1 USamuyeli 1
1 Kwakulendoda ethile yaseRamathayimi, umZufi owayevela elizweni lamaqaqa elako-Efrayimi, ibizo layo lalingu-Elikhana indodana kaJerohamu, indodana ka-Elihu, indodana kaThohu, indodana kaZufi, umʼEfrayimi.
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 Wayelabafazi ababili; omunye wayethiwa nguHana omunye enguPhenina. UPhenina wayelabantwana kodwa uHana engelabo.
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Ngeminyaka yonke indoda le yayisuka emzini wakibo isiyakhonza, inikela lomhlatshelo kuThixo uSomandla eShilo, lapho uHofini loFinehasi, amadodana amabili ka-Eli, ababengabaphristi bakaThixo khona.
This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of Jehovah, were there.
4 Kwakusithi kungafika isikhathi sokuthi u-Elikhana anikele umhlatshelo, wayenika umkakhe uPhenina lawo wonke amadodana lamadodakazi akhe izabelo zenyama.
When the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and her daughters.
5 Kodwa uHana wayemnika isabelo esiphindwe kabili ngoba wayemthanda, kodwa uThixo wayesivalile isibeletho sakhe.
But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Now Jehovah had kept her from conceiving.
6 Njalo ngenxa yokuthi uThixo wayesivalile isibeletho sakhe, unyanewabo wayehlala emgolomba ukuze amcaphule.
And because Jehovah kept her from conceiving, her rival used to taunt her severely, to irritate her.
7 Lokhu kwaqhubeka iminyaka yonke. Ngezikhathi zonke lapho uHana eye endlini kaThixo, unyanewabo wayemgolomba aze akhale njalo ehluleke lokudla.
And this went on year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah, she taunted her; therefore she would weep and refuse to eat.
8 U-Elikhana umkakhe, wayesithi kuye, “Hana, ukhalelani na? Kungani ungadli na? Kungani udanile? Kuwe angiqakathekanga ukwedlula amadodana alitshumi na?”
And her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? And why are you not eating? And why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
9 Kwake kwathi sebeqede ukudla lokunatha eShilo, uHana wasukuma. Ngalesosikhathi u-Eli umphristi wayehlezi esihlalweni phansi kwensika yomnyango wethempeli likaThixo.
So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and stood before Jehovah. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Jehovah.
10 Ngobuhlungu bomoya uHana wakhala kakhulu njalo wakhuleka kuThixo.
And she was greatly distressed and prayed to Jehovah, and wept uncontrollably.
11 Wafunga esithi, “Awu, Thixo Somandla, nxa ungakhangela nje usizi lwencekukazi yakho ungikhumbule, njalo ungayikhohlwa incekukazi yakho kodwa uyiphe indodana, lapho-ke ngizayinika uThixo okwensuku zonke zokuphila kwayo, njalo akulampuco ezasetshenziswe ekhanda layo.”
And she vowed a vow and said, "Jehovah of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death. And he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no razor will come on his head."
12 Ekuqhubekeni kwakhe uHana ekhuleka kuThixo, u-Eli wananzelela umlomo wakhe.
Now it happened, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli observed her mouth.
13 UHana wayekhulekela enhliziyweni yakhe, izindebe zakhe zinyikinyeka kodwa ilizwi lakhe lingezwakali. U-Eli wacabanga ukuthi wayedakiwe,
And she was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
14 ngakho wathi kuye, “Koze kube nini ulokhu udakwa na? Yekela iwayini lakho.”
So Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine, and go from before Jehovah."
15 “Akunjalo nkosi yami,” uHana waphendula. “Ngingowesifazane ohlupheke kakhulu. Kangizange nginathe iwayini kumbe utshwala. Kade ngisethula umphefumulo wami kuThixo.
And Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Jehovah.
16 Ungathathi incekukazi yakho njengowesifazane ogangileyo; kade ngikhuleka lapha ngenxa yosizi lwami olukhulu kanye lobuhlungu.”
Do not count your servant as a worthless woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my distress and my anguish."
17 U-Eli waphendula wathi, “Hamba ngokuthula, sengathi uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli angakupha lokho okucele kuye.”
Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."
18 UHana wathi, “Sengathi incekukazi yakho ingathola umusa emehlweni akho.” Lapho-ke wasuka wahamba, wadla, njalo ubuso bakhe babungasadananga.
She said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, and entered her quarters, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.
19 Ekuseni okwalandelayo bavuka bayakhonza phambi kukaThixo basebebuyela emzini wabo eRama. U-Elikhana walala loHana umkakhe, uThixo wamkhumbula.
They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her.
20 Ngakho ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uHana wathatha isisu wazala indodana. Wayetha ibizo wathi nguSamuyeli, esithi, “Ngoba ngamcela kuThixo.”
It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of Jehovah."
21 Kwathi lapho u-Elikhana ehamba labendlu yakhe bonke ukuyanikela umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke kuThixo lokugcwalisa isifungo sakhe,
The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and to redeem his vow and all the tithes of his land.
22 uHana kahambanga. Wathi kumkakhe, “Emva kokuba umfana eselunyulwe, ngizamthatha ngiyemethula phambi kukaThixo, njalo uzahlala khona kokuphela.”
But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and stay there forever."
23 U-Elikhana umkakhe wathi kuye, “Yenza lokho okukhanya kukuhle kuwe. Hlala khonapho uze umkhuphe ebeleni; kuphela nje sengathi uThixo angagcwalisa ilizwi lakhe.” Ngakho owesifazane wahlala ekhaya wondla indodana yakhe waze wayilumula.
Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him; only may Jehovah establish what you have said." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.
24 Emva kokuba esekhutshiwe ebeleni, wahamba lomfana, emncane enjalo kanye lenkunzi eyayileminyaka emithathu ubudala, lehefa lempuphu yengqoloyi kanye lembodlela yewayini, wamusa endlini kaThixo eShilo.
Then she took him to Shiloh along with a three-year old bull, and bread, and an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. And she came to the house of Jehovah in Shiloh, and the boy was with them. And they went before Jehovah and his father slaughtered the sacrifice, which he did annually to Jehovah. Then he brought the boy,
25 Kwathi inkunzi sebeyihlabile, bamhambisa umfana ku-Eli,
and he slaughtered the bull. And Hannah, the mother of the boy, brought him to Eli.
26 uHana wasesithi kuye, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ukhona, nkosi yami, mina ngingulowana umfazi owema phansi kwakho ekhuleka kuThixo.
She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Jehovah.
27 Ngakhulekela umntwana lo, njalo uThixo usengiphile engakucelayo.
For this child I prayed; and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of him.
28 Ngakho khathesi sengimnika uThixo. Uzanikwa uThixo impilo yakhe yonke.” Wakhonza uThixo khonapho.
Therefore also I have lent him to Jehovah. As long as he lives he is lent to Jehovah." Then she left him there, and she worshipped before Jehovah.
