1 USamuyeli 3
1 Umfana uSamuyeli wakhonza phambi kukaThixo engaphansi kuka-Eli. Ngalezonsuku ilizwi likaThixo lalingandanga; kwakungelamibono eminengi.
The child Samuel served Yahweh under Eli. Yahweh's word was rare in those days; there was no frequent prophetic vision.
2 Ngobunye ubusuku u-Eli, amehlo akhe ayesefiphala esebona kalufifi, wayelele endaweni yakhe yansuku zonke.
At that time, when Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see well, was lying down in his own bed.
3 Isibane sikaNkulunkulu sasingakacitshi, njalo uSamuyeli wayelele phansi ethempelini likaThixo, lapho okwakulebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu khona.
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down to sleep in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was.
4 Uthixo wasembiza uSamuyeli. USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”
Yahweh called to Samuel, who said, “Here I am.”
5 Wagijimela ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” Kodwa u-Eli wathi, “Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.” Ngakho wabuyela wayalala.
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So Samuel went and lay down.
6 Uthixo wambiza futhi wathi, “Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.” U-Eli wathi, “Ndodana yami, Angikubizanga; buyela uyelala.”
Yahweh called again, “Samuel.” Again Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son; lie down again.”
7 Ngalesosikhathi uSamuyeli wayengakamazi uThixo: Ilizwi likaThixo lalingakavezwa kuye.
Now Samuel did not yet have any experience of Yahweh, nor had any message from Yahweh ever been 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.
Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh had called the boy.
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.
Then Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again; if he calls you again, you must say, 'Speak, Yahweh, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his own place once more.
10 Uthixo weza wema khonapho, ebiza njengakuqala esithi, “Samuyeli! Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wathi, “Khuluma, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.”
Yahweh came and stood; he called as at the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 Uthixo wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Khangela, sekuseduze ukuba ko-Israyeli ngenze into ezakwenza indlebe zomuntu wonke okuzwayo lokho zincencethe.
Yahweh said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
12 Ngalesosikhathi ngizamelana lo-Eli, ngenze konke engakukhuluma mayelana lendlu yakhe kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni.
On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have said about his house, from beginning to end.
13 Ngoba ngamtshela ukuthi ngizakwahlulela indlu yakhe okulaphakade ngenxa yesono ayesazi; amadodana akhe ayehlambaza uNkulunkulu, yena wehluleka ukuwakhuza.
I have told him that I am about to judge his house once for all for the sin that he knew about, because his sons brought a curse upon themselves and he did not stop them.
14 Ngakho, ngayifungela indlu ka-Eli ngathi, ‘Icala lendlu ka-Eli kaliyikuhlawulwa ngomhlatshelo loba ngomnikelo.’”
Because of this I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sins of his house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”
15 USamuyeli walala phansi kwaze kwaba sekuseni wasevula iminyango yendlu kaThixo. Wayesesaba ukutshela u-Eli umbono,
Samuel lay down until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
16 kodwa u-Eli wambiza wathi, “Samuyeli, ndodana yami.” USamuyeli wasabela wathi, “Ngilapha.”
Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel said, “Here I am.”
17 U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini akutshiloyo kuwe na? Ungangifihleli. Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakujezisa, kube buhlungu kakhulu, nxa uzangifihlela loba kuyini akutshele khona.”
He said, “What was the word he spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and even more, if you hide anything from me of all the words that he spoke to you.”
18 Ngakho uSamuyeli wamtshela konke, engamfihlelanga lutho. U-Eli wasesithi, “UnguThixo; kenze lokho akubona kukuhle emehlweni akhe.”
Samuel told him everything; he hid nothing from him. Eli said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19 Uthixo wayeloSamuyeli ekukhuleni kwakhe, njalo kayekelanga lalinye lamazwi akhe liwela phansi.
Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him, and he let none of his prophetic words fall to the ground.
20 Njalo u-Israyeli wonke kusukela eDani kusiya eBherishebha wakwazi ukuthi uSamuyeli wayebekwe ukuba ngumphrofethi kaThixo.
All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was appointed to be a prophet of Yahweh.
21 Uthixo waqhubeka ebonakala eShilo, njalo khonapho waziveza kuSamuyeli ngelizwi lakhe.
Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh, for he revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.
