1 USamuyeli 1

1 Kwakukhona-ke indoda ethile yeRamathayimi-Zofimu entabeni yakoEfrayimi; lebizo layo lalinguElkana indodana kaJerohamu, indodana kaElihu, indodana kaTohu, indodana kaZufi umEfrayimi.

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim, a Zuphite of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 Njalo yayilabafazi ababili; ibizo lomunye lalinguHana, lebizo lomunye lalinguPenina. Njalo uPenina wayelabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengelabantwana.

And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 Leyondoda yenyuka-ke isuka emzini wayo iminyaka ngeminyaka ukuyakhonza lokuhlabela iNkosi yamabandla eShilo, njalo kwakukhona lapho amadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abapristi beNkosi.

This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of Jehovah, were there.

4 Kwakusithi mhla uElkana ehlaba, wanika uPenina umkakhe lawo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe izabelo;

When the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and her daughters.

5 kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo esiphindwe kabili, ngoba wayemthanda uHana; kodwa iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Now Jehovah had kept her from conceiving.

6 Lesitha sakhe laso samcaphula ngentukuthelo ukuze simkhathaze, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

And because Jehovah kept her from conceiving, her rival used to taunt her severely, to irritate her.

7 Wayesenza njalo-ke iminyaka ngeminyaka; kusukela lapho esenyukela endlini yeNkosi, ngokunjalo samcaphula. Ngakho walila, kadlanga.

And this went on year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah, she taunted her; therefore she would weep and refuse to eat.

8 UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Hana, ulilelani? Njalo kawudli ngani? Kungani-ke inhliziyo yakho idabukile? Mina kangingcono kuwe kulamadodana alitshumi yini?

And her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? And why are you not eating? And why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"

9 Ngakho uHana wasukuma emva kokudla eShilo langemva kokunatha. UEli umpristi wayehlezi-ke esihlalweni phansi kwensika yethempeli leNkosi.

So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and stood before Jehovah. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of Jehovah.

10 Njalo wayelobuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasekhuleka eNkosini ekhala lokukhala inyembezi.

And she was greatly distressed and prayed to Jehovah, and wept uncontrollably.

11 Wasefunga isifungo wathi: Nkosi yamabandla, uba ungabona lokubona ukuhlupheka kwencekukazi yakho, ungikhumbule, ungakhohlwa incekukazi yakho, kodwa unike incekukazi yakho inzalo yesilisa, ngizamnika iNkosi insuku zonke zempilo yakhe, lempuco kayiyikwedlula ekhanda lakhe.

And she vowed a vow and said, "Jehovah of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death. And he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no razor will come on his head."

12 Kwasekusithi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kweNkosi, uEli waqaphelisa umlomo wakhe.

Now it happened, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli observed her mouth.

13 UHana wayekhulumela-ke enhliziyweni yakhe, kwanyikinyeka indebe zakhe kuphela, kodwa ilizwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngakho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.

And she was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

14 UEli wasesithi kuye: Koze kube nini udakwa? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.

So Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine, and go from before Jehovah."

15 UHana wasephendula wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazana odabukileyo emoyeni; kanginathanga wayini loba okunathwayo okulamandla, kodwa bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kweNkosi.

And Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Jehovah.

16 Ungayithathi incekukazi yakho njengendodakazi kaBheliyali, ngoba ebunengini bosizi lwami lenkathazo yami sengikhulume kwaze kwaba khathesi.

Do not count your servant as a worthless woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my distress and my anguish."

17 UEli wasephendula wathi: Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli akunike isicelo sakho osicele kuye.

Then Eli answered, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him."

18 Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayithole umusa emehlweni akho. Ngakho owesifazana wahamba ngendlela yakhe, wadla; lobuso bakhe abaze busanyukumala ngakho.

She said, "Let your servant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way, and entered her quarters, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.

19 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bakhonza phambi kweNkosi, basebebuyela bafika emzini wabo eRama. UElkana wasemazi uHana umkakhe, leNkosi yamkhumbula.

They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her.

20 Kwasekusithi ekuqhubekeni kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa, wabeletha indodana, wayitha ibizo layo uSamuweli; ngoba wathi: Ngimcelile eNkosini.

It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of Jehovah."

21 Lendoda uElkana lendlu yakhe yonke benyukela ukuyahlabela iNkosi umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka, lesifungo sakhe.

The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and to redeem his vow and all the tithes of his land.

22 Kodwa uHana kenyukanga, ngoba wathi kumkakhe: Kangiyikuhamba aze alunyulwe umfana; khona ngizamletha ukuze abonakale phambi kweNkosi, abesehlala khona kuze kube nininini.

But Hannah did not go up; for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and stay there forever."

23 UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Yenza okulungileyo emehlweni akho; hlala uze umlumule; kuphela, iNkosi kayiqinise ilizwi lakho. Ngokunjalo owesifazana wahlala, wayimunyisa indodana yakhe waze wayilumula.

Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems good in your eyes. Wait until you have weaned him; only may Jehovah establish what you have said." So the woman waited and nursed her son, until she weaned him.

24 Wasesenyuka layo eseyilumule, elamajongosi amathathu, le-efa elilodwa lempuphu, lembodlela yewayini, wayiletha endlini yeNkosi eShilo; lomfana wayemncinyane.

Then she took him to Shiloh along with a three-year old bull, and bread, and an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. And she came to the house of Jehovah in Shiloh, and the boy was with them. And they went before Jehovah and his father slaughtered the sacrifice, which he did annually to Jehovah. Then he brought the boy,

25 Balihlaba ijongosi, bamletha umntwana kuEli.

and he slaughtered the bull. And Hannah, the mother of the boy, brought him to Eli.

26 Wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, yimi owesifazana owayemi lawe lapha, ekhuleka eNkosini.

She said, "Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to Jehovah.

27 Ngakhulekela lo umfana, njalo iNkosi inginikile isicelo sami engasicela kuyo.

For this child I prayed; and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of him.

28 Ngakho lami ngimnikele eNkosini, zonke izinsuku ekhona; wacelwa eNkosini. Wasekhonza iNkosi lapho.

Therefore also I have lent him to Jehovah. As long as he lives he is lent to Jehovah." Then she left him there, and she worshipped before Jehovah.