1 UHana wakhuleka wathi:“Inhliziyo yami iyethaba kuJehova,uphondo lwami luphakeme kuJehova;umlomo wami ukhamisile phezu kwezitha zami,ngokuba ngenama ngensindiso yakho.
2 “Akakho ongcwele njengoJehova,ngokuba akakho noyedwa ngaphandle kwakho;futhi alikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.
3 Ningabe nisakhuluma ngokuzidla kangaka,kungaphumi ukuqhosha emlonyeni wenu,ngokuba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wokwazi;izenzo zilinganiswa nguye.
4 “Iminsalo yamaqhawe yaphuliwe,kepha abakhubekayo babhinciswa amandla.
5 Ababesuthile baqashelwa isinkwa;ababelambile sebeyekile ukulamba;yebo, oyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa;onabantwana abaningi uyawuma.
6 “UJehova uyabulala, abesephilisa;uyehlisela endaweni yabafileyo, abesenyusa.
7 UJehova uyaphofisa, abesecebisa;uyathobisa, abesephakamisa.
8 Uyamvusa ompofu othulini,uyaphakamisa impabanga ezaleni,abahlalise nezikhulu,badle ifa lesihlalo sobukhosi,ngokuba izinsika zomhlaba zingezikaJehova;ubekile izwe phezu kwazo.
9 “Uyakugcina izinyawozabathembekileyo bakhe,kepha ababi bayakuthuliswa ebumnyameni,ngokuba akukho muntu oyakwahlula ngamandla.
10 Abalwa noJehovabayakuphahlazwa;uyakuduma ezulwini phezu kwabo;uJehova uyakwahlulela amajukujuku omhlaba,anike inkosi yakhe amandla,aphakamise uphondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”
11 U-Elkana waya eRama endlini yakhe. Umntwana wakhonza uJehova phambi kuka-Eli umpristi.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu ababi; ayengamazi uJehova.
13 Kwakungumthetho wabapristi kubantu ukuba, nxa umuntu enikela ngomhlatshelo, kufike inceku yompristi inyama isabila, iphethe ngesandla ingwegwe emazinyo mathathu,
14 ihlabe ngayo emcengezini, noma esocweni, noma ebhodweni, noma ekhanzini; konke ekwenyusayo ingwegwe, umpristi wakuthatha. Benze njalo eShilo kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli ababefika khona.
15 Yebo, bengakashisi amanoni, yafika inceku yompristi, yathi kumuntu ohlabayo: “Letha inyama yokoselwa umpristi, ngokuba akayikuthatha kuwe inyama ephekiweyo kepha eluhlaza.”
16 Uma lowo muntu wathi kuye: “Bayakushisa nokushisa amanoni kuqala, besewuthatha njengokuthanda kwakho,” yathi: “Hhayi, woyiletha manje; uma ungayilethi, ngiyakuyithatha ngamandla.”
17 Isono sezinsizwa sasisikhulu kakhulu phambi kukaJehova, ngokuba abantu bawudelela umnikelo kaJehova.
18 USamuweli wakhonza phambi kukaJehova esengumntwana, egqoke ingubo yamahlombe yelineni.
19 Futhi unina wamenzela ijazana, waliyisa kuye iminyaka ngeminyaka esenyuka nomyeni wakhe ukuyonikela ngomhlatshelo weminyaka yonke.
20 U-Eli wabusisa u-Elkana nomkakhe, wathi: “UJehova makakunike inzalo ngalo wesifazane ngenxa yalokho uJehova atshelekwa khona.” Base bebuyela ekhaya.
21 UJehova wamhambela uHana; wakhulelwa, wazala amadodana amathathu namadodakazi amabili. Umntwana uSamuweli wakhula phambi kukaJehova.
22 U-Eli wayesemdala kakhulu, wezwa konke amadodana akhe akwenzayo ku-Israyeli wonke, nokuthi ayelala nabesifazane ababekhonza ngasemnyango wetende lokuhlangana.
23 Wathi kuwo: “Nenzelani izinto ezinjalo na? Ngokuba ngiyezwa imisebenzi yenu emibi kubo bonke laba bantu.
24 Hhayi, madodana ami, akusilo izwi elihle engilizwayo lenekwa ngabantu bakaJehova.
25 Uma umuntu ona kumuntu, uNkulunkulu uyakumahlulela, kepha uma umuntu ona kuJehova, uyakulanyulelwa ngubani na?” Kodwa awalalelanga izwi likayise, ngokuba uJehova wayethanda ukuwabulala.
26 Umntwana uSamuweli waqhubeka wakhula, waba muhle kuJehova nakubantu.
27 Kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu ku-Eli, wathi kuye: “UJehova usho kanje, uthi: ‘Angithi ngazibonakalisa kuyo indlu kayihlo, beseseGibithe besendlini kaFaro.
28 Ngamkhetha kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ukuba abe ngumpristi wami, anikele e-altare lami, ashise impepho, afake ingubo yamahlombe phambi kwami, nganika indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo yomlilo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.
29 Niwukhahlelelani umhlatshelo wami nomnikelo wami engiyale ngakho endlini yami, udumise amadodana akho phezu kwami, nizikhuluphalise ngeminikelo emihle kunayo yonke yakwa-Israyeli, abantu bami, na?’
30 “Ngalokho uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Ngasho nokusho ukuthi indlu yakho nendlu kayihlo yohamba phambi kwami kuze kube phakade.’ Kepha manje uJehova uthi: ‘Makube kude nami, ngokuba abangidumisayo ngiyakubadumisa; abangidelelayo bayakweyiswa.
31 Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza engiyakunquma ngazo ingalo yakho nengalo yendlu kayihlo ukuba kungabikho xhegu endlini yakho.
32 Uyakubona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami kukho konke okuhle ayakwenzelwa khona u-Israyeli; akuyikubakho xhegu endlini yakho kuze kube phakade.
33 Kepha angiyikumnquma umuntu wakho e-altare lami ukuba aqede amehlo akho, abangele usizi umphefumulo wakho; yonke inzalo yendlu yakho iyakufa isebudodeni bayo.
34 “ ‘Lokhu kuyakuba yisiboniso kuwe esiyakwehlela amadodana akho amabili, oHofini noFinehasi; ngalusuku lunye bayakufa bobabili.
35 Ngiyakuzivusela umpristi othembekileyo oyakwenza njengokusenhliziyweni yami nasengqondweni yami; ngiyakumakhela indlu eqinileyo; uyakuhamba phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kuze kube phakade.
36 Kuyakuthi bonke abasele endlini yakho bafike bamkhothamele ngohlamvu lwesiliva neqebelengwane lesinkwa, bathi: “Ake ungibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zompristi ukuba ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.” ’ ”