1 Samuweli
“Inhliziyo yami iyethaba ngoJehova,+
Uphondo lwami ngempela luphakanyisiwe kuJehova.+
Umlomo wami uzivulekele kakhulu izitha zami,
Ngoba ngiyajabula ngensindiso evela kuwe.+
2 Akekho ongcwele njengoJehova, ngoba akekho omunye ngaphandle kwakho;+
Futhi alikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu.+
3 Ningakhulumi ngokuzidla okukhulu kangaka nina bantu,
Makungaphumi lutho ngokuphahluka emlonyeni wenu,+
Ngoba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wolwazi,+
Futhi izenzo zilinganiswa ngokufanele nguye.+
5 Abanelisekileyo kumelwe baziqashise ukuze bathole isinkwa,+
Kodwa abalambile empeleni bayayeka ukulamba.+
Ngisho noyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa,+
Kodwa owayenamadodana amaningi ubunile.+
7 UJehova unguMphofisi+ noMcebisi,+
UMehlisi, noMphakamisi futhi,+
8 UMvusi womuntu ophansi othulini;+
Uphakamisa ompofu emgodini womlotha,+
Ukuze abenze bahlale kanye nezicukuthwane; futhi ubanika isihlalo sobukhosi senkazimulo+ njengefa.+
Ngoba izisekelo zomhlaba zingezikaJehova,+
Ubeka phezu kwazo izwe elikhiqizayo.
9 Uqapha izinyawo zabathembekile bakhe;+
Kepha ababi, bathuliswa ebumnyameni,+
Ngoba umuntu akabi mkhulu ngenxa yamandla.+
10 Kepha uJehova, labo abalwisana naye bayokwesaba kakhulu;+
Uyoduma ngokumelene nabo esemazulwini.+
UJehova ngokwakhe uyokwahlulela imikhawulo yomhlaba,+
Ukuze anike inkosi yakhe izikhwepha,+
Ukuze aphakamise uphondo logcotshiweyo wakhe.”+
11 Khona-ke u-Elkana waya endlini yakhe eRama; umfana yena, waba isikhonzi+ sikaJehova phambi kuka-Eli umpristi.
12 Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abangelusizo lwalutho;+ engamqapheli uJehova.+ 13 Ngokuqondene nelungelo labapristi elifanele elivela kubantu,+ noma nini lapho umuntu enikela umhlatshelo, kwakuza isikhonzi sompristi siphethe imfoloko emazinyo-mathathu, kuthi nje lapho inyama ibila,+ 14 sihlabe emcengezini noma embizeni yokupheka enezibambo ezimbili noma ekhanzini noma embizeni yokupheka enesibambo esisodwa. Noma yini imfoloko eyayenyuka nayo umpristi wayezithathela yona. Yileyo ndlela ayenza ngayo eShilo kuwo wonke ama-Israyeli ayefika khona.+ 15 Futhi, ngisho nangaphambi kokuba kuthunqiswe amanoni,+ kwakuza isikhonzi sompristi sithi kumuntu owenza umhlatshelo: “Nginike inyama yokosela umpristi ukuze amukele kuwe inyama eluhlaza, hhayi ebilisiwe.”+ 16 Lapho lowo muntu ethi kuso: “Mabaqiniseke ukuthi bathunqisa amanoni kuqala.+ Khona-ke ungazithathela noma yini umphefumulo wakho oyinxanelayo,”+ empeleni sasithi: “Cha, yilethe manje; kungenjalo, kuzodingeka ngiyithathe ngempoqo!”+ 17 Isono sezikhonzi saba sikhulu kakhulu phambi kukaJehova;+ ngoba la madoda ayewuphatha ngendelelo umnikelo kaJehova.+
18 USamuweli wayekhonza+ phambi kukaJehova, engumfana, ebhincé i-efodi lelineni.+ 19 Futhi, unina wayemenzela ijazi elincane elingenamikhono, futhi wayekhuphuka alilethe kuye unyaka nonyaka lapho ekhuphuka kanye nomyeni wakhe ukuzokwenza umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke.+ 20 U-Eli wambusisa+ u-Elkana nomkakhe wathi: “Kwangathi uJehova angakumisela inzalo evela kulo mfazi esikhundleni sokubolekisile, okuboleke uJehova.”+ Bahamba baya endaweni yabo. 21 Ngokuvumelana nalokho uJehova wamnaka uHana,+ wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu namadodakazi amabili.+ Umfana uSamuweli waqhubeka ekhula enoJehova.+
22 U-Eli wayesemdala kakhulu, futhi wayezwile+ ngakho konke amadodana akhe ayelokhu ekwenza+ ku-Israyeli wonke nendlela ayelala ngayo nabesifazane+ ababekhonza emnyango wetende lokuhlangana.+ 23 Wayevame ukuthi kuwo:+ “Kungani niqhubeka nenza izinto ezinjengalezi?+ Ngoba zimbi izinto engizizwayo ngani ngabo bonke abantu.+ 24 Hhayi,+ madodana ami, ngoba awumuhle umbiko engiwuzwayo, abantu bakaJehova abawusakazayo.+ 25 Uma umuntu ona kumuntu,+ uNkulunkulu uyomlamulela;+ kodwa uma umuntu ona kuJehova,+ ubani ongamthandazela?”+ Kodwa ayengalilaleli izwi likayise,+ ngoba uJehova manje wayesefuna ukuwabulala.+ 26 Sonke leso sikhathi umfana uSamuweli wayelokhu ekhula futhi ethandeka ngokwengeziwe kuJehova nakubantu.+
27 Kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu+ ku-Eli wathi kuye: “Yilokhu uJehova akushilo, ‘Angizange yini ngempela ngizambule kuyo indlu kakhokho wakho lapho iseseGibhithe njengezigqila endlini kaFaro?+ 28 Ngakhethelwa yena kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli,+ ukuba abe umpristi futhi akhuphukele e-altare lami+ ukuba enze kufuquke umusi womhlatshelo, athwale i-efodi phambi kwami, ukuze nginike indlu kakhokho wakho yonke iminikelo yabantwana bakwa-Israyeli eyenziwa ngomlilo.+ 29 Kungani nilokhu nikhahlela umhlatshelo wami+ nomnikelo wami engiyale ngawo endaweni yami yokuhlala,+ futhi ulokhu udumisa amadodana akho ngaphezu kwami ngokuba nizikhuluphalise+ ngokuhle kunakho konke kwayo yonke iminikelo ka-Israyeli, abantu bami?+
30 “‘Yingakho izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli lithi: “Ngempela ngasho ukuthi, Ngokuqondene nendlu yakho nendlu kakhokho wakho, ziyohamba phambi kwami kuze kube nini nanini.”+ Kodwa manje izwi likaJehova lithi: “Kuyinto engacabangeki, ngoba labo abangidumisayo+ ngiyobadumisa,+ futhi abangidelelayo bayoba yinto engelutho.”+ 31 Bheka! Ziyeza izinsuku lapho ngokuqinisekile ngiyoyinquma khona ingalo yakho nengalo yendlu kakhokho wakho, kangangokuthi ngeke libe khona ixhegu endlini yakho.+ 32 Phakathi kwakho konke okuhle okwenziwa ku-Israyeli empeleni wena uyobona ophikisana nawe endaweni yami yokuhlala;+ alisoze laba khona ixhegu endlini yakho. 33 Nokho kukhona umuntu othile kuwe engingeke ngimnqume ukuba angabe esaba se-altare lami ukuze abangele amehlo akho afiphale futhi enze umphefumulo wakho uwohloke; kodwa isibalo esikhulu sabendlu yakho siyofa sonke ngenkemba yabantu.+ 34 Yilesi isibonakaliso sakho esizofikela amadodana akho amabili, uHofini noFinehasi:+ Bobabili bayokufa ngosuku olulodwa.+ 35 Ngokuqinisekile ngiyozivusela umpristi othembekile.+ Uyokwenza ngokuvumelana nalokho okusenhliziyweni yami nasemphefumulweni wami; ngiyomakhela indlu emi njalo, futhi ngokuqinisekile uyohamba phambi kogcotshiweyo+ wami ngaso sonke isikhathi. 36 Noma ubani osele+ endlini yakho uyokuza akhothame kuye ukuze akhokhelwe imali nesinkwa esiyindilinga, futhi ngokuqinisekile uyothi: “Siza ungihlanganise nesinye sezikhundla zobupristi ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.”’”+