Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
2 UHana wayesethandaza wathi:
Ngikhuluma ngesibindi ngokumelene nezitha zami,
Ngoba ngiyajabula ngensindiso yakho.
2 Akekho ongcwele njengoJehova,
Akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakho, +
Futhi alikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu. +
3 Ningalokhu nikhuluma ngokuzidla,
Ningakhulumi ngokuqhosha;
Ngoba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wolwazi, +
Zonke izenzo zabantu uzibeka esikalini esifanele.
4 Imicibisholo yamaqhawe yephukile,
Kodwa ababuthaka babe namandla. +
5 Ababengaswele kudla sekumele basebenzele abanye ukuze bathole ukudla,
Kodwa ababelambile abasalambi. +
6 UJehova unamandla okubulala, namandla okulondoloza ukuphila,*
Unamandla okwehlisela eThuneni,* nawokuvusa umuntu ekufeni. +
8 Uvusa umuntu ophansi othulini;
Uphakamisa ompofu emlotheni, *+
Ukuze abenze bahlale nezicukuthwane,
Abanike isihlalo sodumo.
Izisekelo zomhlaba + zingezikaJehova,
Ubeka umhlaba phezu kwazo.
9 Uqapha izinyathelo zabaqotho bakhe, +
Kodwa ababi bayobhuqwa ebumnyameni, +
Ngoba umuntu akanqobi ngenxa yamandla akhe. +
10 UJehova uyobaqothula labo abalwa naye; *+
Lapho ethululela intukuthelo yakhe kubo amazulu ayoduma. +
11 Ngemva kwalokho u-Elkana wabuyela emzini wakhe eRama, kodwa umfana waba isikhonzi* sikaJehova + phambi kuka-Eli umpristi.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayekhohlakele; + engamhloniphi uJehova. 13 Esikhundleni sokuthatha isabelo sawo emhlatshelweni owawulethwa abantu, + nakhu ayekwenza: Noma nini lapho umuntu enikela umhlatshelo, kwakuza isikhonzi sompristi siphethe imfologo enkulu njengoba inyama isagxabha, 14 sifike sihlabe ngemfologo kunoma yiliphi ibhodwe. Noma yini eyayiphuma nemfologo, umpristi wayezithathela yona. Yilokho ayekwenza eShilo kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ayefika khona. 15 Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba umuntu ozokwenza umhlatshelo ashise amanoni, + kwakuza isikhonzi sompristi sifike sithi: “Nginike inyama yokosela umpristi. Ngeke athathe inyama ebilisiwe, kodwa uzothatha eluhlaza kuphela.” 16 Lapho lowo muntu ethi kuso: “Mabaqiniseke ukuthi bashisa amanoni kuqala, + ngemva kwalokho ungazithathela noma yini oyifisayo,” isikhonzi sasithi: “Cha, yilethe manje; ngale kwalokho, ngizoyithatha ngenkani!” 17 Ngenxa yalokho isono sezikhonzi saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kukaJehova, + ngoba la madoda ayengawuhloniphi umnikelo kaJehova.
18 Manje uSamuweli wayekhonza phambi kukaJehova, + egqoke* i-efodi lelineni, + nakuba ayesengumfanyana. 19 Unina wayemenzela ijazi elincane elingenamikhono, amlethele lona unyaka nonyaka lapho ekhuphuka nomyeni wakhe ukuzokwenza umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke. + 20 U-Eli wambusisa u-Elkana nomkakhe wathi: “Kwangathi uJehova angakupha omunye umntwana kulo mfazi esikhundleni sendodana ayinike uJehova.” + Ngemva kwalokho babuyela ekhaya. 21 UJehova wamzwela uHana, wayesethola abanye abantwana; + wazala amadodana amathathu namadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli waqhubeka ekhula phambi kukaJehova. +
22 U-Eli wayesemdala kakhulu, kodwa wayezwile ngakho konke amadodana akhe ayekwenza + kuwo wonke u-Israyeli nendlela ayelala ngayo nabesifazane ababekhonza emnyango wetende lokuhlangana. + 23 Wayevame ukuthi kuwo: “Kungani nilokhu nenza izinto ezinje? Ngoba izinto engizwa abantu bezisho ngani zimbi. 24 Hhayi, madodana ami, izinto engizwa abantu bakaJehova bezikhuluma ngani azizinhle. 25 Uma umuntu ona komunye umuntu, othile angamncengela kuJehova;* kodwa uma umuntu ona kuJehova, + ubani ongamthandazela?” Kodwa enqaba ukulalela uyise, ngoba uJehova wayesenqume ukuwabulala. + 26 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, umfana uSamuweli wayelokhu ekhula futhi ethandeka ngokwengeziwe kuJehova nakubantu. +
27 Kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu ku-Eli wathi kuye: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo: ‘Angizange yini ngizambule ngokucacile kukhokho wakho ngesikhathi beyizigqila eGibhithe endlini kaFaro? + 28 Kwakhethwa yena kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli + ukuba abe umpristi wami, akhuphukele e-altare + lami ukuze anikele imihlatshelo, ashise impepho* nokuba agqoke i-efodi phambi kwami; nganika indlu kakhokho wakho yonke iminikelo yama-Israyeli* eshiswayo. + 29 Kungani nidelela* umhlatshelo wami nomnikelo wami engiyale ukuba unikelwe endlini yami? + Kungani ulokhu udumisa amadodana akho ngaphezu kwami, nizitika ngenyama yekhethelo kuyo yonke iminikelo yabantu bami ama-Israyeli? +
30 “ ‘Yingakho izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli lithi: “Ngempela ngasho ukuthi indlu yakho nendlu kakhokho wakho, ziyohamba phambi kwami njalo.” + Kodwa manje uJehova uthi: “Ngeke kusenzeka lokho, ngoba labo abangidumisayo ngiyobadumisa, + kodwa labo abangidelelayo bayoba yinto engelutho.” 31 Bheka! Ziyeza izinsuku lapho ngiyoqeda khona amandla akho* nawendlu kakhokho wakho, ukuze kungabi namuntu endlini yakho oyophila aze aguge. + 32 Kukho konke okuhle okwenzelwa u-Israyeli, wena uyobona isitha endlini yami, *+ ngeke kuphinde kube nekhehla endlini yakho. 33 Umuntu womndeni wakho engingeke ngimyekise ukukhonza e-altare lami uyokubangela ukuba ube yimpumputhe, akulethele usizi,* kodwa iningi emndenini wakho liyobulawa ngenkemba. + 34 Uzobona ngalokho okuzokwenzeka emadodaneni akho amabili, uHofini noFinehasi: Womabili azokufa ngosuku olulodwa. + 35 Ngemva kwalokho ngiyozikhethela umpristi othembekile. + Uyokwenza ngokuvumelana nalokho engikufisayo;* ngiyomakhela indlu emi njalo, uyoba ngumpristi wogcotshiwe wami ngaso sonke isikhathi. 36 Noma ubani osele endlini yakho uyoya kuye ayocela umsebenzi ukuze athole imali nesinkwa, futhi uyothi: “Ngicela ungenze umpristi ukuze ngithole ukudla.” ’ ” +