USAMUWELI I 1

₁Kwakukhona umuntu waseRamatayimi-Sofimu lasezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi ogama lakhe lalinguElkana indodana kaJerohamu kaElihu kaThohu kaSufi wakwaEfrayimi;

₂wayenabafazi ababili, igama lomunye lalinguHana, igama lomunye lalinguPhenina; uPhenina wayenabantwana, kepha uHana wayengenabantwana.

₃Lowomuntu wenyuka emzini wakhe iminyaka ngeminyaka ukukhonza nokuhlabela uJehova-Sebawoti eShilo. Kwakukhona lapho amadodana amabili kaEli, oHofini noFinehasi, bengabapristi bakaJehova.

₄Kwathi ngosuku uElkana ahlaba ngalo, wanika uPhenina umkakhe nawo onke amadodana akhe namadodakazi akhe izabelo;

₅kepha wanika uHana isabelo siphindwa kabili, ngokuba wayemthanda uHana, kepha uJehova wayesivalile isizalo sakhe.

₆Isitha sakhe samncokoloza kakhulu ukuba amthukuthelise, ngokuba uJehova wayesivalile isizalo sakhe.

₇Kwathi ukuba uElkana enze njalo iminyaka ngeminyaka, lapho enyukela endlini kaJehova, wamncokoloza kanjalo; ngalokho wakhala, akadlanga-lutho.

₈Wayesethi uElkana umyeni wakhe kuye: Hana, ukhalelani na? Awudli ngani? Inhliziyo yakho idabukeleni na? Angidluli yini amadodana ayishumi kuwe na?

₉UHana wasukuma, nxa sebedlile eShilo, bephuzile. UEli umpristi wayehlezi esihlalweni sakhe ngasensikeni yomnyango wethempeli likaJehova.

₁₀Umphefumulo wakhe wawunomunyu, wakhuleka kuJehova, wakhala kakhulu.

₁₁Wenza isithembiso, wathi: JehovaSebawoti, ubheke nokubheka ukuhlupheka kwencekukazi yakho, ungikhumbule, ungakhohlwa incekukazi yakho, unike incekukazi yakho umntwana wesilisa, besengimnika uJehova zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe, kungathinti-mpuco ekhanda lakhe.

₁₂Kwathi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kukaJehova, uEli waqaphela umlomo wakhe.

₁₃UHana wayekhuluma enhliziyweni yakhe, kwabikizela izindebe zakhe zomlomo kuphela, kepha izwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngalokho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.

₁₄UEli wathi kuye: Uyakudakwa kuze kube-nini na? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.

₁₅UHana waphendula wathi: Hayi, nkosi, ngingowesifazane ohluphekileyo; angiphuzanga iwayini naphuzo olunamandla, kepha bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kukaJehova.

₁₆Ungasho ukuthi incekukazi yakho ingowesifazane omubi, ngokuba kungobuningi bosizi lwami nangokuncokolozwa kwami ngikhulumile kuze kube-manje.

₁₇Wayesephendula uEli ethi: Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu wakwaIsrayeli makakunike okucelileyo kuye.

₁₈Wathi: Incekukazi yakho mayifumane umusa emehlweni akho. Owesifazane wayesehamba, wadla, ubuso bakhe ababe busanyukumala.

₁₉Bavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bakhuleka phambi kukaJehova, babuya, bafika endlini yabo eRama; uElkana wamazi uHana umkakhe, uJehova wamkhumbula.

₂₀Kwathi sesiphelele isikhathi, uHana wakhulelwa, wazala indodana, waqamba igama layo ngokuthi uSamuweli, ethi: Ngimcelile kuJehova.

₂₁Lowomuntu uElkana wenyuka kanye nendlu yakhe ukuyonikela kuJehova umhlatshelo weminyaka nesithembiso sakhe.

₂₂Kepha uHana akenyukanga, ngokuba wathi kumyeni wakhe: Hayi aze alunyulwe umntwana; khona ngiyakumyisa ukuba abonakale phambi kukaJehova, ahlale khona njalo.

₂₃Wayesethi uElkana umyeni wakhe kuye: Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho; hlala uze umlumule; uJehova makaqinise izwi lakhe kuphela. Owesifazane wayesehlala, wancelisa indodana yakhe waze wayilumula.

₂₄Eseyilumulile wenyuka nayo enezinkunzi ezintathu, ne-efa* lempuphu, nemvaba yewayini, wakuyisa endlini kaJehova eShilo; umntwana wayesemncane.

₂₅Bahlaba inkunzi, bamyisa umntwana kuEli.

₂₆Wathi: E nkosi, kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazane owayemi kuwe lapha, ekhuleka kuJehova.

₂₇Ngamkhulekela lomntwana; uJehova unginikile lokho engakucela kuye;

₂₈ngalokho nami ngimnikele kuJehova; zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe unikelwe kuJehova. Bakhuleka kuJehova khona.