1 USamuyeli 2
1 UHana wasekhuleka esithi: “Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza kuThixo; kuThixo uphondo lwami luphakeme. Umlomo wami uyaziklolodela izitha zami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ekusindiseni kwakho.
At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD in whom my horn is exalted. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 Kakho ongcwele njengoThixo; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakho; akulaDwala elinjengo-Nkulunkulu wethu.
There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
3 Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja kanje loba uyekele umlomo wakho ukhuluma ukuzikhukhumeza okunje, ngoba uThixo unguNkulunkulu owaziyo, njalo izenzo zilinganiswa nguye.
Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.
4 Amadandili amabutho ephukile, kodwa labo abakhubekayo bahlonyiswe ngamandla.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.
5 Labo ababesuthi baziqhatshisa ngokudla, kodwa labo ababelambile kabalambi futhi. Lowo owayeyinyumbakazi usezele abantwana abayisikhombisa, kodwa lowo owayelamadodana amanengi uyacikizeka.
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.
The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (Sheol h7585)
7 Uthixo uthumela ubuyanga kanye lenotho; uyathobekisa njalo uyaphakamisa.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
8 Uvusa abayanga ethulini aphakamise abaswelayo esilotheni; abahlalise lamakhosana. Enze bathole isihlalo sodumo sibe yilifa labo. Ngoba izisekelo zomhlaba ngezikaThixo; umise umhlaba phezu kwazo.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.
9 Uzalondoloza inyawo zabathembekileyo bakhe, kodwa ababi bazathuliselwa emnyameni. Akusikho ngamandla ukuthi umuntu ehlule;
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
10 labo abaphikisa uThixo bazaphahlazwa. OPhezukonke uzaduma amelane labo esezulwini; uThixo uzakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba. Uzayinika amandla inkosi yakhe aphakamise lophondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Emva kwalokho u-Elikhana wabuyela ekhaya eRama, kodwa umfana wakhonza phambi kukaThixo ngaphansi kuka-Eli umphristi.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abaxhwalileyo, ayengamnanzi uThixo.
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD
13 Kwakungumkhuba wabaphristi labantu ukuthi kokuphela nxa loba ngubani enikele umhlatshelo, njalo lapho inyama isaphekwa, inceku yomphristi yayisiza iphethe ifologwe elencijo ezintathu.
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
14 Yayihlaba ngayo epaneni loba egedleleni loba ebhodweni kumbe embizeni, umphristi abe esezithathela loba kuyini okuphume lefologwe. Le yiyo indlela abaphatha ngayo bonke abako-Israyeli abafika eShilo.
and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 Kodwa lalapho amahwahwa engakatshi, inceku yomphristi yayisiya emuntwini onikelayo ithi, “Nika umphristi inyama yokosa; kasoze ayamukele kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza kuphela.”
Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16 Lapho umuntu ethe kuyo, “Yekela amahwahwa aqale atshe, ube usuthathake lokho okufunayo,” inceku yayiphendula ithi, “Hatshi, ngiqhubela yona khathesi; nxa ungenzi njalo, ngizayihluthuna ngamandla.”
And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”
17 Lesisono samajaha sasisikhulu kakhulu emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba babephatha umnikelo kaThixo ngokwedelela.
Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
18 Kodwa uSamuyeli wayekhonza phambi kukaThixo engumfana egqoka isembatho samahlombe selineni.
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19 Minyaka yonke unina wayemenzela ingubo encane ayise kuye lapho esiya khonale lomkakhe ukuyanikela umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke.
Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20 U-Eli wayebusisa u-Elikhana lomkakhe, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angalipha abantwana ngalo owesifazane ukuba bathathe isikhundla salowo amkhulekelayo wasemnika uThixo.” Emva kwalokho babebuyela ekhaya.
And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home.
21 Uthixo waba lomusa kuHana; wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Kusenjalo, umfana uSamuyeli wakhula phambi kukaThixo.
So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
22 Ngalesosikhathi u-Eli, owayesemdala kakhulu, wezwa ngakho konke okwakusenziwa ngamadodana akhe ku-Israyeli wonke kanye lokuthi ayelala njani labesifazane ababesebenza esangweni lethente lokuhlangana.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
23 Ngakho wathi kuwo, “Kungani lisenza izinto ezinje na? Ngizizwa ngabantu bonke lezizenzo zenu ezimbi.
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.
24 Hatshi, madodana ami; akusimbiko omuhle engiwuzwa usanda phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo.
No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
25 Nxa umuntu esona komunye umuntu, uNkulunkulu angaba ngumeli wakhe kodwa nxa umuntu esona kuThixo, ngubani ongamkhulumela na?” Kodwa amadodana akhe kawakulalelanga ukukhuza kukayise, ngoba kwakuyisifiso sikaThixo ukuba awabulale.
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.
26 Umfana uSamuyeli waqhubeka ekhula ngomzimba langokuthandeka kuThixo lasebantwini.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.
27 Ngalesosikhathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu wafika ku-Eli wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Kangizibonakalisanga ngokubalulekileyo endlini kayihlo lapho babeseGibhithe ngaphansi kukaFaro na?
Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house?
28 Ngakhetha uyihlo phakathi kwezizwana zonke zako-Israyeli ukuba abe ngumphristi wami, ukuba aye e-alithareni lami, ukuba atshise impepha, lokuba agqoke isembatho samahlombe phambi kwami. Njalo nganika indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo eyenziwa ngomlilo ngabako-Israyeli.
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.
29 Pho kungani useyisa imihlatshelo yami kanye leminikelo engayiphawulela indlu yami yokuhlala na? Kungani uhlonipha amadodana akho okudlula mina ngokuzikhuluphalisa lina ngokwenu ngezingxenye zekhethelo zeminikelo yonke eyenziwa ngabantu bako-Israyeli na?’
Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’
30 Ngakho-ke uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Ngathembisa ukuthi indlu yakho lendlu kayihlo zizakhonza phambi kwami nini lanini.’ Kodwa khathesi uThixo uthi, ‘Akusenjalo kimi!’ Labo abangihloniphayo ngizabahlonipha, kodwa labo abangeyisayo bazakweyiswa.
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
31 Isikhathi siyeza lapho engizaphungula khona amandla akho lamandla endlu kayihlo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu omdala kusendo lwakwenu
Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no older man will be left in your house.
32 njalo uzabona usizi lapho engihlala khona. Lanxa okuhle kuzakwenziwa ku-Israyeli, kwabosendo lwakho akuyikuba lomuntu omdala.
You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
33 Lowo lalowo wakini engingayikumsusa e-alithareni lami uzayekelwa nje ukuba amehlo akhe afiphale lokuba azwise inhliziyo yakho ubuhlungu, njalo yonke inzalo yakho izakufa kuyikhona isephakathi kwempilo.
And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, your eyes will fail and your heart will grieve. All your descendants will die by the sword of men.
34 ‘Njalo okwenzakala emadodaneni akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe, bobabili bazakufa langa linye.
And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
35 Ngizakuzimisela umphristi othembekileyo ozakwenza mayelana lokusenhliziyweni yami lengqondweni yami. Ngizamisa indlu yakhe iqine, njalo uzakhonza phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kokuphela.
Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.
36 Lapho-ke bonke abosendo lwakho abaseleyo bazakuza bakhothame kuye becela uhlamvu lwesiliva loqweqwe lwesinkwa njalo bakhalaze besithi, “Ake ungibeke kwesinye isikhundla sobuphristi ukuze ngithole ukudla ngidle.”’”
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”
