1 USamuyeli 2
1 UHana wasekhuleka esithi: “Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza kuThixo; kuThixo uphondo lwami luphakeme. Umlomo wami uyaziklolodela izitha zami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ekusindiseni kwakho.
My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation.
2 Kakho ongcwele njengoThixo; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakho; akulaDwala elinjengo-Nkulunkulu wethu.
There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee, and there is none strong 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 multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters depart from your mouth: for the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to him are thoughts prepared.
4 Amadandili amabutho ephukile, kodwa labo abakhubekayo bahlonyiswe ngamandla.
The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength.
5 Labo ababesuthi baziqhatshisa ngokudla, kodwa labo ababelambile kabalambi futhi. Lowo owayeyinyumbakazi usezele abantwana abayisikhombisa, kodwa lowo owayelamadodana amanengi uyacikizeka.
They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.
The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again. (Sheol h7585)
7 Uthixo uthumela ubuyanga kanye lenotho; uyathobekisa njalo uyaphakamisa.
The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth.
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 raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord’s, and upon them he hath set the world.
9 Uzalondoloza inyawo zabathembekileyo bakhe, kodwa ababi bazathuliselwa emnyameni. Akusikho ngamandla ukuthi umuntu ehlule;
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, because no man shall prevail by his own strength.
10 labo abaphikisa uThixo bazaphahlazwa. OPhezukonke uzaduma amelane labo esezulwini; uThixo uzakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba. Uzayinika amandla inkosi yakhe aphakamise lophondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”
The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he thunder in the heavens. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ.
11 Emva kwalokho u-Elikhana wabuyela ekhaya eRama, kodwa umfana wakhonza phambi kukaThixo ngaphansi kuka-Eli umphristi.
And Elcana went to Ramatha, to his house: but the child ministered in the sight of the Lord before the face of Heli the priest.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abaxhwalileyo, ayengamnanzi uThixo.
Now the sons of Heli were children of Belial, not knowing the Lord,
13 Kwakungumkhuba wabaphristi labantu ukuthi kokuphela nxa loba ngubani enikele umhlatshelo, njalo lapho inyama isaphekwa, inceku yomphristi yayisiza iphethe ifologwe elencijo ezintathu.
Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,
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 thrust it into the kettle, or into the caldron, or into the pot, or into the pan: and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took to himself. Thus did they to all Israel that came to Silo.
15 Kodwa lalapho amahwahwa engakatshi, inceku yomphristi yayisiya emuntwini onikelayo ithi, “Nika umphristi inyama yokosa; kasoze ayamukele kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza kuphela.”
Also before they burnt the fat, the servant of the priest came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give me flesh to boil for the priest: for I will not take of thee sodden flesh, but 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 he that sacrificed said to him: Let the fat first be burnt today according to the custom, and then take as much as thy soul desireth. But he answered and said to him: Not so: but thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it by force.
17 Lesisono samajaha sasisikhulu kakhulu emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba babephatha umnikelo kaThixo ngokwedelela.
Wherefore the sin of the young men was exceeding great before the Lord: because they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord.
18 Kodwa uSamuyeli wayekhonza phambi kukaThixo engumfana egqoka isembatho samahlombe selineni.
But Samuel ministered before the face of the Lord: being a child girded with a linen ephod.
19 Minyaka yonke unina wayemenzela ingubo encane ayise kuye lapho esiya khonale lomkakhe ukuyanikela umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke.
And his mother made him a little coat, which she brought to him on the appointed days, when she went up with her husband, to offer the solemn 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 Heli blessed Elcana and his wife: and he said to him: The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for the loan thou hast lent to the Lord. And they went to their own home.
21 Uthixo waba lomusa kuHana; wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Kusenjalo, umfana uSamuyeli wakhula phambi kukaThixo.
And the Lord visited Anna, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters: and the child Samuel became great before 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 Heli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel: and how they lay with the women that waited at the door of the tabernacle:
23 Ngakho wathi kuwo, “Kungani lisenza izinto ezinje na? Ngizizwa ngabantu bonke lezizenzo zenu ezimbi.
And he said to them: Why do ye these kinds of things, which I hear, very wicked things, from all the people?
24 Hatshi, madodana ami; akusimbiko omuhle engiwuzwa usanda phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo.
Do not so, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, that you make the people of the Lord to transgress.
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 one man shall sin against another, God may be appeased in his behalf: but if a man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him? And they hearkened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26 Umfana uSamuyeli waqhubeka ekhula ngomzimba langokuthandeka kuThixo lasebantwini.
But the child Samuel advanced, and grew on, and pleased both the Lord and men.
27 Ngalesosikhathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu wafika ku-Eli wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Kangizibonakalisanga ngokubalulekileyo endlini kayihlo lapho babeseGibhithe ngaphansi kukaFaro na?
And there came a man of God to Heli, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Did I not plainly appear to thy father’s house, when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharao?
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 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my sitar, and burn incense to me, and to wear the ephod before me: and I gave to thy father’s house of all the sacrifices of the children of Israel.
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 have you kicked away my victims, and my gifts which I commanded to be offered in the temple: and thou hast rather honoured thy sons than me, to eat the firstfruits of every sacrifice 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.
Wherefore thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should minister in my sight, for ever. But now saith the Lord: Far be this from me: but whosoever shall glorify me, him will I glorify: but they that despise me, shall be despised.
31 Isikhathi siyeza lapho engizaphungula khona amandla akho lamandla endlu kayihlo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu omdala kusendo lwakwenu
Behold the days come: and I will cut off thy arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
32 njalo uzabona usizi lapho engihlala khona. Lanxa okuhle kuzakwenziwa ku-Israyeli, kwabosendo lwakho akuyikuba lomuntu omdala.
And thou shalt see thy rival in the temple, in all the prosperity of Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.
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.
However I will not altogether take away a man of thee from my altar: but that thy eyes may faint and thy soul be spent: and a great part of thy house shall die when they come to man’s estate.
34 ‘Njalo okwenzakala emadodaneni akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe, bobabili bazakufa langa linye.
And this shall be a sign to thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, Ophni and Phinees: In one day they shall both of them die.
35 Ngizakuzimisela umphristi othembekileyo ozakwenza mayelana lokusenhliziyweni yami lengqondweni yami. Ngizamisa indlu yakhe iqine, njalo uzakhonza phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kokuphela.
And I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according to my heart, and my soul, and I will build him a faithful house, and he shall walk all days before my anointed.
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 it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall remain in thy house, shall come that he may be prayed for, and shall offer a piece of silver, and a roll of bread, and shall say: Put me, I beseech thee, to somewhat of the priestly office, that I may eat a morsel of bread.
