UBawo wethu umbiza uSamuweli ngegama
Isibane asikacimi xa inkwenkwe isiva uBawo wethu embiza igama layo ebumnyameni, kathathu, phambi kokuba uEli aqonde ukuba ngubani obizayo. Ilizwi uBawo wethu alinika yona ngumgwebo phezu kwendlu ka-Eli, yaye yoyika ukuliphinda. UEli uyinyanzela ukuba ilithethe.
3 1Inkwenkwe uSamuweli yayilungiselela phambi koBawo wethu phantsi kuka-Eli. Ngaloo mihla ilizwi likaBawo wethu lalinqabile; imibono yayingafane ibonakale. 2Ngenye imini uEli wayelele endaweni yakhe awayedla ngokulala kuyo. Amehlo akhe ayesele enorhatyazo kangangokuba engenakubona. 3Isibane sikaBawo wethu sasingekacimi; uSamuweli wayelele etempileni kaBawo wethu, apho yayikhona khona ityeya yakhe. 4Waza uBawo wethu wambiza uSamuweli, wathi uSamuweli: “Ndilapha.”
5Wagidima waya kuEli, wathi: “Ndilapha; ubundibizile.” Wathi uEli: “Andikubizanga; buyela uye kulala.” Wahamba ke waya kulala.
6Waphinda uBawo wethu wabiza, wathi: “Samuweli!” Wavuka uSamuweli, waya kuEli, wathi: “Ndilapha; ubundibizile.” Wathi uEli: “Andikubizanga, nyana wam. Buyela uye kulala.”
7USamuweli wayengekamazi uBawo wethu; ilizwi likaBawo wethu lalingekatyhileki kuye. 8Waphinda ngoko uBawo wethu wambiza uSamuweli okwesithathu. Wavuka, waya kuEli, wathi: “Ndilapha; ubundibizile.” Waza uEli waqonda ukuba uBawo wethu wayeyibiza inkwenkwe.
9Wathi uEli kuSamuweli: “Hamba uye kulala. Ukuba uthe wakubiza, uze uthi, ‘Thetha, Bawo, kuba umkhonzi wakho uyaphulaphula.’” Wahamba ke uSamuweli, waya kulala endaweni yakhe.
10Waza uBawo wethu weza, wema khona, wabiza njengezinye izihlandlo: “Samuweli! Samuweli!” Wathi uSamuweli: “Thetha, kuba umkhonzi wakho uyaphulaphula.”
11Waza uBawo wethu wathi kuSamuweli: “Yabona, ndiza kwenza into kwaSirayeli eya kuthi, bonke abayivayo, zibe tshididi zombini iindlebe zabo. 12Ngaloo mini ndiya kukufezekisa kuEli konke endakuthethayo ngendlu yakhe, kuthabathele ekuqaleni kude kuse ekupheleni. 13Ndathi kuye ndiya kugweba indlu yakhe ngonaphakade ngenxa yesono awayesazi: oonyana bakhe bandinyelisa, akabathintelanga. 14Ngoko ndiyifungele indlu ka-Eli, ndathi: isono sendlu ka-Eli asisayi kuze sicanyagushelwe ngambingelelo nangamnikelo.”
15USamuweli walala kwada kwasa, wandula ukuvula iingcango zendlu kaBawo wethu. Kodwa wayesoyika ukuxelela uEli ngombono. 16Kodwa uEli wambiza wathi: “Samuweli, nyana wam.” Waphendula uSamuweli: “Ndilapha.”
17Wathi uEli: “Yintoni le ebeyithetha kuwe? Uze ungayifihli kum. Makenjenje uBawo wethu kuwe, aphinde ukwenjenje, ukuba uthe wandifihlela nantoni na ebeyithethile kuwe.”
18USamuweli wamxelela yonke into, akamfihlelanga nto. Wathi uEli: “NguBawo wethu; makenze oko kulungileyo emehlweni akhe.”
19Wakhula uSamuweli; waye uBawo wethu enaye, engavumeli nelinye ilizwi lakhe liwe emhlabeni. 20AmaSirayeli onke, kuthabathela kwaDan kuse eBhershebha, azi ukuba uSamuweli ungqinwe njengomprofeti kaBawo wethu. a a v20 UDan wawungumzi wasentla kakhulu kwaSirayeli, iBhershebha ingowasezantsi kakhulu — “kuthabathela kwaDan kuse eBhershebha” kuthetha ukuthi kulo lonke ilizwe liphela. 21UBawo wethu wahlala ebonakala eShilo, kuba khona apho wayezityhila kuSamuweli ngelizwi lakhe.
