1 USamuweli 1:1-28

Kwakukhona umuntu othile eRamathayimi Zofimu kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi, igama lakhe kungu-Elikhana, indodana kaJerohamu ka-Elihu kaTholu kaZufi, wakwa-Efrayimi. Wayeganwe ngabafazi ababili, omunye kunguHana omunye kunguPhenina. UPhenina wayenabantwana, kodwa uHana wayengenabantwana. Lowo muntu wayesuka emzini wakhe minyaka yonke akhuphukele ukuyokhonza nokuhlabela uSimakade Wamabandla eShilo. Bheka, lapho eShilo kwakuhlala amadodana amabili omphristi u-Eli, uHofini noFinehasi, nawo engabaphristi bakaSimakade. Kwathi ngosuku u-Elikhana ahlaba ngalo, wanika uPhenina nawo wonke amadodana namadodakazi akhe izabelo zabo. UHana wamnika amavenge aphindwe kabili, ngokuba wayemthanda uHana, nakuba uSimakade ayesivalile isibeletho sakhe. Isitha sakhe sasimchukuluza ukuze simthukuthelise, ngokuba uSimakade wayesivalile isibeletho sakhe. U-Elikhana wayenza kanjalo minyaka yonke, uma enyukele endlini kaSimakade. UPhenina wayemchukuluza njalo uHana, ngakho-ke wakhala, akaze adla lutho. U-Elikhana umyeni wakhe, wathi kuHana: “Hana, ukhalelani na? Awudli ngani? Inhliziyo yakho idabukiswe yini na? Kanti angedluli yini kuwe amadodana alishumi na?” UHana wasukuma lapho sebedlile, baphuza eShilo. U-Eli, umphristi, wayehleli esihlalweni sakhe ngasensikeni yomyango wethempeli likaSimakade. Umphefumulo wakhe wawunomunyu kakhulu; wakhuleka kuSimakade, wakhala kabuhlungu. Wenza isithembiso, wathi: “Simakade Wamabandla, impela uma ubheka, uyakubona ukuhlupheka kwencekukazi yakho. Ngikhumbule, ungayikhohlwa incekukazi yakho; yiphe incekukazi yakho umntwana womfana. Ngiyomnikela kuSimakade zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe. Akuyukuthinta nsingo ekhanda lakhe.” Kwathi esaqhubeka nokukhuleka phambi kukaSimakade, u-Eli wawuqaphela umlomo wakhe. UHana wayekhuluma ngenhliziyo engaphumiseli mazwi ngomlomo, kwakunyakaza izindebe zomlomo kuphela. Ekubona lokho u-Eli, wacabanga ukuthi udakiwe. U-Eli wathi kuye: “Uyakudakwa kuze kube nini na? Susa iwayini lakho kuwe.” UHana waphendula wathi: “Hhayi, nkosi, ngingowesifazane ohluphekileyo; angiphuzanga wayini naphuzo olunamandla, kodwa bengithulula umphefumulo wami phambi kukaSimakade. Ungasho ukuthi incekukazi yakho ingowesifazane okhohlakele, ngokuba kungenxa yobuningi bosizi lwami nangokuchukuluzwa kwami, yingakho ngikhuluma kuze kube manje.” Wayesephendula u-Eli wathi: “Hamba ngokuthula; uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli makakunike okucelileyo kuye.” Wathi: “Incekukazi yakho mayifumane umusa emehlweni akho.” Owesifazane wayesehamba, wadla, ubuso bakhe ababe busanyukubala. Bavuka ekuseni kakhulu bakhuleka phambi kukaSimakade, base bebuyela emuva endlini yabo eRama. U-Elikhana walala nomkakhe, uSimakade wamkhumbula uHana. Kwathi ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi uHana wakhulelwa, wazibula ngendondana, wayiqamba igama wathi nguSamuweli, ethi: “Ngimcelile kuSimakade.” Lowo muntu, u-Elikhana, waphinda wenyuka nendlu yakhe ukuyonikela kuSimakade umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke, nokuyofeza isithembiso sakhe. Kodwa uHana akenyukanga, wathi kumyeni wakhe: “Angiyukwenyuka aze alunyulwe umntwana; khona ngizakumyisa ukuba abonakale phambi kukaSimakade, ahlale lapho njalo.” U-Elikhana, umyeni wakhe, wathi kuye: “Yenza okuhle emehlweni akho; hlala uze umlumule; uSimakade makaqinise izwi lakhe kuphela.” Owesifazane wayesehlala, wayincelisa indodana yakhe waze wayilumula. Eseyilumulile, wenyuka nayo, nezinkunzi ezintathu, i-efa lempuphu, nemvaba yewayini, wakuyisa endlini kaSimakade eShilo; umntwana wayesemncane. Bahlaba inkunzi, base bemyisa umntwana ku-Eli. Wathi: “Nkosi, ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kwakho, nkosi yami, ngingowesifazane owayemi lapha phambi kwakho, ekhuleka kuSimakade. Lo mntwana ngamkhulekela kuSimakade ukuba angiphe yena; uSimakade unginikile lokho engangikucele kuye; ngakho-ke nami ngimnikela kuSimakade ukuba ngazo zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe abe ngokaSimakade.” Wakhothama kuSimakade elapho.