1 USamuyeli 1 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ukuzalwa kukaSamuweli

¹ Kwakukhona indoda ethile yaseRamathayimi, umuntu waseZufi kwelasezintabeni zakoEfrayimi; ibizo layo lalinguElkana indodana kaJerohamu, kaElihu, kaTohu, kaZufi wakoEfrayimi.

² Yayilabafazi ababili; ibizo lomunye linguHana, lelomunye linguPenina. UPenina wayelabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengelabo.

³ Leyondoda yayejwayele ukusuka emzini wayo iminyaka yonke ukuyakhonza lokuhlabela iNkosi yamabandla umhlatshelo eShilo, lapho amadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loFiniyasi, ayengabapristi beNkosi khona.

⁴ Kwakusithi mhla uElkana ehlabela iNkosi, anike uPenina umkakhe lawo wonke amadodana lamadodakazi akhe izabelo zenyama;

⁵ lanxa uHana wayemthanda, wamnika isabelo saba sinye kuphela, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

⁶ UPenina umbangisi wakhe wayejwayele ukumconula kakhulu ukuze amthukuthelise, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

⁷ Kwaqhubeka ngokunjalo iminyaka ngeminyaka; ngezikhathi zonke lapho esiya endlini yeNkosi umbangisi wakhe wayemconula. Ngakhoke uHana wakhala, wala ukudla.

⁸ UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Hana, ukhalelani na? Kawudli ngani na? Inhliziyo yakho idaneleni na? Mina kangedluli amadodana alitshumi kuwe na?

⁹ Kwathi sebedlile banatha eShilo, uHana wasukuma. UEli umpristi wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe phansi kwensika yomnyango wethempeli leNkosi.

¹⁰ UHana wayedabukile kakhulu, wasekhuleka eNkosini ekhala kakhulu.

¹¹ Wasesenza isithembiso esithi: Nkosi yamabandla, uba ungabona ukuhlupheka kwencekukazi yakho, ungikhumbule, ungangikhohlwa mina incekukazi yakho, unginike indodana, minake ngizayinika iNkosi insuku zonke zokuphila kwayo, kayiyikuliphuca lekhanda layo.

¹² Kwathi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kweNkosi, uEli waqaphelisa umlomo wakhe.

¹³ UHana wayekhulumela ngaphakathi, kuthinteka indebe zakhe kuphela, ilizwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngakho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.

¹⁴ UEli wasesithi kuye: Uzadakwa kuze kube nini na? Suka lapha lize liphele kuwe iwayini.

¹⁵ UHana wamphendula wathi: Atshi, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazana ohluphekayo; kanginathanga wayini loba utshwala obudakayo, kodwa bengiseneka umphefumulo wami eNkosini.

¹⁶ Ungayikhangeli incekukazi yakho njengowesifazana omubi, ngoba bengikade ngikhulunyiswa yibukhulu benhlupheko zami losizi lwami.

¹⁷ UEli wasemphendula esithi: Hamba kuhle; uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli akunike lokho okucelileyo kuye.

¹⁸ Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayifumane umusa kuwe. Owesifazana wasehamba; kwaphela ukudana kwakhe.

¹⁹ Bavuka ekuseni; bakhuleka eNkosini, basebebuyela emzini wabo eRama. UElkana wangena loHana umkakhe engutsheni, leNkosi yamkhumbula.

²⁰ Kwathi isikhathi sesiphelele uHana wakhulelwa, wabeletha indodana, wayitha ibizo wathi nguSamuweli; ngoba wathi: Ngimcelile eNkosini.

²¹ UElkana wasuka kanye lendlu yakhe yonke ukuyanikela eNkosini umhlatshelo weminyaka yonke, lokugcwalisa isithembiso sakhe.

²² Kodwa uHana kayanga, ngoba wathi kumkakhe: Kangiyikuhamba aze akhunyulwe ebeleni umntwana; ng’khonake ngizakumusa ukuba abonakale phambi kweNkosi, abesesala khona.

²³ UElkana umkakhe wathi kuye: Yenza lokho okubona kulungile kuwe; hlala uze umkhumule ebeleni; kungathi iNkosi ingaqinisa ilizwi lakho. UHana wasala, wayondla indodana yakhe waze wayikhumula ebeleni.

²⁴ Eseyikhumule ebeleni wasuka layo, wayisa endlini yeNkosi eShilo kanye lenkunzi eleminyaka emithathu, lehefa lempuphu, lembodlela yewayini; wamusa umntwana endlini yeNkosi eShilo esemncinyane.

²⁵ Bayihlaba inkunzi, bamusa umntwana kuEli.

²⁶ UHana wathi: E nkosi yami, mana njalo nkosi yami! Yimi owesifazana owayemi lapha phambi kwakho, ekhuleka eNkosini.

²⁷ Ngakhulekela lumntwana; iNkosi inginikile lokho engakucela kuyo.

²⁸ Ngakhoke lami ngimnikele eNkosini; zonke insuku zokuphila kwakhe uzakuba ngoweNkosi. Bakhonza iNkosi lapho.