1 USamuweli 1

1 ¹Kwakukhona umuntu waseRamathayimi-Zofimi ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, igama lakhe kungu-Elkana indodana kaJerohamu, indodana ka-Elihu, indodana kaTohu, indodana kaZufu, umEfrayimi. ²Wayenabafazi ababili, uHana noPenina. UPenina wayenabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengenabo. ³Minyaka yonke wayenyuka esuka emzini wakhe eyokhonza nokunikela umhlatshelo kuBaba wamabutho asezulwini eShilo, lapho amadodana amabili ka-Eli, uHofeni noFinehasi, ayengabapristi bakaBaba wethu. ⁴Kwathi lapho u-Elkana enikela umhlatshelo, wanika umkakhe uPenina izabelo, kanye nawo onke amadodana namadodakazi akhe. ⁵Kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo esiphindwe kabili, ngokuba wayemthanda, nakuba uBaba wethu wayesivalile isizalo sakhe. ⁶Ngenxa yokuthi uBaba wethu wayesivalile isizalo sakhe, umbangi wakhe wayelokhu emcasula kabuhlungu ukuze amenze abe lusizi. ⁷Unyaka nonyaka, njalo lapho uHana enyukela endlini kaBaba wethu, uPenina wayemcasula, ngakho wayekhala angabe esafuna ukudla. ⁸Umyeni wakhe u-Elkana wambuza wathi: “Hana, ukhalelani? Wenqabelani ukudla? Inhliziyo yakho idabukelani? Angithi mina ngingcono kuwe kunamadodana ayishumi na?”

⁹Emva kokuba bedlile baphuza eShilo, uHana wasukuma. U-Eli umpristi wayehlezi esihlalweni eduze komgubane womnyango wethempeli likaBaba wethu. ¹⁰Ekhathazekile kakhulu, wathandaza kuBaba wethu wakhala kabuhlungu. ¹¹Wenza isithembiso wathi: “Baba wamabutho asezulwini, uma nje ungabona usizi lwencekukazi yakho, ungikhumbule, ungayikhohlwa incekukazi yakho, uyinike indodana, ngizakuyinika uBaba wethu zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwayo, futhi akukho nsingo eyakuthinta ikhanda layo.” ^a a v11 Ukungagundi izinwele zengane kwakuwuphawu lwangaphandle lwesithembiso sobuNaziri — ukuzinikela kuNkulunkulu impilo yonke (bheka uNumeri 6).

¹²Njengoba wayelokhu ethandaza phambi kukaBaba wethu, u-Eli wawubukisisa umlomo wakhe. ¹³UHana wayethandaza enhliziyweni yakhe; izindebe zakhe zazinyakaza kodwa izwi lingezwakali. Ngakho u-Eli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe. ¹⁴Wathi kuye: “Koze kube nini uhlezi udakiwe? Lahla iwayini lakho.”

¹⁵UHana waphendula wathi: “Cha, nkosi yami. Ngingumfazi okhathazeke kakhulu emoyeni. Angiphuzanga wayini nasiphuzo esinamandla, kodwa ngithululile umphefumulo wami phambi kukaBaba wethu. ¹⁶Ungayithathi incekukazi yakho njengomfazi oyize; bengilokhu ngithandaza lapha ngenxa yosizi nokudabuka kwami okukhulu.”

¹⁷U-Eli waphendula wathi: “Hamba ngokuthula, uBaba ka-Israyeli akuphe lokho okucelile kuye.”

¹⁸Wathi: “Incekukazi yakho mayithole umusa emehlweni akho.” Khona-ke umfazi wahamba indlela yakhe wadla, ubuso bakhe babungasadangele.

¹⁹Ngakusasa ekuseni kakhulu basukuma, bakhonza phambi kukaBaba wethu, babuyela ekhaya eRama. U-Elkana walala noHana umkakhe, uBaba wethu wamkhumbula.

²⁰Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa wazala indodana. Wayiqamba igama ngokuthi nguSamuweli, ethi: “Ngokuba ngayicela kuBaba wethu.” ^b b v20 Igama elithi Samuweli lizwakala sengathi ngelesiHeberu elisho ukuthi “ocelwe kuNkulunkulu” — uHana wayiqamba ngaleyo ndodana ayeyinxuse kuBaba wethu.

²¹Kwathi lapho u-Elkana nayo yonke indlu yakhe benyuka beyokunikela umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke kuBaba wethu nokugcwalisa isithembiso sakhe, ²²UHana akahambanga. Watshela umyeni wakhe wathi: “Lapho umfana eselunyuliwe, ngiyakumletha ukuba abonakale phambi kukaBaba wethu, ahlale khona kuze kube phakade.”

²³Umyeni wakhe u-Elkana wathi: “Yenza lokho okubona kukuhle kuwe. Hlala uze umlumule; kuphela uBaba wethu makaligcine izwi lakhe.” Ngakho uHana wahlala wancelisa indodana yakhe waze wayilumula.

²⁴Emva kokumlumula, wenyuka nomfana, enenkunzi eneminyaka emithathu, nempuphu engaba amaphawundi angamashumi amabili nanhlanu, nesigubhu sewayini, wamletha endlini kaBaba wethu eShilo; umntwana wayesemncane. ²⁵Bahlaba inkunzi, bamletha umfana ku-Eli. ²⁶UHana wathi: “Awu, nkosi yami, kuyiqiniso njengoba uphila, nkosi yami, yimi umfazi owayemi lapha eceleni kwakho, ethandaza kuBaba wethu. ²⁷Ngayithandazela le ngane, uBaba wethu ungiphile lokho engakucela kuye. ²⁸Ngakho ngiyamnika uBaba wethu. Impilo yakhe yonke unikelwe kuye.” Wasekhonza uBaba wethu khona lapho.