< 1 Samuel 2 >

1 Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in Yahweh. My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth boasts 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 holy like Yahweh, for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
Kakho ongcwele njengeNkosi, ngoba kakho ngaphandle kwakho; futhi kalikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.
3 Boast no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come out of your mouth. For Yahweh 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 bow of the mighty men are broken, but those who stumble put on strength like a belt.
Idandili lamaqhawe lephukile, kodwa abakhubekileyo babhince amandla.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread; those who were hungry have stopped being hungry. Even the barren one gives birth to seven, but the woman who has many children languishes.
Ababesuthi baziqhatshisile ngesinkwa, lababelambile kabasenjalo, kwaze kwathi oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa, lolabantwana abanengi uphele amandla.
6 Yahweh kills and brings to life. He brings down to Sheol and raises up. (Sheol h7585)
INkosi iyabulala njalo iyaphilisa, iyehlisela engcwabeni njalo yenyuse. (Sheol h7585)
7 Yahweh makes some people poor and some rich. He humbles, but 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 the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit the seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh's and he has set the world upon 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 guard the feet of his faithful people, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness, for no one will prevail by strength.
Izagcina inyawo zabangcwele bayo, kodwa ababi bazathuliswa emnyameni; ngoba umuntu kayikunqoba ngamandla.
10 Those who oppose Yahweh will be broken to pieces; he will thunder against them from heaven. Yahweh 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 Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. The child served Yahweh in the presence of Eli the priest.
UElkana waya eRama endlini yakhe. Lomfana wayekhonza iNkosi phambi kukaEli umpristi.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know Yahweh.
Amadodana kaEli ayengabantwana bakaBheliyali; kawayazanga-ke iNkosi.
13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand, while the meat was boiling.
Njalo umkhuba wabapristi labantu wawunje; wonke umuntu ohlaba umhlatshelo, kube sekufika inceku yompristi, inyama isaphekiwe, ilefologwe elencijo ezintathu esandleni sayo,
14 He would stick it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. They did this in Shiloh with all the Israelites that came there.
ihlabe ngayo edengezini, loba egedleleni, loba ebhodweni, loba embizeni; konke ifologwe ekukhuphayo umpristi wayezithathela khona. Benze njalo kuIsrayeli wonke ofika lapho eShilo.
15 Worse, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only 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, “They must burn the fat first, and then take as much as you want.” Then he would say, “No, you will give it me now; 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 these young men was very great before Yahweh, for they despised Yahweh's offering.
Ngakho isono samajaha saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kweNkosi; ngoba abantu badelela umnikelo weNkosi.
18 But Samuel served Yahweh as a child clothed with a linen ephod.
Kodwa uSamuweli wayekhonza phambi kweNkosi engumfana ebhince i-efodi yelembu elicolekileyo.
19 His mother would make him a little robe and bring 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 would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh give you more children by this woman because of the request she made of Yahweh.” Then they would return to their own home.
UEli wasebabusisa oElkana lomkakhe, wathi: INkosi ikunike inzalo ngalowesifazana endaweni yesicelo esicelwe eNkosini. Basebesiya endaweni yabo.
21 Yahweh again helped Hannah, and again she became pregnant. She bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
INkosi isimhambele uHana, wasethatha isisu, wazala amadodana amathathu lamadodakazi amabili. Umfana uSamuweli wasekhula eleNkosi.
22 Now Eli was very old; he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to 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 such things? For I hear of your evil actions 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 Yahweh'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 Yahweh, who will speak for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh 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 up, and increased in favor with Yahweh and also with men.
Umfana uSamuweli waseqhubeka ekhula, ethandeka kubo bobabili iNkosi labantu.
27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, 'Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor, 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 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me. I gave to the house of your ancestor all the offerings of the people of Israel made with 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, then, do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings that I required in the place where I live? Why do you honor your sons above me by making yourselves fat with the best of every offering of my people Israel?'
Kungani likhahlela imihlatshelo yami leminikelo yami engiyilayileyo endlini yami, njalo uhlonipha amadodana akho okwedlula mina, ngokuzikhuluphalisa ngekhethelo leminikelo yonke kaIsrayeli, abantu bami?
30 For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'I promised that your house, and the house of your ancestor, should walk before me forever.' But now Yahweh says, 'Far be it from me to do this, for I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be lightly esteemed.
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 See, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will no longer be any old man in your house.
Khangela, insuku ziyeza engizaquma ngazo ingalo yakho lengalo yendlu kayihlo, kungabi khona ixhegu endlini yakho.
32 You will see distress in the place where I live. Although good will be given to Israel, there will no longer be any old man in your house.
Njalo uzabona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami, kuyo yonke impumelelo ezayenzela uIsrayeli; njalo kakuyikuba lexhegu endlini yakho zonke izinsuku.
33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your eyes to fail, and I will cause grief for your life. All the men born in your family will die.
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 for you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
Lalokhu kuzakuba yisiboniso kuwe okuzakwehlela amadodana akho womabili, kuHofini loPhinehasi; bobabili bazakufa ngasuku lunye.
35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is in my heart and in my soul. I will build him a sure house; and he will walk before my anointed king forever.
Ngizazimisela umpristi othembekileyo; uzakwenza njengokusenhliziyweni yami lemphefumulweni wami. Njalo ngizamakhela indlu eqinileyo; uzahamba-ke phambi kogcotshiweyo wami zonke izinsuku.
36 Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him, asking for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please assign me to one of the priests' positions so I can eat a piece 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 >