1 USamuyeli 1

1 Kwakukhona-ke indoda ethile yeRamathayimi-Zofimu entabeni yakoEfrayimi; lebizo layo lalinguElkana indodana kaJerohamu, indodana kaElihu, indodana kaTohu, indodana kaZufi umEfrayimi.

There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.

2 Njalo yayilabafazi ababili; ibizo lomunye lalinguHana, lebizo lomunye lalinguPenina. Njalo uPenina wayelabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengelabantwana.

And he [had] two wives; the name of the one [was] Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.

3 Leyondoda yenyuka-ke isuka emzini wayo iminyaka ngeminyaka ukuyakhonza lokuhlabela iNkosi yamabandla eShilo, njalo kwakukhona lapho amadodana amabili kaEli, uHofini loPhinehasi, abapristi beNkosi.

And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and [there were] Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.

4 Kwakusithi mhla uElkana ehlaba, wanika uPenina umkakhe lawo wonke amadodana akhe lamadodakazi akhe izabelo;

And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children.

5 kodwa uHana wamnika isabelo esiphindwe kabili, ngoba wayemthanda uHana; kodwa iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord [had] closed her womb.

6 Lesitha sakhe laso samcaphula ngentukuthelo ukuze simkhathaze, ngoba iNkosi yayisivalile isizalo sakhe.

For the Lord gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that the Lord shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.

7 Wayesenza njalo-ke iminyaka ngeminyaka; kusukela lapho esenyukela endlini yeNkosi, ngokunjalo samcaphula. Ngakho walila, kadlanga.

So she did year by year, in going up to the house of the Lord; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.

8 UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Hana, ulilelani? Njalo kawudli ngani? Kungani-ke inhliziyo yakho idabukile? Mina kangingcono kuwe kulamadodana alitshumi yini?

And Helkana her husband said to her, Anna: and she said to him, Here [am] I, my lord: and he said to her, What ails you that you weep? and why do you not eat? and why does your heart strike you? [am] I not better to you than ten children?

9 Ngakho uHana wasukuma emva kokudla eShilo langemva kokunatha. UEli umpristi wayehlezi-ke esihlalweni phansi kwensika yethempeli leNkosi.

And Anna rose up after they had eaten in Selom, and stood before the Lord: and Heli the priest [was] on a seat by the threshold of the temple of the Lord.

10 Njalo wayelobuhlungu emphefumulweni, wasekhuleka eNkosini ekhala lokukhala inyembezi.

And she [was] very much grieved in spirit, and prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly.

11 Wasefunga isifungo wathi: Nkosi yamabandla, uba ungabona lokubona ukuhlupheka kwencekukazi yakho, ungikhumbule, ungakhohlwa incekukazi yakho, kodwa unike incekukazi yakho inzalo yesilisa, ngizamnika iNkosi insuku zonke zempilo yakhe, lempuco kayiyikwedlula ekhanda lakhe.

And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if you welt indeed look upon the humiliation of your handmaid, and remember me, and give to your handmaid a boy, then will I indeed dedicate him to you till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

12 Kwasekusithi esaqhubeka ukukhuleka phambi kweNkosi, uEli waqaphelisa umlomo wakhe.

And it came to pass, while she was long praying before the Lord, that Heli the priest marked her mouth.

13 UHana wayekhulumela-ke enhliziyweni yakhe, kwanyikinyeka indebe zakhe kuphela, kodwa ilizwi lakhe lalingezwakali; ngakho uEli wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe.

And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: and Heli accounted her a drunken woman.

14 UEli wasesithi kuye: Koze kube nini udakwa? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.

And the servant of Heli said to her, How long will you be drunken? take away your wine from you, and go out from the presence of the Lord.

15 UHana wasephendula wathi: Hatshi, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazana odabukileyo emoyeni; kanginathanga wayini loba okunathwayo okulamandla, kodwa bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kweNkosi.

And Anna answered and said, Nay, my lord, [I live] in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my soul before the Lord.

16 Ungayithathi incekukazi yakho njengendodakazi kaBheliyali, ngoba ebunengini bosizi lwami lenkathazo yami sengikhulume kwaze kwaba khathesi.

Count not your handmaid for a pestilent woman, for by reason of the abundance of my importunity I have continued [my prayer] until now.

17 UEli wasephendula wathi: Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli akunike isicelo sakho osicele kuye.

And Heli answered and said to her, Go in peace: the God of Israel give you all your petition, which you have asked of him.

18 Wasesithi: Incekukazi yakho kayithole umusa emehlweni akho. Ngakho owesifazana wahamba ngendlela yakhe, wadla; lobuso bakhe abaze busanyukumala ngakho.

And she said, Your handmaid has found favor in your eyes: and the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no more sad.

19 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, bakhonza phambi kweNkosi, basebebuyela bafika emzini wabo eRama. UElkana wasemazi uHana umkakhe, leNkosi yamkhumbula.

And they rise early in the morning, and worship the Lord, and they go their way: and Helkana went into his house at Armathaim, and knew his wife Anna; and the Lord remembered her, and she conceived.

20 Kwasekusithi ekuqhubekeni kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa, wabeletha indodana, wayitha ibizo layo uSamuweli; ngoba wathi: Ngimcelile eNkosini.

And it came to pass when the time was come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Samuel, and said, Because I asked him of the Lord God of Sabaoth.

21 Lendoda uElkana lendlu yakhe yonke benyukela ukuyahlabela iNkosi umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka, lesifungo sakhe.

And the man Helkana and all his house went up to offer in Selom the yearly sacrifice, and his vows, and all the tithes of his land.

22 Kodwa uHana kenyukanga, ngoba wathi kumkakhe: Kangiyikuhamba aze alunyulwe umfana; khona ngizamletha ukuze abonakale phambi kweNkosi, abesehlala khona kuze kube nininini.

But Anna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.

23 UElkana umkakhe wasesithi kuye: Yenza okulungileyo emehlweni akho; hlala uze umlumule; kuphela, iNkosi kayiqinise ilizwi lakho. Ngokunjalo owesifazana wahlala, wayimunyisa indodana yakhe waze wayilumula.

And Helkana her husband said to her, Do that which is good in your eyes, abide still until you shall have weaned him; but may the Lord establish that which comes out of your mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.

24 Wasesenyuka layo eseyilumule, elamajongosi amathathu, le-efa elilodwa lempuphu, lembodlela yewayini, wayiletha endlini yeNkosi eShilo; lomfana wayemncinyane.

And she went up with him to Selom with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a bottle of wine: and she entered into the house of the Lord in Selom, and the child with them.

25 Balihlaba ijongosi, bamletha umntwana kuEli.

And they brought him before the Lord; and his father killed his offering which he offered from year to year to the Lord; and he brought near the child, and killed the calf; and Anna the mother of the child brought him to Heli.

26 Wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, kuphila komphefumulo wakho, nkosi yami, yimi owesifazana owayemi lawe lapha, ekhuleka eNkosini.

And she said, I pray you, my lord, as your soul lives, I [am] the woman that stood in your presence with you while praying to the Lord.

27 Ngakhulekela lo umfana, njalo iNkosi inginikile isicelo sami engasicela kuyo.

For this child I prayed; and the Lord has given me my request that I asked of him.

28 Ngakho lami ngimnikele eNkosini, zonke izinsuku ekhona; wacelwa eNkosini. Wasekhonza iNkosi lapho.

And I lend him to the Lord all his days that he lives, a loan to the Lord: and she said,