1 ERamatayim kwakukho mfo uthile ugama linguElikana, unyana kaJeroham, kaElihu, kaTowu wendlu kaZufi. Wayengowesizwe sakwaEfrayim kweleentaba.
2 Lo mfo wayenabafazi ababini, uHana noPenina. UPenina wayezala, kodwa uHana yena engafumani bantwana.
3 Minyaka le lo mfo wayedla ngokuya eShilo, aye kunqula *uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke, anikele amadini. UHofeni noPineyasi, oonyana bakaEli, babengababingeleli bakaNdikhoyo apho.
4 Wayedla ngokuthi uElikana, ngomhla enze idini, akhuphe izabelo zikaPenina nezabantwana bakhe,
5 uHana yena amnike sibe sinye, naxa wayemthanda nje. Kaloku uHana wayeyivinjiwe inzala nguNdikhoyo.
6 Ngaphezu koko umka-ndod' akhe uPenina wayesoloko emcunukisa, emngcungcuthekisa ngokungazali kwakhe.
7 Yayisithi rhoqo le nto ukwenzeka xa beye kwaNdikhoyo eShilo minyaka le. UPenina wayesoloko emnukuneza ngokungazali kwakhe uHana, amtsho ade akhale ezimathontsi, angafuni nokutya oku.
8 Kwakuba njalo indoda yakhe uElikana yayisithi: “Hana, ulilela ntoni? Kutheni ungatyi nokutya oku? Ukhathazwa yintoni kakade, selude waziduba wadandatheka kangaka? Andixabisekanga na kuwe ngaphezu koonyana abalishumi?”
9-10 Ngamhla uthile, beseShilo apho, kwakuba kutyiwe kwaselwa, wasuka waphakama uHana, ebindekile, wazibika *kuNdikhoyo. Ngelo xesha umbingeleli uEli wayehleli esihlalweni sakhe ngasemnyango wendlu kaNdikhoyo. Ebuhlungu enjalo uHana, wathandaza,
11 wenza isibhambathiso kuNdikhoyo, wathi: “Ndikhoyo Somandla, wanga ungayibona inkxwaleko yesicakazana sakho, usikhumbule, ungasilibali isicakazana sakho, kodwa usinike unyana. Ke ndomnikezela kuwe, Ndikhoyo, abe ngowakho bonke ubomi bakhe, yaye neenwele zakhe azinakuze zichetywe.”
12 UHana wathandaza ithuba elide, uEli emjongile, ethe ntsho kuloo milebe.
13 Wayengavakalisi kuthetha uHana, kodwa yayibebezela yona imilebe. UEli wacinga ukuba uHana uyanxila,
14 wathi kuye: “Koda kube nini na unxila? Yahlukana notywala!”
15 “Hayi, mhlekazi, andinxilanga,” waphendula watsho uHana. “Andikhange ndisele iwayini okanye utywala, nto nje ndibuhlungu kakhulu. Wena undibona ndibika intlungu yam kuNdikhoyo.
16 Uze ungathi ndilitshijolo lomfazi. Ndithandaza ndingayeki nje, kungenxa yokuba ndibindekile ndihluphekile.”
17 “Hayi ke, hamba ngoxolo; uThixo kaSirayeli uya kukwenzela ngokwesicelo sakho, ntombi yam,” watsho uEli.
18 UHana yena wathi: “Akwaba isicakazana sakho singababalwa njalo.” Watsho ehamba, waya kutya, waxola.
19 Usapho lukaElikana lwavuka kwangentseni. Baya kunqula *uNdikhoyo, emva koko banduluka ukubuyela kokwabo eRama. Ke uElikana wahlangana noHana umkakhe. Weviwa nguNdikhoyo umthandazo wakhe.
20 Wakhawula, wazala inkwenkwe unyaka ungekapheli. Wathi: “Igama layo nguSamweli; kaloku ndayicela kuNdikhoyo.”
21 UElikana ubuye waya nosapho lwakhe eShilo ukuya kunikela kuNdikhoyo idini lonyaka kunye nelesithembiso.
22 UHana wasala ekhaya. Wathi kumyeni wakhe: “Ndakululumla usana lwam, ndolusa endlwini kaNdikhoyo, luhlale phambi kwakhe ubomi balo bonke.”
23 Indoda yakhe uElikana yathi: “Kulungile, ungasala. Yenza loo nto uyibona ilungile. Ungalinda ude umlumle umntwana. Ubenga uNdikhoyo angasifezekisa isithembiso sakhe.”Wasala ke uHana, eluncancisa usana lwakhe, lwada lwalunyulwa.
24 Wathi akululumla usana lwakhe uHana, waya nalo eShilo, eqhuba inkunzi yenkomo eminyaka mithathu, ephethe neshumi leekhilogram zomgubo wengqolowa, nemvaba ezele yiwayini. Wahamba noSamweli, emsa endlwini *kaNdikhoyo eShilo, eselula njalo.
25 Yakuba iwile inkunzi yenkomo, usana lwasiwa kuEli.
26 UHana wathi kuEli: “Camagu, nkosi yam! Usaphila nje ulingqina lam lokuba ndingulaa mfazi wayemi apha ethandaza kuNdikhoyo.
27 Ndandicela lo mntwana, waza uNdikhoyo wasiva isicelo sam.
28 Ngoku ke ndimbuyisela kuNdikhoyo, kuba bonke ubomi bakhe bobalowo ucelwe kuNdikhoyo.” Emva koko ke uSamweli wakhonza uNdikhoyo apho eShilo.