1 Samuweli
okanye, ngokweSeptuagint yesiGrike, EYOKUQALA YOOKUMKANI
1 Ke kaloku kwakukho ndoda ithile yaseRamatayim-tsofi+ yommandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim,+ yaye igama layo yayinguElikana,+ unyana kaYeroham, unyana kaElihu, unyana kaTohu, unyana kaTsufi,+ umEfrayim. 2 Kwaye yayinabafazi ababini, igama lomnye linguHana, negama lomnye linguPenina. UPenina ke waba nabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengenabantwana.+ 3 Kwaye iminyaka ngeminyaka loo ndoda yayinyuka ivela kwisixeko sakowayo ukuya kuqubuda+ nokubingelela kuYehova wemikhosi eShilo.+ Babengababingeleli bakaYehova+ apho ke oonyana bakaEli ababini, uHofeni noFinehasi.+
4 Kwathi ke kwaba yimini yokuba uElikana abingelele, yaye wanika uPenina umfazi wakhe nabo bonke oonyana bakhe neentombi zakhe izabelo;+ 5 kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo sasinye. Noko ke wayethanda+ uHana, yaye, ke yena uYehova, wayesivalile isibeleko sakhe.+ 6 Nomfazi owayesukuzana naye wamqumbisa+ kakhulu ukuze amenze azive ephazamisekile ngenxa yokuba uYehova wayesivalile isibeleko sakhe. 7 Kwaye leyo yindlela awayesenza ngayo iminyaka ngeminyaka,+ ngokufuthi kangangoko enyukela endlwini kaYehova.+ Leyo yindlela awayemqumbisa ngayo, kangangokuba wayelila aze angadli. 8 Waza uElikana indoda yakhe wathi kuye: “Hana, kutheni ulila nje, yaye kutheni ungadli nje, kwaye kutheni intliziyo yakho imbi nje?+ Andilungile na kuwe ngaphezu koonyana abalishumi?”+
9 Ngoko uHana wasukuma emva kokuba bedlile eShilo nasemva kokusela, ngoxa uEli umbingeleli wayehleli esihlalweni ngasemgubasini wetempile+ kaYehova. 10 Yaye wawukrakra umphefumlo wakhe,+ waza wathandaza kuYehova+ walila kakhulu.+ 11 Wahlabela mgama wenza isibhambathiso+ wathi: “Owu Yehova wemikhosi, ukuba nakanjani na uthe wayikhangela inkxwaleko yekhobokazana lakho+ waza okunene wandikhumbula,+ ungalilibali ikhobokazana lakho uze okunene ulinike ikhobokazana lakho inzala eyinkwenkwe, ndiza kuyinikela kuYehova yonke imihla yobomi bayo, nencakuba ayiyi kufika entlokweni yayo.”+
12 Ngoxa wayesolula+ ukuthandaza kwakhe phambi koYehova, uEli wayemondele emlonyeni. 13 Ke yena uHana, wayethethela entliziyweni yakhe;+ kwakubebezela imilebe kuphela, ilizwi lakhe lingavakali. Kodwa uEli wacinga ukuba unxilile.+ 14 Ngoko uEli wathi kuye: “Kuya kude kube nini na unxila?+ Yisuse iwayini yakho kuwe.” 15 Wamphendula ke uHana waza wathi: “Hayi, nkosi yam! Ndingumfazi obandezelekileyo emoyeni; andiselanga wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo, koko ndiphalaza umphefumlo wam phambi koYehova.+ 16 Musa ukulenza ngathi lingumfazi olitshivela+ ikhobokazana lakho, kuba kungenxa yokuxhalaba kwam nengqumbo yam enkulu ukuba mandithethe kude kube ngoku.”+ 17 Wandula ke waphendula uEli waza wathi: “Hamba ngoxolo,+ yaye ngamana uTHIXO kaSirayeli angenza ngokwesibongozo sakho osicelileyo kuye.”+ 18 Wathi ke yena: “Isicakakazi sakho masifumane ubabalo emehlweni akho.”+ Wahamba ke umfazi lowo, wadla,+ nobuso bakhe ababi saba bobuxhalabileyo.+
19 Bandula ke bavuka ekuseni baqubuda phambi koYehova, ekwathi emva koko babuya baza bafika endlwini yabo eRama.+ Ke kaloku uElikana waba neentlobano zokwazana+ noHana umfazi wakhe, waza uYehova waqala ukumkhumbula.+ 20 Ngoko kwathi ekupheleni konyaka uHana wamitha, wazala unyana, wambiza ngokuba nguSamuweli igama lakhe,+ ngokuba wayesithi, “ndimcele+ kuYehova.”
21 Ekuhambeni kwexesha indoda uElikana yenyuka nayo yonke indlu yayo isiya kubingelela kuYehova umbingelelo waminyaka+ le nomnikelo wayo wesibhambathiso.+ 22 Ke yena uHana, akenyukanga,+ kuba wayethe kwindoda yakhe: “Kamsinya nje yakuba ilunyulwe inkwenkwe,+ ndimele ndiyizise, yaye imele ibonakale phambi koYehova ize ihlale khona ixesha elingenammiselo.”+ 23 UElikana indoda yakhe+ wathi ke kuye: “Yenza okulungileyo emehlweni akho.+ Hlala ekhaya ude uyilumle. Kuphela ngamana uYehova angaliphumeza ilizwi lakhe.”+ Ngoko umfazi wahlala ekhaya waza wancancisa unyana wakhe wada wamlumla.+
24 Ngako oko kwakamsinya nje akuba emlumle, wenyuka naye, kunye nenkunzi yenkomo eminyaka mithathu ubudala ne-efa enye yomgubo nengqayi enkulu yewayini,+ waza wangena endlwini kaYehova eShilo.+ Kwaye inkwenkwe yayikunye naye. 25 Bandula ke bayixhela inkunzi yenkomo baza inkwenkwe leyo bayizisa kuEli.+ 26 Wathi yena: “Ndiyangxengxeza, nkosi yam! Ngobomi bomphefumlo wakho,+ nkosi yam, ndingulaa mfazi wayemi kunye nawe kule ndawo ethandaza kuYehova.+ 27 Ndandithandaza ngokubhekisele kule nkwenkwe ke ukuba uYehova andinike isibongozo+ endasicelayo kuye.+ 28 Nam ke, ndibolekise ngayo kuYehova.+ Yonke imihla yokubakho kwayo, ingocelelwe uYehova.”
Waza yena waqubuda apho kuYehova.+