1 Samuele 1
1 Kati na engumba Ramataimi-Tsofimi ya etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi, ezalaki na mobali moko; kombo na ye ezalaki « Elikana. » Azalaki mwana mobali ya Yeroami, mwana mobali ya Eliwu, mwana mobali ya Towu, mwana mobali ya Tsufi, moto ya Efrayimi.
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 Elikana azalaki na basi mibale: moko, kombo na ye ezalaki « Penina; » mosusu, « Ana. » Penina azalaki na bana, kasi Ana azalaki na mwana te.
He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Mibu nyonso, Elikana azalaki kolongwa na engumba na ye mpo na kokende kogumbamela Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga, mpe kobonzela Ye mbeka na Silo epai wapi Ofini mpe Fineasi, bana mibali mibale ya Eli, bazalaki Banganga-Nzambe.
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 Bongo, soki mokolo na ye ya kobonza mbeka ekoki, Elikana azalaki na momesano ya kopesa biteni ya mbeka na ye epai ya Penina, mwasi na ye, mpe epai ya bana nyonso ya Penina, ya mibali mpe ya basi.
Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
5 Kasi epai ya Ana, azalaki kopesa biteni yango mbala mibale, pamba te azalaki kolinga ye, atako Yawe akangaki ye mabota.
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 Nzokande, lokola Yawe akangaki ye mabota, mbanda na ye azalaki kaka kotiola ye tango nyonso mpo ete atomboka.
And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
7 Elikana azalaki kosala bongo mibu nyonso. Mpe tango nyonso Ana azalaki kokende na Ndako ya Yawe, mbanda na ye, Penina, azalaki kotika te kotiola ye. Bongo, lokola Ana azalaki kolela mpe azalaki kolia te,
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 Elikana, mobali na ye, atunaki ye: « Ana, mpo na nini ozali kolela? Mpo na nini ozali kolia te? Mpo na nini ozali na mawa boye? Boni, ngai nazali na motuya te mpo na yo koleka bana mibali zomi? »
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 Mokolo moko, sima na bango kolia mpe komela na Silo, Ana atelemaki mpe akendeki na Ndako ya Yawe. Ezalaki na ngonga oyo Nganga-Nzambe Eli avandaki na kiti, pembeni ya ekuke ya Ndako ya Yawe.
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 Wana Ana azalaki na pasi na motema, abondelaki Yawe na kolela mingi.
Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
11 Bongo apesaki elaka, alobaki: « Eh Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga, soki kaka otali pasi ya mwasi mowumbu na Yo, soki okanisi ngai mpe obosani te mwasi mosali na Yo, kasi opesi ye mwana mobali, nakokaba ye epai na Yawe mpo na mikolo nyonso ya bomoi na ye, mpe bakotikala kokata suki ya moto na ye te. »
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 Lokola azalaki kobenda libondeli na ye molayi liboso ya Yawe, Eli azalaki kotala malamu-malamu monoko na ye.
As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
13 Mpe wana Ana azalaki kobondela na se ya motema, bibebu na ye ezalaki koningana, kasi mongongo ezalaki koyokana te. Mpe Eli akanisaki ete Ana alangwe masanga.
But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
14 Eli alobaki na Ana: — Kino tango nini okozala na milangwa? Longola milangwa na yo.
He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
15 Ana azongisaki: — Te, nkolo na ngai! Nalangwe te, nameli ata vino to masanga makasi te. Kasi nazali na mawa mingi; nazalaki kosopa motema na ngai epai na Yawe.
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 Kozwa mwasi mowumbu na yo te lokola mwasi ya mobulu, pamba te ezali mawa ya motema na ngai mpe monene ya pasi na ngai nde etindi ngai kobondela kino tango oyo.
Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
17 Eli azongisaki: — Kende na kimia, mpe tika ete Nzambe ya Isalaele apesa yo, oyo osengi Ye.
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 Ana alobaki: — Tika ete mwasi mowumbu na yo azwa ngolu na miso na yo. Boye Ana azongaki, aliaki mpe elongi na ye ezalaki lisusu ya mawa te.
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 Na tongo-tongo ya mokolo oyo elandaki, Elikana mpe libota na ye balamukaki mpe bagumbamelaki Yawe; sima na yango, bazongaki epai na bango, na Rama. Elikana asangisaki nzoto na Ana, mwasi na ye, mpe Yawe akaniselaki Ana.
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 Boye Ana akomaki na zemi mpe, sima na mwa mikolo, abotaki mwana mobali. Apesaki ye kombo « Samuele, » pamba te alobaki: « Mpo ete nasengaki ye epai na Yawe. »
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 Na mobu oyo elandaki, Elikana, elongo na libota na ye mobimba, akendeki lisusu kobonzela Yawe mbeka ya mibu nyonso mpe kokokisa elaka na ye.
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 Kasi lokola Ana akendeki te, alobaki na mobali na ye: — Soki nakati mwana komela mabele nde nakomema ye mpo na kotalisa ye epai na Yawe; bongo akovanda kuna mpo na libela.
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 Elikana, mobali na ye, alobaki: — Oyo omoni ete ezali malamu, sala yango. Vanda awa kino okokata mwana komela mabele. Tika ete Yawe asunga yo mpo ete okokisa kaka elaka na yo. Boye Ana atikalaki na ndako, akobaki komelisa mwana mabele kino tango akataki ye komela.
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 Sima na ye kokata mwana komela mabele, Ana akamataki ye, ndenge kaka azalaki nanu moke bongo; amemaki ye na Ndako ya Yawe, na Silo, elongo na ngombe ya mobali ya mibu misato, bakilo zomi ya farine, mpe mbeki moko ya vino.
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 Sima na bango koboma ngombe mpo na kobonza yango lokola mbeka, bamemaki mwana epai ya 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 Ana alobaki na ye: — Limbisa ngai, nkolo na ngai; nazali mwasi oyo atelemaki awa pembeni na yo mpo na kobondela Yawe.
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 Nazalaki kobondela mpo ete nazwa mwana oyo, mpe Yawe asilaki kopesa ngai oyo nasengaki Ye.
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 Boye, ngai mpe nakabi ye sik’oyo epai na Yawe: bomoi na ye mobimba, akozala ya Yawe. Sima na yango, agumbamelaki Yawe na esika yango.
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.
