1 USamuyeli 3

1 Umfana uSamuyeli wakhonza phambi kukaThixo engaphansi kuka-Eli. Ngalezonsuku ilizwi likaThixo lalingandanga; kwakungelamibono eminengi.

And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli the priest: and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.

2 Ngobunye ubusuku u-Eli, amehlo akhe ayesefiphala esebona kalufifi, wayelele endaweni yakhe yansuku zonke.

And it came to pass at that time that Heli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.

3 Isibane sikaNkulunkulu sasingakacitshi, njalo uSamuyeli wayelele phansi ethempelini likaThixo, lapho okwakulebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu khona.

And the lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.

4 Uthixo wasembiza uSamuyeli. USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”

And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

5 Wagijimela ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” Kodwa u-Eli wathi, “Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.” Ngakho wabuyela wayalala.

And he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for thou didst call me: and he said, I did not call thee; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.

6 Uthixo wambiza futhi wathi, “Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” U-Eli wathi, “Ndodana yami, Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.”

And the Lord called again, Samuel, Samuel: and he went to Heli the second time, and said, Behold [here am] I, for thou didst call me: and he said, I called thee not; return, go to sleep.

7 Ngalesosikhathi uSamuyeli wayengakamazi uThixo: Ilizwi likaThixo lalingakavezwa kuye.

And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed to him.

8 Uthixo wambiza uSamuyeli okwesithathu, njalo uSamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” Lapho-ke u-Eli wabona ukuthi nguThixo owayebiza umfana.

And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for thou didst call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.

9 Ngakho u-Eli watshela uSamuyeli wathi, “Hamba uyelala, njalo nxa ekubiza wena uthi, ‘Khuluma Thixo, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.’” Ngakho uSamuyeli wahamba wayalala endaweni yakhe.

And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak for thy servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Uthixo weza wema khonapho, ebiza njengakuqala esithi, “Samuyeli! Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wathi, “Khuluma, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.”

And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before: and Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant hears.

11 Uthixo wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Khangela, sekuseduze ukuba ko-Israyeli ngenze into ezakwenza indlebe zomuntu wonke okuzwayo lokho zincencethe.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.

12 Ngalesosikhathi ngizamelana lo-Eli, ngenze konke engakukhuluma mayelana lendlu yakhe kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni.

In that day I will raise up against Heli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.

13 Ngoba ngamtshela ukuthi ngizakwahlulela indlu yakhe okulaphakade ngenxa yesono ayesazi; amadodana akhe ayehlambaza uNkulunkulu, yena wehluleka ukuwakhuza.

And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.

14 Ngakho, ngayifungela indlu ka-Eli ngathi, ‘Icala lendlu ka-Eli kaliyikuhlawulwa ngomhlatshelo loba ngomnikelo.’”

And [it shall] not [go on] so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.

15 USamuyeli walala phansi kwaze kwaba sekuseni wasevula iminyango yendlu kaThixo. Wayesesaba ukutshela u-Eli umbono,

And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell [Heli] the vision.

16 kodwa u-Eli wambiza wathi, “Samuyeli, ndodana yami.” USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”

And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

17 U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini akutshiloyo kuwe na? Ungangifihleli. Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakujezisa, kube buhlungu kakhulu, nxa uzangifihlela loba kuyini akutshele khona.”

And he said, What [was] the word that was spoken to thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: may God do these things to thee, and more also, if thou hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to thee in thine ears.

18 Ngakho uSamuyeli wamtshela konke, engamfihlelanga lutho. U-Eli wasesithi, “UnguThixo; kenze lokho akubona kukuhle emehlweni akhe.”

And Samuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Heli said, He [is] the Lord, he shall do that which is good in his sight.

19 Uthixo wayeloSamuyeli ekukhuleni kwakhe, njalo kayekelanga lalinye lamazwi akhe liwela phansi.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.

20 Njalo u-Israyeli wonke kusukela eDani kusiya eBherishebha wakwazi ukuthi uSamuyeli wayebekwe ukuba ngumphrofethi kaThixo.

And all Israel knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Samuel [was] faithful as a prophet to the Lord.

21 Uthixo waqhubeka ebonakala eShilo, njalo khonapho waziveza kuSamuyeli ngelizwi lakhe.

And the Lord manifested himself again in Selom, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel; and Samuel was accredited to all Israel as a prophet to the Lord from one end of the land to the other: and Heli [was] very old, and his sons kept advancing [in wickedness], and their way [was] evil before the Lord.