1 USamuyeli 1
1 Kwakukhona-ke indoda ethile yeRamathayimi-Zofimu entabeni yakoEfrayimi; lebizo layo lalinguElkana indodana kaJerohamu, indodana kaElihu, indodana kaTohu, indodana kaZufi umEfrayimi.
There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.
2 Njalo yayilabafazi ababili; ibizo lomunye lalinguHana, lebizo lomunye lalinguPenina. Njalo uPenina wayelabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengelabantwana.
He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several 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.
Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh there.
4 Kwakusithi mhla uElkana ehlaba, wanika uPenina umkakhe lawo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe izabelo;
Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
5 kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo esiphindwe kabili, ngoba wayemthanda uHana; kodwa iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.
But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.
6 Lesitha sakhe laso samcaphula ngentukuthelo ukuze simkhathaze, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.
And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
7 Wayesenza njalo-ke iminyaka ngeminyaka; kusukela lapho esenyukela endlini yeNkosi, ngokunjalo samcaphula. Ngakho walila, kadlanga.
This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried 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?
Then Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had ten sons.)”
9 Ngakho uHana wasukuma emva kokudla eShilo langemva kokunatha. UEli umpristi wayehlezi-ke esihlalweni phansi kwensika yethempeli leNkosi.
One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.
10 Njalo wayelobuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasekhuleka eNkosini ekhala lokukhala inyembezi.
Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
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.
She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”
12 Kwasekusithi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kweNkosi, uEli waqaphelisa umlomo wakhe.
As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
13 UHana wayekhulumela-ke enhliziyweni yakhe, kwanyikinyeka indebe zakhe kuphela, kodwa ilizwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngakho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.
But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
14 UEli wasesithi kuye: Koze kube nini udakwa? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.
He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
15 UHana wasephendula wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazana odabukileyo emoyeni; kanginathanga wayini loba okunathwayo okulamandla, kodwa bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kweNkosi.
Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.
16 Ungayithathi incekukazi yakho njengendodakazi kaBheliyali, ngoba ebunengini bosizi lwami lenkathazo yami sengikhulume kwaze kwaba khathesi.
Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
17 UEli wasephendula wathi: Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli akunike isicelo sakho osicele kuye.
Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from him.”
18 Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayithole umusa emehlweni akho. Ngakho owesifazana wahamba ngendlela yakhe, wadla; lobuso bakhe abaze busanyukumala ngakho.
She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked sad.
19 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bakhonza phambi kweNkosi, basebebuyela bafika emzini wabo eRama. UElkana wasemazi uHana umkakhe, leNkosi yamkhumbula.
Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,
20 Kwasekusithi ekuqhubekeni kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa, wabeletha indodana, wayitha ibizo layo uSamuweli; ngoba wathi: Ngimcelile eNkosini.
and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”
21 Lendoda uElkana lendlu yakhe yonke benyukela ukuyahlabela iNkosi umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka, lesifungo sakhe.
The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].
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 [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”
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 said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home 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.
After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.
25 Balihlaba ijongosi, bamletha umntwana kuEli.
After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.
26 Wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, yimi owesifazana owayemi lawe lapha, ekhuleka eNkosini.
Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].
27 Ngakhulekela lo umfana, njalo iNkosi inginikile isicelo sami engasicela kuyo.
I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.
28 Ngakho lami ngimnikele eNkosini, zonke izinsuku ekhona; wacelwa eNkosini. Wasekhonza iNkosi lapho.
So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.
