1 USamuyeli 2
1 UHana wasekhuleka esithi: “Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza kuThixo; kuThixo uphondo lwami luphakeme. Umlomo wami uyaziklolodela izitha zami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ekusindiseni kwakho.
Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 Kakho ongcwele njengoThixo; kakho omunye ngaphandle kwakho; akulaDwala elinjengo-Nkulunkulu wethu.
There is no one as holy as Yahweh, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
3 Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja kanje loba uyekele umlomo wakho ukhuluma ukuzikhukhumeza okunje, ngoba uThixo unguNkulunkulu owaziyo, njalo izenzo zilinganiswa nguye.
“Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
4 Amadandili amabutho ephukile, kodwa labo abakhubekayo bahlonyiswe ngamandla.
“The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Labo ababesuthi baziqhatshisa ngokudla, kodwa labo ababelambile kabalambi futhi. Lowo owayeyinyumbakazi usezele abantwana abayisikhombisa, kodwa lowo owayelamadodana amanengi uyacikizeka.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
“Yahweh kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and brings up. (Sheol h7585)
7 Uthixo uthumela ubuyanga kanye lenotho; uyathobekisa njalo uyaphakamisa.
Yahweh makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up.
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 up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them.
9 Uzalondoloza inyawo zabathembekileyo bakhe, kodwa ababi bazathuliselwa emnyameni. Akusikho ngamandla ukuthi umuntu ehlule;
He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
10 labo abaphikisa uThixo bazaphahlazwa. OPhezukonke uzaduma amelane labo esezulwini; uThixo uzakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba. Uzayinika amandla inkosi yakhe aphakamise lophondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”
Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Emva kwalokho u-Elikhana wabuyela ekhaya eRama, kodwa umfana wakhonza phambi kukaThixo ngaphansi kuka-Eli umphristi.
Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abaxhwalileyo, ayengamnanzi uThixo.
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh.
13 Kwakungumkhuba wabaphristi labantu ukuthi kokuphela nxa loba ngubani enikele umhlatshelo, njalo lapho inyama isaphekwa, inceku yomphristi yayisiza iphethe ifologwe elencijo ezintathu.
The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork 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 he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there 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.”
Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, 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.”
If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
17 Lesisono samajaha sasisikhulu kakhulu emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba babephatha umnikelo kaThixo ngokwedelela.
The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering.
18 Kodwa uSamuyeli wayekhonza phambi kukaThixo engumfana egqoka isembatho samahlombe selineni.
But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
19 Minyaka yonke unina wayemenzela ingubo encane ayise kuye lapho esiya khonale lomkakhe ukuyanikela umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke.
Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly 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.
Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May Yahweh give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh.” Then they went to their own home.
21 Uthixo waba lomusa kuHana; wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Kusenjalo, umfana uSamuyeli wakhula phambi kukaThixo.
Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
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 all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
23 Ngakho wathi kuwo, “Kungani lisenza izinto ezinje na? Ngizizwa ngabantu bonke lezizenzo zenu ezimbi.
He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
24 Hatshi, madodana ami; akusimbiko omuhle engiwuzwa usanda phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo.
No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey.
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 sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 Umfana uSamuyeli waqhubeka ekhula ngomzimba langokuthandeka kuThixo lasebantwini.
The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men.
27 Ngalesosikhathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu wafika ku-Eli wathi kuye, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi: ‘Kangizibonakalisanga ngokubalulekileyo endlini kayihlo lapho babeseGibhithe ngaphansi kukaFaro na?
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to 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.
Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel 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 do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
31 Isikhathi siyeza lapho engizaphungula khona amandla akho lamandla endlu kayihlo, ukuze kungabi lomuntu omdala kusendo lwakwenu
Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 njalo uzabona usizi lapho engihlala khona. Lanxa okuhle kuzakwenziwa ku-Israyeli, kwabosendo lwakho akuyikuba lomuntu omdala.
You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever.
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.
The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
34 ‘Njalo okwenzakala emadodaneni akho amabili, uHofini loFinehasi, kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe, bobabili bazakufa langa linye.
This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
35 Ngizakuzimisela umphristi othembekileyo ozakwenza mayelana lokusenhliziyweni yami lengqondweni yami. Ngizamisa indlu yakhe iqine, njalo uzakhonza phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kokuphela.
I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
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.”’”
It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
