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 man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 Njalo yayilabafazi ababili; ibizo lomunye lalinguHana, lebizo lomunye lalinguPenina. Njalo uPenina wayelabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengelabantwana.
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Leyondoda yenyuka-ke isuka emzini wayo iminyaka ngeminyaka ukuyakhonza lokuhlabela iNkosi yamabandla eShilo, njalo kwakukhona lapho amadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abapristi beNkosi.
Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
4 Kwakusithi mhla uElkana ehlaba, wanika uPenina umkakhe lawo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe izabelo;
And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and 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, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
6 Lesitha sakhe laso samcaphula ngentukuthelo ukuze simkhathaze, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.
Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.
7 Wayesenza njalo-ke iminyaka ngeminyaka; kusukela lapho esenyukela endlini yeNkosi, ngokunjalo samcaphula. Ngakho walila, kadlanga.
And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.
8 UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Hana, ulilelani? Njalo kawudli ngani? Kungani-ke inhliziyo yakho idabukile? Mina kangingcono kuwe kulamadodana alitshumi yini?
“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? 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 after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10 Njalo wayelobuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasekhuleka eNkosini ekhala lokukhala inyembezi.
In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
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 made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”
12 Kwasekusithi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kweNkosi, uEli waqaphelisa umlomo wakhe.
As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
13 UHana wayekhulumela-ke enhliziyweni yakhe, kwanyikinyeka indebe zakhe kuphela, kodwa ilizwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngakho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.
Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk
14 UEli wasesithi kuye: Koze kube nini udakwa? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.
and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”
15 UHana wasephendula wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazana odabukileyo emoyeni; kanginathanga wayini loba okunathwayo okulamandla, kodwa bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kweNkosi.
“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 Ungayithathi incekukazi yakho njengendodakazi kaBheliyali, ngoba ebunengini bosizi lwami lenkathazo yami sengikhulume kwaze kwaba khathesi.
Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”
17 UEli wasephendula wathi: Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli akunike isicelo sakho osicele kuye.
“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”
18 Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayithole umusa emehlweni akho. Ngakho owesifazana wahamba ngendlela yakhe, wadla; lobuso bakhe abaze busanyukumala ngakho.
“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bakhonza phambi kweNkosi, basebebuyela bafika emzini wabo eRama. UElkana wasemazi uHana umkakhe, leNkosi yamkhumbula.
The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
20 Kwasekusithi ekuqhubekeni kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa, wabeletha indodana, wayitha ibizo layo uSamuweli; ngoba wathi: Ngimcelile eNkosini.
So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21 Lendoda uElkana lendlu yakhe yonke benyukela ukuyahlabela iNkosi umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka, lesifungo sakhe.
Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
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. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”
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.
“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Wasesenyuka layo eseyilumule, elamajongosi amathathu, le-efa elilodwa lempuphu, lembodlela yewayini, wayiletha endlini yeNkosi eShilo; lomfana wayemncinyane.
Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
25 Balihlaba ijongosi, bamletha umntwana kuEli.
And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
26 Wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, yimi owesifazana owayemi lawe lapha, ekhuleka eNkosini.
“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
27 Ngakhulekela lo umfana, njalo iNkosi inginikile isicelo sami engasicela kuyo.
I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,
28 Ngakho lami ngimnikele eNkosini, zonke izinsuku ekhona; wacelwa eNkosini. Wasekhonza iNkosi lapho.
I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
