1 Ke kaloku umfana uSamweli wayekhonza *kwaNdikhoyo phambi koEli. Ngaloo mihla udaba oluvela kuNdikhoyo lwalunqabile, kungekho mntu unemibono ivela kuye.
2 UEli wayenorhatyazo emehlweni kangangokuba wayebona luzizi. Ngabusuku buthile uEli wayelele endaweni yakhe,
3 uSamweli yena elele endlwini kaNdikhoyo apho kwakugcinwa khona ityesi yomnqophiso. Kwathi ekuzeni kokusa, isibane sisavutha,
4 uNdikhoyo wavakala ebiza uSamweli.Wasabela uSamweli esithi: “Ndim lo, mhlekazi!”
5 Wakhawuleza waya kuEli, wafika wathi: “Ndim lo; ubundibiza.”Wathi yena uEli: “Hayi, yiya kulala, mfo wam; andikhange ndikubize.” Waya kulala ke.
6 UNdikhoyo wabuya wambiza uSamweli. Wavuka ke umfana, waya kwakuEli, wathi: “Mhlekazi, uyandibiza. Ndim lo!”Kambe yena uEli wathi: “Hayi, andikubizanga; yiya kulala, mfo wam.”
7 Phofu umfana lo yena wayengekamazi uNdikhoyo; kaloku uNdikhoyo wayengekazityhili kuye ngelizwi lakhe.
8 UNdikhoyo wabuya wambiza uSamweli isihlandlo sesithathu. Wavuka uSamweli, waya kwakuEli, wafika wathi: “Ndim lo, mhlekazi; ubundibiza.”Waqonda ngoku uEli ukuba nguNdikhoyo lo umana ebiza lo mfana.
9 Wathi uEli kuye: “Hamba wena, yiya kulala. Xa ubuye weva ubizwa, uze uthi: ‘Thetha, Ndikhoyo; isicaka sakho siphulapule.’ ” Waya kulala ke uSamweli emandlalweni wakhe.
10 Waza uNdikhoyo weza wema apho, wabiza kwakhona esithi: “Samweli! Samweli!”Wasabela uSamweli wathi: “Thetha; siphulaphule isicaka sakho.”
11 Wathi ke uNdikhoyo kuSamweli: “Uyabona, ndiza kwenza into kwaSirayeli eya kutsho zithi nzwii iindlebe zabantu bonke abaya kuyiva.
12 Umlomo wam ngomzi kaEli ndiza kuwufezekisa ngaloo mini, ndisuse ekuqaleni ndise esiphelweni.
13 Phofu ke sendimxelele ukuba umzi wakowabo ndiza kuwohlwaya ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yesono asaziyo soonyana bakhe. Kaloku oonyana bakhe balinyelisa igama lam, waza yena akabakhalimela.
14 Ke ngoko ndifunge ndathi kumzi kaEli: ‘Akukho dini namnikelo uya kuze ube nako ukulicamagushela ityala lakho.’ ”
15 USamweli wangqengqa kwada kwasa. Uthe akuvuka, wavula iingcango zendlu yakwaNdikhoyo. Woyika ukubalisela uEli ngombono wakhe.
16 Ke kaloku uEli wambiza uSamweli, wathi: “Samweli, mfo wam!”Waphendula uSamweli wathi: “Ndim lo!”
17 Wambuza esithi: “Lizwi lini na eli uNdikhoyo alithethe kuwe? Musa ukundifihlela; ndixelele. UThixo uya kuba nento yokwenza nawe ukuba akundixeleli into yonke ayithethileyo.”
18 Wachaza konke ke uSamweli, akafihla nto. Watsho wathi uEli: “Nguye uNdikhoyo; makenze loo nto abona ukuba ifanele ukwenziwa.”
19 Waya ekhula uSamweli, uNdikhoyo enaye, zaza nezinto ezathethwa nguSamweli zazalisekiswa.
20 AmaSirayeli, ukususela eDan kuye eBheshebha, aqonda ukuba uSamweli *wayengumshumayeli onyanisekileyo kaNdikhoyo.
21 UNdikhoyo ke wathi rhoqo ukuvela eShilo, apho wazityhila khona ngezwi lakhe kuSamweli.