Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
1 Kwakukho indoda yaseRamatayim-tsofi*+ yommandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim.+ Igama layo lalinguElikana,+ unyana kaYeroham, unyana kaElihu, unyana kaTohu, unyana kaTsufi, umEfrayim. 2 Yayinabafazi ababini, uHana noPenina. UPenina wayenabantwana, kodwa uHana engenabo. 3 Minyaka le, le ndoda yayinyuka isuka kwisixeko sakowayo iyokukhonza* ize ibingelele kuYehova wemikhosi eShilo.+ Babekhonza njengababingeleli bakaYehova+ apho ke oonyana bakaEli ababini, uHofeni noFinehasi.+
4 Ngosuku awayebingelela ngalo, uElikana wanika uPenina umfazi wakhe nabo bonke oonyana bakhe neentombi zakhe izabelo,+ 5 kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo esikhethekileyo kuba wayemthanda, nto nje uYehova wayengamnikanga bantwana.* 6 Ngaphezu koko, lo mfazi wesibini wayechukela uHana esoloko emgezela, ukuze amvise ubuhlungu kuba uYehova engamnikanga bantwana. 7 Wayesenza le nto unyaka nonyaka. Nanini na uHana enyuka esiya endlini kaYehova,+ uPenina wayemgezela ade alile angafuni nokutya. 8 Kodwa umyeni wakhe uElikana wathi kuye: “Hana, kutheni ulila nje, kutheni ungatyi, yaye kutheni ukhathazeke kangaka?* Andikho ngcono na kuwe kunoonyana abalishumi?”
9 Bathi bakugqiba ukutya nokusela eShilo, waphakama uHana. Ngelo xesha, uEli umbingeleli wayehleli esitulweni ngakumnyango wetempile*+ kaYehova. 10 Ekhathazeke kakhulu, uHana* waqalisa ukuthandaza kuYehova,+ walila kakhulu. 11 Wafunga wathi: “Owu Yehova wemikhosi, ukuba ungayibona intlungu yekhobokazana lakho, undikhumbule, ungalilibali ikhobokazana lakho, uze ulinike ikhobokazana lakho umntwana oyinkwenkwe,+ ndiza kumnikela kuYehova yonke imihla yobomi bakhe. Iinwele zakhe azizukuchetywa.”+
12 UHana wathandaza ixesha elide kuYehova, yaye uEli wayemjonge emlonyeni. 13 UHana wayethandazela ngaphakathi, kungcangcazela nje imilebe. Ilizwi lakhe lalingavakali. Ngoko uEli wacinga ukuba unxilile. 14 UEli wathi kuye: “Kutheni unxilile? Yohlukana newayini.” 15 UHana wathi: “Hayi, nkosi yam! Ndingumfazi osentlungwini. Andiselanga wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo, kunoko ndichazela uYehova intlungu yam.+ 16 Sukulithatha ngathi lingumfazi ongungantweni ikhobokazana lakho, kuba oko ndithandaza ndibuhlungu kakhulu, ndixhelekile.” 17 UEli wathi: “Hamba ngoxolo, kwanga uThixo kaSirayeli angasiphendula isicelo sakho.”+ 18 UHana wathi: “Kwanga isicakakazi sakho singahlala sithandeka emehlweni akho.” Emva koko umfazi wahamba, watya, nobuso bakhe batyhileka.
19 Bavuka ekuseni baqubuda kuYehova, emva koko babuyela endlini yabo eRama.+ UElikana wabelana ngesondo noHana umfazi wakhe, waza uYehova wamkhumbula.+ 20 Ngoko uHana wakhulelwa unyaka ungekapheli, wazala unyana, wambiza ngokuba+ nguSamuweli,* kuba wayesithi, “ndimcele kuYehova.”
21 Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uElikana wenyuka nayo yonke indlu yakhe esiya kubingelela kuYehova+ umbingelelo waminyaka le, anikele nomnikelo wakhe wesifungo. 22 Kodwa uHana akazange anyuke,+ kuba wayethe kwindoda yakhe: “Yakuba nje ilunyulwe inkwenkwana, ndiza kuyizisa endlini kaYehova, ize ihlale apho.”*+ 23 UElikana umyeni wakhe wathi kuye: “Yenza loo nto uyibona ilungile.* Hlala ekhaya de uyilumle. Kwanga uYehova angaqinisekisa ukuba uyayenza loo nto uyithethileyo.” Ngoko umfazi wahlala ekhaya waza wancancisa unyana wakhe wada wamlumla.
24 Wathi akumlumla, wenyuka naye baya eShilo, kunye nenkunzi yenkomo eneminyaka emithathu ubudala ne-efa* yomgubo nengqayi enkulu yewayini,+ waza wangena endlini kaYehova eShilo+ nenkwenkwana leyo. 25 Emva koko bayixhela inkunzi yenkomo baza bayizisa kuEli inkwenkwana. 26 Wathi uHana: “Ngxe nkosi yam! Ndiyakuqinisekisa* nkosi yam ukuba ndingulaa mfazi owayemi kunye nawe kule ndawo, ethandaza kuYehova.+ 27 Ngokuya ndandithandaza, ndandicela kuYehova ukuba andinike le nkwenkwana, waza wawuphendula umthandazo wam.+ 28 Nam ke ngoku, ndibolekisa ngayo kuYehova. Yonke imihla yobomi bayo, ingobolekwe uYehova.”
Waza yena* waqubuda apho kuYehova.