Elkhana nemndeni wakhe eShilo
1Kwakukhona indvodza letsite leyayingumSufi waseRamathayimu, eveni letintsaba kulaka-Efrayimu; libito layo bekungu-Elkhana, umsa waJerohamu, umsa wa-Elihu, umsa waThohu, umsa waSufi, um-Efrayimu. 2Abenebafati lababili; lomunye bekunguHana, lona lomunye kunguPhenina. Phenina abenebantfwana, kodvwa Hana abete.
3Yonkhe iminyaka lendvodza yayisuka edolobheni layo yenyuke iyewukhonta inikele ngemihlatjelo kuSimakadze longuSomandla eShilo, lapho boHofni naFinehasi, emadvodzana a-Eli, babebaphristi baSimakadze khona.
4Kwakutsi njalo nakufika lilanga la-Elkhana lekutsi ente umhlatjelo, yena abele umkakhe Phenina, nemadvodzana nemadvodzakati akhe incenye yenyama. 5Kodvwa abetsi nakabela Hana, incenye yakaHana ayiphindze kabili, ngobe abemtsandza kakhulu; Simakadze abesivalile sitalo saHana. 6Njengobe-ke Simakadze abevale sitalo sakhe, lozakwabo abevamise kumchukuluta, khona atewuphatseka kabi. 7Loko kwakuchubeka kwenteka iminyaka ngeminyaka. Abetsi Hana nakenyukela endlini yaSimakadze, lozakwabo amchukulute, adzimate Hana akhale, angete adla ngisho nekudla. 8Elkhana, indvodza yakhe, abekhuluma kuye atsi: “Hana, ukhalelani? Awudli ngani? Ukhatsateke leni? Mine angincono kakhulu yini kuwe kunemadvodzana lalishumi?”
9Ngalesinye sikhatsi batsi kube bacedze kudla nekunatsa eShilo, Hana wasukuma. Eli, umphristi, abehleti esihlalweni eceleni kwemnyango welithempeli laSimakadze. 10Ngenca yebuhlungu nekukhatsateka kwakhe emphefumulweni, Hana wakhala kakhulu, wathandaza kuSimakadze.
11Wenta setsembiso, watsi: “Awu, Simakadze Somandla, nawungamane ubukisise lusizi lwencekukati yakho, ungikhumbule, ungayikhohlwa incekukati yakho, kodvwa incekukati yakho uyiphe indvodzana, leyo ndvodzana ngiyakunikela ngayo kuSimakadze, tonkhe tinsuku tekuphila kwayo, kuyawubate insingo leyawutsintsa inhloko yayo.”
12Asachubeka, athandaza kuSimakadze, Eli wawunaka umlomo wakhe. 13Hana abethandaza ngenhlitiyo, tindzebe temlomo wakhe kuphela letatinyakata, kodvwa livi lakhe lalingevakali. Eli wadzimate wacabanga kutsi lomfati udzakiwe, 14wase ukhuluma kuye utsi: “Utawuchubeka kuhlala udzakiwe kuze kube ngunini? Yekela leliwayini lakho.”
15Kodvwa Hana waphendvula watsi: “Cha, nkhosi yami, angikadzakwa, ngingumfati loselusizini lolukhulu, angikaze ngilinatse liwayini nome tjwala, bengisatfulula inhlitiyo yami kuSimakadze. 16Incekukati yakho ungayitsatsi njengemfati lomubi, konkhe loku bengithandaziswa buhlungu benhlitiyo yami nelusizi lolukhulu.”
17Eli waphendvula watsi: “Hamba ngekuthula, shangatsi Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli angakupha loko lokucele kuye.”
18Hana watsi: “Shangatsi incekukati yakho ingemukeleka emehlweni akho.” Wabe sewuyahamba wayakudla, nebuso bakhe abuzange buphindze bubonakale bujabhile.
Kutalwa nekunikelwa kwaSamuweli
19Ekuseni ngakusasa besuka bayawukhonta Simakadze, base bayancandzeka babuyela ekhaya labo eRama. Elkhana walala naHana, umkakhe, Simakadze wamkhumbula Hana. 20Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi Hana wakhulelwa watala indvodzana, wayetsa libito watsi nguSamuweli, atsi: “Ngamcela kuSimakadze.”
21Yatsi kube lendvodza lengu-Elkhana yenyuke kanye nawo wonkhe umndeni wayo kuyawunikela ngemhlatjelo wemnyaka kuSimakadze nekufeza setsembiso sayo, 22Hana wangete wenyuka. Wakhuluma endvodzeni yakhe, watsi: “Utawutsi lomntfwana angalunyulwa, bese ngiyamtsatsa ngiyakumnikela kuSimakadze, bese uvele uyasala, uhlala khona lapho.”
23Elkhana, indvodza yakhe, watsi kuye: “Yenta loko lobona kukulungela kakhulu. Hlala lapha, uze umlumule lomntfwana; shangatsi Simakadze angenta leso setsembiso sibe liciniso.” Ngako Hana wahlala ekhaya, wakhulisa umntfwana, waze walunyulwa.
24Watsi kube amlumule, Hana wamtsatsa lomfana asemncane, wahamba naye, watsatsa nenkunzi leyayineminyaka lemitsatfu budzala, nemphuphu leyayingemakhilogremu labengaba lishumi, nesikhumbasikhwana lesasigcwele liwayini, waya endlini yaSimakadze eShilo. 25Batsi kube bahlabe lenkunzi, lomfana base bamletsa ku-Eli. 26Hana wakhuluma ku-Eli, watsi: “Awu, nkhosi yami, awusangikhumbuli? Mine ngingulomfati lowake wema lapha eceleni kwakho athandaza kuSimakadze. 27Ngathandaza ngicela lomntfwana, Simakadze wase uyangipha loko lengangikucele kuye. 28Ngako manje sengimletse kuSimakadze. Kuko konkhe kuphila kwakhe utawuba waSimakadze.” Samuweli wabe sewukhonta Simakadze khona lapho.
