< 1 Samuel 2 >

1 Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in the LORD! My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
UHana wasekhuleka esithi: Inhliziyo yami iyathokoza eNkosini. Uphondo lwami luphakanyisiwe eNkosini. Umlomo wami wenziwe banzi phezu kwezitha zami, ngoba ngiyajabula ngosindiso lwakho.
2 There is no one as holy as the LORD, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.
Kakho ongcwele njengeNkosi, ngoba kakho ngaphandle kwakho; futhi kalikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.
3 “Do not keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed.
Lingabe lisakhuluma ngokuzigqaja lokuzigqaja, kungaphumi ukuziqakisa emlonyeni wenu; ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu wolwazi, lezenzo zilinganiswa yiyo.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
Idandili lamaqhawe lephukile, kodwa abakhubekileyo babhince amandla.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
Ababesuthi baziqhatshisile ngesinkwa, lababelambile kabasenjalo, kwaze kwathi oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa, lolabantwana abanengi uphele amandla.
6 "The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol (Sheol h7585) and brings up.
INkosi iyabulala njalo iyaphilisa, iyehlisela engcwabeni njalo yenyuse. (Sheol h7585)
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up.
INkosi ipha ubuyanga, njalo iyanothisa; iyehlisela phansi, njalo iphakamise.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s. He has set the world on them.
Iyamphakamisa umyanga ethulini, imphakamisa oswelayo enqunjini yomquba, ukuze ibahlalise leziphathamandla, ibadlise ilifa lesihlalo sobukhosi sodumo; ngoba insika zomhlaba zingezeNkosi, ibekile ilizwe phezu kwazo.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength.
Izagcina inyawo zabangcwele bayo, kodwa ababi bazathuliswa emnyameni; ngoba umuntu kayikunqoba ngamandla.
10 Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
Abalwa leNkosi bazaphahlazwa; izaduma phezu kwabo isemazulwini; iNkosi izakwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba, inike inkosi yayo amandla, iphakamise uphondo logcotshiweyo wayo.
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest.
UElkana waya eRama endlini yakhe. Lomfana wayekhonza iNkosi phambi kukaEli umpristi.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They did not know the LORD.
Amadodana kaEli ayengabantwana bakaBheliyali; kawayazanga-ke iNkosi.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
Njalo umkhuba wabapristi labantu wawunje; wonke umuntu ohlaba umhlatshelo, kube sekufika inceku yompristi, inyama isaphekiwe, ilefologwe elencijo ezintathu esandleni sayo,
14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.
ihlabe ngayo edengezini, loba egedleleni, loba ebhodweni, loba embizeni; konke ifologwe ekukhuphayo umpristi wayezithathela khona. Benze njalo kuIsrayeli wonke ofika lapho eShilo.
15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
Njalo engakatshisi amahwahwa, inceku yompristi ifike ithi emuntwini ohlabayo: Letha inyama yokosela umpristi, ngoba kayikuthatha kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza.
16 If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
Uba lowomuntu esithi kuyo: Kabatshise lokutshisa amahwahwa khathesi, ubusuzithathela njengokuthanda komphefumulo wakho; ibisisithi kuye: Hatshi, nginika khathesi; uba kungenjalo, ngizayithatha ngamandla.
17 The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD; for the men despised the LORD’s offering.
Ngakho isono samajaha saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kweNkosi; ngoba abantu badelela umnikelo weNkosi.
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
Kodwa uSamuweli wayekhonza phambi kweNkosi engumfana ebhince i-efodi yelembu elicolekileyo.
19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Futhi unina wayemenzela ijazana, amphathele lona umnyaka ngomnyaka ekwenyukeni kwakhe lomkakhe ukuyahlaba umhlatshelo womnyaka.
20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May the LORD give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD.” Then they went to their own home.
UEli wasebabusisa oElkana lomkakhe, wathi: INkosi ikunike inzalo ngalowesifazana endaweni yesicelo esicelwe eNkosini. Basebesiya endaweni yabo.
21 The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before the LORD.
INkosi isimhambele uHana, wasethatha isisu, wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli wasekhula eleNkosi.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Kodwa uEli wayesemdala kakhulu; wakuzwa konke amadodana akhe akwenza kuIsrayeli wonke, lokuthi ayelala labesifazana ababuthana emnyango wethente lenhlangano.
23 He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
Wasesithi kuwo: Lenzelani izinto ezinje? Ngoba ngiyezwa ngabo bonke abantu ngezenzo zenu ezimbi.
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make the LORD’s people disobey.
Hatshi, madodana ami; ngoba kakusumbiko omuhle engiwuzwayo ukuthi lenza abantu beNkosi baphambuke.
25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they did not listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD intended to kill them.
Uba umuntu esona komunye, abahluleli bazamahlulela; kodwa uba umuntu esona eNkosini, ngubani ozamlamulela? Kodwa kawalalelanga ilizwi likayise; ngoba iNkosi yayifuna ukuwabulala.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with the LORD and also with men.
Umfana uSamuweli waseqhubeka ekhula, ethandeka kubo bobabili iNkosi labantu.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?
Kwasekufika umuntu kaNkulunkulu kuEli, wathi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngabonakaliswa lokubonakaliswa yini kuyo indlu kayihlo beseGibhithe endlini kaFaro?
28 Did not I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Did not I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
Ngamkhetha yini kuzo zonke izizwe zakoIsrayeli ukuthi abe ngumpristi wami, anikele elathini lami, atshise impepha, agqoke i-efodi phambi kwami? Ngayinika yini indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo yabantwana bakoIsrayeli eyenziwe ngomlilo?
29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
Kungani likhahlela imihlatshelo yami leminikelo yami engiyilayileyo endlini yami, njalo uhlonipha amadodana akho okwedlula mina, ngokuzikhuluphalisa ngekhethelo leminikelo yonke kaIsrayeli, abantu bami?
30 “Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
Ngakho iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi: Ngathi lokuthi: Indlu yakho lendlu kayihlo zizahamba phambi kwami kuze kube nininini; kodwa khathesi ithi iNkosi: Kakube khatshana lami; ngoba abangihloniphayo ngizabahlonipha, labangidelelayo bazakweyiswa.
31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house.
Khangela, insuku ziyeza engizaquma ngazo ingalo yakho lengalo yendlu kayihlo, kungabi khona ixhegu endlini yakho.
32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever.
Njalo uzabona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami, kuyo yonke impumelelo ezayenzela uIsrayeli; njalo kakuyikuba lexhegu endlini yakho zonke izinsuku.
33 The man of yours whom I do not cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
Lowo-ke owakho engingayikumquma asuke elathini lami uzakuba ngowokuqeda amehlo akho, lokudabula umphefumulo wakho; lakho konke ukwanda kwendlu yakho kuzakufa kusebudodeni.
34 This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
Lalokhu kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe okuzakwehlela amadodana akho womabili, kuHofini loPhinehasi; bobabili bazakufa ngasuku lunye.
35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
Ngizazimisela umpristi othembekileyo; uzakwenza njengokusenhliziyweni yami lemphefumulweni wami. Njalo ngizamakhela indlu eqinileyo; uzahamba-ke phambi kogcotshiweyo wami zonke izinsuku.
36 It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”
Kuzakuthi-ke wonke oseleyo endlini yakho uzakuza akhothame kuye ngenxa yembadalo yesiliva leqebelengwana lesinkwa, athi: Ake ungibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zompristi ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.

< 1 Samuel 2 >