USamyela Wokuthoma
1 Bekunendoda yeRamatayimi-Tsofimi*+ yesifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu,+ igama layo bekungu-Elikhana+ begodu beyimEfrayimu. Indoda le beyiyindodana kaJerorhamu, indodana ka-Elihu, indodana kaTohu, indodana kaTsufi. 2 Beyinabafazi ababili; omunye bekunguHana omunye kunguPhenina. UPhenina bekanabantwana kodwana uHana bekanganabo. 3 Qobe mnyaka, indoda le beyikhuphuka isuka edorobheni layo iyokulotjha, yenze nemihlatjelo kuJehova wamabutho eTjhilo.+ UHofni noFiniyasi,+ amadodana amabili ka-Eli, bekabaphristi bakaJehova lapho.+
4 Ngelinye ilanga u-Elikhana nakenza umhlatjelo, wanikela umkakhe uPhenina isabelo sakhe, wanikela nawo woke amadodana namadodakazakhe izabelo zawo,+ 5 nokho wanikela uHana isabelo esikhethekileko ngombana bekamthanda khulu; kodwana uJehova bekangakamuphi abantwana.* 6 Ngaphezu kwalokho, umrharidzwenakhe bekasolo amnyefula bona amzwise ubuhlungu ngombana uJehova bekangakamuphi abantwana. 7 Ngilokho ebekakwenza umnyaka nomnyaka; qobe uHana nakakhuphukela endlini kaJehova,+ umrharidzwenakhe bekamnyefula kangangokuthi bekalila begodu angadli. 8 Kodwana indodakhe u-Elikhana yathi kuye: “Hana, ulilelani, kubayini ungadli begodu kubayini udane kangaka?* Kghani angisingcono kuwe kunamadodana alitjhumi?”
9 Yeke nabaqeda ukudla nokusela eTjhilo, uHana wasikima. Ngesikhatheso umphristi u-Eli bekahlezi esihlalweni esisesangweni lethempeli*+ lakaJehova. 10 UHana bekezwa ubuhlungu khulu, yeke wathoma ukuthandaza kuJehova+ begodu walila isibibithwana. 11 Yeke wafunga wathi: “Maye! Jehova wamabutho. Nange ungaqala ukuhlunguphazeka kwencekukazakho, ungikhumbule begodu ungayikhohlwa incekukazakho bewuyiphe umntwana womsana,+ ngizomupha uJehova ukuphila kwakhe koke begodu iinhluthu zakhe angeze zigudwe.”+
12 Njengombana bekathandaza kuJehova isikhathi eside, u-Eli bekaqale umlomakhe. 13 UHana bekakhulumela ngehliziyweni, bekusikinyeka umlomakhe kwaphela kodwana iphimbo lakhe belingazwakali. Yeke u-Eli wacabanga bona udakiwe. 14 U-Eli wathi kuye: “Uzokudakwa bekube nini? Lisa ukusela iwayini.” 15 UHana waphendula wathi: “Awa, kosami! Ngimfazi ogandeleleke khulu; angikaseli iwayini namkha utjwala kodwana ngithululela ihliziywami kuJehova.+ 16 Ungacabangi ukuthi incekukazakho mfazi ongazisiko ngombana bekube nje ngikhulunyiswa buhlungu obukhulu nokugandeleleka.” 17 U-Eli waphendula wathi: “Khamba ngokuthula, kwangathi uZimu ka-Israyeli angakupha lokho ombawe khona.”+ 18 Yeke uHana wathi: “Incekukazakho ayifumane umusa emehlwenakho.” Ngemva kwalokho, uHana wakhamba, wadla begodu akhenge asabonakala adanile ebusweni bakhe.
19 Ngemva kwalokho, bavuka ekuseni baguqa phambi kwakaJehova, nabaqedako babuyela emzinabo eRama.+ U-Elikhana waya emabhayini nomkakhe uHana begodu uJehova wamkhumbula uHana.+ 20 Ungakapheli umnyaka* uHana waba sidisi, wabeletha umsanyana bewamthiya+ ngokuthi nguSamyela* ngombana wathi, “ngimbawe kuJehova.”
21 Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, u-Elikhana wakhuphuka nomndenakhe woke wayokwenza umhlatjelo ebekawenza qobe mnyaka kuJehova+ begodu wenza nomnikelwakhe wesifungo. 22 Kodwana uHana akhenge akhuphuke+ ngombana wathi endodenakhe: “Msinyana ngemva kokulumula umsanyana lo, ngizomletha; uzokuvela phambi kwakaJehova begodu ahlale khona ukuphila kwakhe koke.”+ 23 Indodakhe yathi kuye: “Yenza ocabanga bona kulungile, hlala ekhaya bekube kulapho umlumula. Kwangathi uJehova angenza ngokwamezwakho.” Yeke umfazi lo wahlala ekhaya, wamunyisa indodanakhe bekwaba kulapho ayilumula.
24 Msinyana ngemva kokuyilumula, wakhuphukela nayo eTjhilo, wathatha nekunzi eneminyaka emithathu, i-efa yinye* yeflowuru nomjeka omkhulu wewayini.+ Weza nomsanyana lo endlini kaJehova eTjhilo.+ 25 Bahlaba ikunzi bese baletha umsanyana ku-Eli. 26 Yeke uHana wathi: “Tjhebetjhebe kosami! Ngifunga ngokuphila kwakho kosami, ngimfazi loya obekajame nawe endaweni le bona ngithandaze kuJehova.+ 27 Ngangithandaza ngibawa umsanyana lo begodu uJehova wangipha lokho engambawa khona.+ 28 Nje-ke, ngimupha* uJehova. Ngimupha* uJehova ukuphila kwakhe koke.”
Waguqa* lapho phambi kwakaJehova.