1 USamuyeli 3

1 Umfana uSamuweli wayesebenzela iNkosi phambi kukaEli. Lelizwi leNkosi laliligugu ngalezonsuku; kwakungekho lombono osabaleleyo.

The boy Samuel served before the Lord under Eli's supervision. At that time messages from the Lord were rare—visions were not common.

2 Kwasekusithi ngalolosuku uEli elele endaweni yakhe, lamehlo akhe eseqala ukufiphala engelakubona,

One evening, Eli had gone to bed in his room. His eyes were now so weak that he couldn't see.

3 lesibane sikaNkulunkulu sasingakacitshwa, njalo uSamuweli wayelele ethempelini leNkosi, lapho okwakukhona umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu,

The lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Lord's Temple where the Ark of God was.

4 iNkosi yambiza uSamuweli, owathi: Khangela ngilapha.

Then the Lord called, “Samuel!” He answered, “I'm here.”

5 Wasegijimela kuEli, wathi: Khangela ngilapha, ngoba ungibizile. Wasesithi: Kangibizanga, buyela ulale. Wasesiyalala.

He ran to Eli, and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.

6 INkosi yasibuya imbiza uSamuweli futhi. USamuweli wasevuka waya kuEli, wathi: Khangela ngilapha, ngoba ungibizile. Kodwa wathi: Kangibizanga, ndodana yami; buyela ulale.

Then the Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you, my son,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.”

7 Kodwa uSamuweli wayengakayazi iNkosi, lelizwi leNkosi lalingakembulwa kuye.

(Samuel hadn't yet come to know the Lord and had not received any message from him.)

8 INkosi yasimbiza futhi uSamuweli ngokwesithathu. Wasevuka waya kuEli wathi: Khangela ngilapha, ngoba ungibizile. UEli waseqedisisa ukuthi iNkosi imbizile umfana.

The Lord called again for the third time, “Samuel!” He got up went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the Lord calling the boy.

9 Ngakho uEli wathi kuSamuweli: Hamba uyelala; kuzakuthi-ke nxa ikubiza uzakuthi: Khuluma Nkosi, ngoba inceku yakho iyezwa. Wasehamba uSamuweli, walala endaweni yakhe.

Eli told Samuel, “Go back to bed, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, because your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to his bed.

10 INkosi yasisiza, yema, yabiza njengakwezinye izikhathi: Samuweli, Samuweli! Wasesithi uSamuweli: Khuluma, ngoba inceku yakho iyezwa.

The Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, because your servant is listening.”

11 INkosi yasisithi kuSamuweli: Khangela, ngizakwenza into koIsrayeli ezakhenceza indlebe zombili zalowo wonke oyizwayo.

The Lord told Samuel: “Pay attention, because I'm going to do something in Israel that will surprise everyone who hears it.

12 Ngalolosuku ngizakwenza ngimelene loEli konke engakukhuluma ngendlu yakhe; ngiqalise ngiqede.

That's when I will carry out against Eli and his family everything I have said, from beginning to end.

13 Ngoba ngimtshelile ukuthi ngizagweba indlu yakhe kuze kube nininini ngesiphambeko asaziyo, ngoba amadodana akhe azenza aqalekiswa, kodwa kawakhuzanga.

I told him that I will judge his family forever because of the sins he knows about, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not try and stop them.

14 Ngakho-ke ngifungile kuyo indlu kaEli ukuthi ububi bendlu kaEli kabuyikuhlangulwa ngomhlatshelo langomnikelo kuze kube phakade.

That's why I swore to Eli and his family, ‘The guilt of Eli and his descendants will never be removed by sacrifice or offering.’”

15 USamuweli waselala kwaze kwasa; wavula iminyango yendlu yeNkosi, kodwa uSamuweli wesaba ukumtshela uEli umbono.

Samuel remained in bed until the morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Lord's Temple as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

16 UEli wasembiza uSamuweli, wathi: Samuweli, ndodana yami. Wasesithi: Khangela ngilapha.

But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “I'm here,” Samuel answered.

17 Wasesithi: Yinto bani eyikhulume kuwe? Ake ungangifihleli; kenze njalo uNkulunkulu kuwe, ngokunjalo engezelele, uba ungifihlela ulutho lwazo zonke izinto akutshele zona.

“What did he tell you?” Eli asked. “Don't hide it from me. May God punish you very severely if you hide anything he told you from me!”

18 Ngakho uSamuweli wasemtshela zonke izinto, kamfihlelanga lutho. Wasesithi: YiNkosi, kayenze lokho okulungileyo emehlweni ayo.

So Samuel told him everything and didn't hide anything from him. “It's the Lord,” Eli replied. “May he do what he thinks is good.”

19 Wakhula-ke uSamuweli, leNkosi yayilaye, kayiyekelanga lelilodwa lamazwi ayo liwele emhlabathini.

Samuel continued to grow up. The Lord was with him and made sure all he said was trustworthy.

20 UIsrayeli wonke-ke kusukela koDani kuze kube seBherishebha wazi ukuthi uSamuweli uqinisiwe ukuthi abe ngumprofethi weNkosi.

Everyone in the whole of Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

21 INkosi yaphinda yabonakala eShilo, ngoba iNkosi yazibonakalisa kuSamuweli eShilo ngelizwi leNkosi.

The Lord went on appearing at Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel and delivered his messages,