Ukubelethwa kwakaSamyela
1Kwakukhona umuntu weRamatayimi, umTsufi weentabeni zakwa-Efrayimu. Ibizo lakhe bekungu-Elikhana, ayindodana kaJerohamu umsa ka-Elihu omsa kaTohu umsa kaTsufi umEfrate. 2Ubenabafazi ababili, ibizo lowokuthoma bekunguHana, ibizo lowesibili kunguPhenina. UPhenina gade anabantwana, uHana yena anganabo.
3Qobe mnyaka indoda le beyenyuka emzini wekhabo iye eTjhilo bona ilotjhe beyenze umhlabelo kuSomnini uMninimandlawoke. Kileyondawo amadodana amabili ka-Eli, okutjho uHofni noFiniyasi, gade abaphristi bakaSomnini. 4Ngaso soke isikhathi lokha u-Elikhana nakenza umhlabelo, gade anikela uPhenina umkakhe namadodanakhe namadodakazakhe woke, izabelo. 5Wanikela uHana isabelo esikhethekileko ngombana gade amthanda khulu. Nokho uSomnini gade avale isibeletho sakhe. 6UPhenina, ogade ajamelene naye, wamkokomeja kobana azinyaze ngombana uSomnini gade amvale isibeletho. 7Kwabanjalo iminyaka ngeminyaka: Lokha uHana nakenyukela endlini kaSomnini, uPhenina wamkokomeja bekwabhala bona adle. 8U-Elikhana umyenakhe wathi: “Hana, ulilelani? Kubayini ungadli? Ihliziywakho isilingekeleni? Angisingcono kunamadodana alitjhumi kuwe na?”
9U-Eli gade ahlezi esitulweni emathurini wethempeli lakaSomnini. Selebadlile bebasela, uHana wasikima, 10amunyu emphefumulweni, wathandaza kuSomnini alila isibibithwana. 11Wafunga isifungo wathi:
“Somnini, Mninimandlawoke!
Nange nangambala ungaqala ukutshwenyeka kwencekukazakho
godu ukhumbule ungakhohlwa incekukazakho
bese upha incekukazakho umntwana womsana,
ngizambuyisela kuSomnini ipilwakhe yoke
notjhefana angathinti ehlokwakhe.”
12Kwathi asathandaza ngokuqinisela phambi kwakaSomnini, u-Eli wayelelisisa umlomakhe. 13Kodwana uHana gade abubula ngehliziywenakhe, bekusikinyeka iimbhena zomlomo kwaphela, ilizwi lakhe lingazwakali. U-Eli wacabanga bona udakiwe. 14U-Eli wathi kuye: “Uzakudakwa bekube nini? Akhe ulise ubudakwa bakhobu!”
15UHana waphendula wathi: “Awa kosami! Ngimfazi onommoya owurubajekileko. Angikaseli iwayini nanyana utjwala. Bengizibubula phambi kwakaSomnini. 16Ungalinganisi incekukazakho nomfazi okhohlakeleko; kungesibanga sobuhlungu namatshwenyeko bona ngikhulume kangaka.”
17U-Eli waphendula wathi: “Yewukhambe ngokuthula. UZimu ka-Israyeli uzakupha okubawileko kuye.”
18UHana wathi: “Incekukazakho ayifunyane umusa emehlwenakho.” Wasuka-ke wakhamba, wadla, ubuso bakhe akhange busatjhitjhibala.
19Bavuka ngamasa, balotjha phambi kwakaSomnini, bagodukela ekhabo eRama.
U-Elikhana wangena kumkakhe uHana. USomnini wamkhumbula; 20waba sidisi uHana. Sesifikile isikhathi, wabeletha umsana. Wamthiya ibizo lakaSamyela ngombana wathi: “Ngimbawe kuSomnini.”
USamyela ubuyiselwa kuSomnini
21Umuntu loyo, u-Elikhana wenyuka nendlwakhe yoke ukuyokwenzela uSomnini umhlabelo weminyaka nokuzalisa isifungo sakhe. 22UHana akhange enyuke ngombana wathi emyeninakhe: “Ngizakuhlala umntwana abe akhunyulwe, khona-ke ngizamusa bona abonakale phambi kwakaSomnini, ahlale khona isiphelani.” 23U-Elikhana umyenakhe wathi kuye: “Yewenze okuhle okubonako. Hlala ubumkhumule. Kwanga uSomnini angakusiza.” Kwabanjalo, umfazi wahlala wakhulisa umtwana bewamkhumula.
24Selamkhumulile wanyukela ethempelini lakaSomnini eTjhilo nomndenakhe. Bakhamba nekunzi eneminyaka emithathu nopumpana wepuphu yamabele nomjeka wewayini. Umsana gade asesemncani. 25Bahlaba ikunzi, umntwana bamusa ku-Eli. 26UHana wathi: “E, kosami! Kwamambala ngimi umfazi owajama lapha phambi kwakho ngathandaza kuSomnini. 27Umsana lo, ngangimthandazela. USomnini wanginikela engikubawileko kuye. 28Nami-ke ngimnikela kuSomnini isiphelani ngombana ubawiwe kuSomnini.”
Balotjha uSomnini lapho.
