1 USamuyeli 3

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

Now, the boy Samuel, was ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli, —and, the word of Yahweh, had become rare in those days, there was no well-known vision.

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

But it came to pass, at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, his eyes, having begun to be dim, he could not see,

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

though, the lamp of God, was not yet to be put out, and, Samuel, was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where was the ark of God,

4 iNkosi yambiza uSamuweli, owathi: Khangela ngilapha.

that Yahweh called unto Samuel, and he said—Behold me!

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

So he ran unto Eli and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, return—Its down. So he went, and lie down.

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

And again Yahweh called once there—Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, my son, return—lie down.

7 Kodwa uSamuweli wayengakayazi iNkosi, lelizwi leNkosi lalingakembulwa kuye.

Now, Samuel, as yet knew not Yahweh, —nor, as yet, had been revealed unto him, the word of Yahweh.

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

And again Yahweh called—Samuel! a third time. Then he arose, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. Then did Eli perceive, that, Yahweh, was 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.

So Eli said to Samuel—Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say—Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place.

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

Then came Yahweh, and stood, and called as time after time—Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant is listening.

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

And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Lo! I am doing a thing, in Israel, —at which both ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle.

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

In that day, will I confirm against Eli, all that I have spoken against his house, —beginning and finishing.

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

Therefore do I tell him, that I am about to judge his house unto times age-abiding, for the iniquity which he knoweth, in that his sons are cursing God, and he hath not rebuked them.

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

And therefore have I sworn, respecting the house of Eli, —that the iniquity of the house of Eli shall receive no propitiatory-covering, by sacrifice or by present, unto times age-abiding.

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

And Samuel lay until the morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, —but, Samuel, feared to tell the appearing, unto Eli.

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

So Eli called Samuel, and said—Samuel! my son. And he said—Behold me!

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

And he said—What is the word, which he spake unto thee? I pray thee, do not hide it from me. So, let God do to thee, and, so, let him add, if thou hide from me a word, out of anything which he hath spoken unto thee.

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

So Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said, Yahweh, he is; what is good in his own eyes, let him do.

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

And Samuel grew, —and, Yahweh, proved to he with him, and let none of all his words fall to the ground.

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

So all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, came to know, —that Samuel had become confirmed as a prophet unto Yahweh.

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

Thus did Yahweh again appear in Shiloh, —for Yahweh had revealed himself unto Samuel in Shiloh, in the word of Yahweh.