
Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
11 Nake akĩĩhĩta mwĩhĩtwa, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Wee Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ũngĩĩtĩkĩra kũrora thĩĩna wa ndungata yaku na ũndirikane, na ndũkariganĩrwo nĩ ndungata yaku, no ũmĩhe mwana wa kahĩĩ-rĩ, hĩndĩ ĩyo na niĩ nĩngamũheana kũrĩ Jehova matukũ mothe ma muoyo wake, na gũtirĩ hĩndĩ rwenji rũkaahutia mũtwe wake o na rĩ.”
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).”
12 Na rĩrĩa aathiiaga na mbere kũhooya Jehova, Eli akĩmũbara kanua.
As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
13 Hana aahooyaga na ngoro yake, nacio iromo ciake nĩciainainaga, no mũgambo wake ndwaiguĩkaga. Eli agĩĩciiria atĩ nĩ kũrĩĩo arĩĩtwo,
But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
14 akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ nginya rĩ ũgũikara ũrĩ mũrĩĩu? Eheria ndibei ĩyo yaku.”
He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
15 Hana akĩmũcookeria, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Tiguo mwathi wakwa, niĩ ndĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũthĩĩnĩkĩte mũno. Ndinyuĩte ndibei kana njoohi; no nĩ ngoro yakwa ndĩraitũrũrĩra Jehova.
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.
16 Tiga kuona ndungata yaku ta ĩrĩ mũndũ-wa-nja mwaganu; ngoretwo gũkũ ngĩhooya ndĩ na ruo rũingĩ o na kĩeha.”
Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
17 Eli akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ na thayũ, na Ngai wa Isiraeli aroĩtĩkĩra gũkũhe kĩrĩa ũmũhooete.”
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.”
18 Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndungata yaku ĩroĩtĩkĩrĩka maitho-inĩ maku.” Nake Hana agĩthiĩ na akĩrĩa irio, na ndaacookire gũtuka gĩthiithi.
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.
19 Magĩũkĩra mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ rũciinĩ tene, makĩhooya marĩ mbere ya Jehova, na magĩcooka magĩthiĩ kwao mũciĩ kũu Rama. Elikana agĩkoma na Hana mũtumia wake, nake Jehova akĩmũririkana.
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,
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ihinda rĩgĩkinya Hana akĩgĩa nda na agĩciara kahĩĩ. Agĩgatua Samũeli, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩgũkorwo nĩ kũhooya ndakahooire harĩ Jehova.”
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].”
21 Rĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio wetagwo Elikana aambatire hamwe na nyũmba yake yothe kũrutĩra Jehova igongona rĩa mwaka o mwaka na akahingie mwĩhĩtwa wake-rĩ,
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].
22 Hana ndaathiire. Eerire mũthuuriwe atĩrĩ, “Kahĩĩ gaka gaatiga kuonga-rĩ, nĩngagatwara na ndĩkaneane kũrĩ Jehova, na gagaatũũraga kũu hĩndĩ ciothe.”
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.”
23 Mũthuuriwe Elikana akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩka o ũrĩa ũkuona kwagĩrĩire. Ikara gũkũ o nginya rĩrĩa gagaatiga kuonga; we Jehova arotũma kiugo gĩake kĩhinge.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio agĩikara mũciĩ na agĩkongithia nginya rĩrĩa aagatigithirie kuonga.
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.
24 Gaatiga kuonga, Hana akĩoya kahĩĩ kau o karĩ kanini, hamwe na ndegwa ya mĩaka ĩtatũ, na eba ĩmwe ya mũtu, na gĩtete kĩa ndibei agĩgatwara nyũmba ya Jehova kũu Shilo.
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.
25 Maarĩkia gũthĩnja ndegwa-rĩ, magĩtwara kahĩĩ kau kũrĩ Eli,
After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.
26 Nake Hana akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa wee mwathi wakwa ũtũũraga muoyo-rĩ, nĩ niĩ mũndũ-wa-nja ũrĩa warũgamĩte haha hakuhĩ nawe akĩhooya Jehova.
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].
27 Ndahooire heo kahĩĩ gaka, nake Jehova nĩetĩkĩrĩte kũũhe kĩrĩa ndamũhooire.
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.
28 Tondũ ũcio o na niĩ nĩndakaamũrĩra Jehova. Matukũ mothe marĩa gegũtũũra muoyo-rĩ, gegũtũũra kaamũrĩirwo Jehova.” Nake akĩhooya Jehova arĩ o hau.
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.
