1 USamuweli 2

2 ¹UHana wathandaza wathi: “Inhliziyo yami iyethaba kuBaba wami; uphondo lwami luphakeme kuBaba wami. Umlomo wami ukhuluma ngesibindi ngokumelene nezitha zami, ngokuba ngithokoza ngensindiso yakho.

²“Akekho ongcwele njengoBaba wethu; akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakho; alikho idwala elinjengoBaba wethu.

³“Ningabe nisakhuluma ngokuzidla kangaka; makungaphumi ukuzigqaja emlonyeni wenu, ngokuba uBaba wethu unguBaba wethu wolwazi, izenzo zilinganiswa nguye.

⁴Iminsalo yamaqhawe yaphuliwe, kodwa labo abakhubekayo bahlonyiswe ngamandla.

⁵Labo ababesuthi baziqashisa ngesinkwa, kodwa labo ababelambile abasalambi. Owesifazane oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa, kodwa yena obenabantwana abaningi uyadangala.

⁶UBaba wethu uyabulala, abuye aphilise; wehlisela ethuneni, aphinde avuse.

⁷UBaba wethu uyampofuza, abuye acebise; uyathobisa, abuye aphakamise.

⁸Uphakamisa abampofu othulini, akhuphule abaswele enqwabeni yomlotha, ukuze abahlalise nezikhulu, abaphe isihlalo sobukhosi esidumisekile. Ngokuba izinsika zomhlaba zingezikaBaba wethu, wabeka umhlaba phezu kwazo.

⁹“Uyazilinda izinyawo zabathembekile bakhe, kodwa ababi bathuliswa ebumnyameni; ngokuba akekho onqoba ngamandla.

¹⁰Labo abaphikisana noBaba wethu bayophulwa; uyoduma kubo esezulwini. UBaba wethu uyokwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba; uyonika inkosi yakhe amandla, aphakamise uphondo lwogcotshiweyo wakhe.”

¹¹U-Elkana wabuyela ekhaya eRama, kodwa umfana wakhonza uBaba wethu phambi kuka-Eli umpristi.

Amadodana Ayize ka-Eli

¹²Amadodana ka-Eli ayengamadoda ayize; ayengamazi uBaba wethu. ^a a v12 Laba bapristi babewenza imikhuba yenkonzo kodwa abazange bamazi uBaba wethu njengowabo — lolu usizi lwesikhundla senkolo olungenabudlelwano. ¹³Lesi kwakuyisiko labapristi kubantu: lapho umuntu enikela umhlatshelo, inceku yompristi yayifika inyama isabila, iphethe imfologo enamazinyo amathathu esandleni. ¹⁴Yayiyihloma ebhodweni, eketelweni, embizeni, noma epanini; konke imfologo eyayikudonsa, umpristi wayezithathela khona. Babenza kanjalo kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ayefika eShilo. ¹⁵Ngisho ngaphambi kokushiswa kwamanoni, inceku yompristi yayifika ithi kulowo onikelayo: “Nika inyama yokosela umpristi — ngeke amukele inyama ebilisiwe, kodwa eluhlaza kuphela.”

¹⁶Uma lowo muntu ethi: “Makuqale kushiswe amanoni, ube usuthatha lokho okufunayo,” wayephendula athi: “Cha, yinike manje, uma kungenjalo ngizoyithatha ngamandla.” ¹⁷Isono samajaha sasisikhulu kakhulu phambi kukaBaba wethu, ngokuba babewudelela umnikelo kaBaba wethu. ¹⁸Kodwa uSamuweli wakhonza phambi kukaBaba wethu, engumfana ogqoke i-efodi yelineni. ^b b v18 I-efodi kwakuyivesti yelineni eyingqayizivele eyayigqokwa abapristi bakwa-Israyeli besakhonza endaweni engcwele. ¹⁹Unyaka ngamunye unina wayemenzela ingubo encane, ayilethe lapho enyuka nomyeni wakhe eyokwenza umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke. ²⁰U-Eli wayebusisa u-Elkana nomkakhe, athi: “UBaba wethu makakuphe inzalo ngalona wesifazane esikhundleni salowo amcela kuye, amnikela kuBaba wethu.” Base bebuyela ekhaya. ²¹UBaba wethu wamnakekela uHana; wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu namadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli wakhulela phambi kukaBaba wethu.

²²U-Eli wayesemdala kakhulu. Wayelokhu ezwa konke amadodana akhe ayekwenza kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli, nokuthi ayelala kanjani nabesifazane ababekhonza emnyango wetende lokuhlangana. ²³Wababuza, wathi: “Nenzelani kanje? Ngizwa ngezenzo zenu ezimbi kubo bonke laba bantu. ²⁴Cha, madodana ami; umbiko engiwuzwayo awumuhle — uyasabalala phakathi kwabantu bakaBaba wethu. ²⁵Uma umuntu ona komunye, uBaba wethu angamlamulela. Kodwa uma umuntu ona kuBaba wethu, ngubani ongasincengela isoni na? Nokho abawulalelanga izwi likayise, ngokuba uBaba wethu wayehlose ukubabulala.”

²⁶Umfana uSamuweli waqhubeka ekhula ngobude, ethandeka kuBaba wethu nakubantu.

UBaba wethu Wahlulela Indlu ka-Eli

²⁷Umuntu kaBaba wethu weza ku-Eli, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: ‘Angizange yini ngizibonakalise ngokucacile endlini kayihlo lapho besengaphansi kwendlu kaFaro eGibhithe?

²⁸“Ngamkhetha kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ukuba abe umpristi wami — ukuba akhuphukele e-altare lami, ashise impepho, agqoke i-efodi phambi kwami. Nganika indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo yomlilo yakwa-Israyeli. ²⁹Nikhahlelelani umhlatshelo wami nomnikelo wami engawuyala endaweni yami yokuhlala, nidumisa amadodana enu ngaphezu kwami, nikhuluphala ngokuhle kakhulu kwayo yonke iminikelo yabantu bami ama-Israyeli?’

³⁰“Ngakho uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli uthi: ‘Ngathi indlu yakho nendlu kayihlo yayizohamba phambi kwami kuze kube phakade.’ Kodwa manje uBaba wethu uthi: ‘Akusenjalo! Ngidumisa labo abangidumisayo; labo abangidelelayo ngibaphatha kalula.’ ³¹Kuyeza izinsuku lapho ngiyonquma khona amandla akho namandla endlu kayihlo, ukuze kungabikho muntu endlini yakho ofika ebudaleni. ³²Uyobona usizi endaweni yami yokuhlala naphezu kwakho konke okuhle okwenziwa ku-Israyeli; ngeke kuphinde kube khona ikhehla endlini yakho. ³³Nokho angiyikunquma wonke umuntu wakho e-altare lami; omunye uyosala ukuze akhiphe amehlo akho ngezinyembezi, adabukise inhliziyo yakho, kodwa yonke inzalo yakho iyofa isasencane. ³⁴Lona isibonakaliso sakho: amadodana akho omabili, uHofini noFinehasi, ayofa ngosuku olulodwa. ³⁵Ngiyozivusela umpristi othembekile oyokwenza okusenhliziyweni yami nasengqondweni yami. Ngiyomakhela indlu emiyo; uyohamba phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kuze kube phakade. ^c c v35 Umpristi othembekile uBaba wethu amthembisayo ukhomba ngale kukaSamuweli noZadoki, ukhomba kuJesu, umpristi omkhulu opheleleyo ohlala enza okusenhliziyweni kaBaba. ³⁶Wonke umuntu osele endlini yakho uyoza, akhothame kuye ngenxa yesiliva neqebelengwane lesinkwa, athi: ‘Ngibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zobupristi, ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.’”