1 USamuweli 2:1-36

UHana wakhuleka wathi: “Inhliziyo yami iyethaba kuSimakade, uSimakade ungiqinisile, manje nginempendulo ezitheni zami, ngiyathokoza, ngokuba ungikhululile. “Akekho ongcwele njengoSimakade, akekho noyedwa ngaphandle kwakho; alikho idwala elinjengoNkulunkulu wethu. Ningabe nisakhuluma ngokuziqhenya, futhi makungaphumi kuqhosha emlonyeni wenu, ngokuba uSimakade unguNkulunkulu owazi konke; izenzo zilinganiswa nguye. “Iminsalo yamaqhawe yaphuliwe; abakhubekayo babhinciswa amandla. Abebesuthi sebeyaziqashisa ukuze bathole ukudla; abebelambile sebeyekile ukulamba. Yebo, obeyinyumba uzele abayisikhombisa; onabantwana abaningi uyancunzeka. “USimakade uyabulala, bese ephilisa; uyehlisela endaweni yabafileyo, bese enyusa. USimakade wenza abampofu bacebe; uyathobisa, bese ephakamisa. Uyamvusa ompofu othulini, uyayiphakamisa impabanga ezaleni, abahlalise nezikhulu, badle ifa lesihlalo sobukhosi, ngokuba izisekelo zomhlaba zingezikaSimakade; ubekile izwe phezu kwazo. “Uyakugcina izinyawo zabathembekileyo bakhe, kodwa izikhohlakali ziyakubhujiswa ebumnyameni, ngokuba akukho muntu oyakuphumelela ngamandla akhe odwa. Abamelana noSimakade bayakuphahlazwa; uyakuduma phezu kwabo esezulwini. USimakade uyakwehlulela amajukujuku omhlaba, aphe inkosi yakhe amandla, ogcotshiweyo wakhe amphakamise.” U-Elikhana waphindela eRama, endlini yakhe. Umntwana wakhonza uSimakade phansi kweso lika-Eli. Amadodana ka-Eli ayengabantu abakhohlakele; engamazi uSimakade. Kwakungumthetho wabaphristi kubantu ukuba nxa umuntu enikela ngomhlatshelo, kufike inceku yomphristi inyama isabila, iphethe imfologo ngesandla, ihlabe ngayo emcengezini, noma esocweni, noma ebhodweni, noma ekhanzini; konke ekukhiphayo imfologo, umphristi akuthathe kube ngokwakhe. Benza kanjalo eShilo kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli ababefika khona. Kwakuthi engakashiswa amanoni, kufike inceku yomphristi ithi kumuntu owenza umhlatshelo: “Letha inyama eyokoselwa umphristi, ngokuba akazukuyithatha kuwe inyama ephekiweyo, kodwa eluhlaza.” Uma lowo muntu ethe kuyo: “Impela mabashise kuqala amanoni, andukuba uthathe inyama ngokuthanda kwakho,” yathi: “Hhayi, ilethe manje, uma ungayilethi ngizozithathela ngenkani.” Isono sezinsizwa sasisikhulu kakhulu phambi kukaSimakade, ngoba bawedelela umnikelo kaSimakade. USamuweli wakhonza uSimakade kusukela esemncane. Wayegqoka ingubo yamahlombe eyenziwe ngelineni. Unina wayemenzela ijazi minyaka yonke, kuthi lapho enyuka nomyeni wakhe ukuyokwenza umhlatshelo waminyaka yonke, amphathele lona. U-Eli wabusisa u-Elikhana nomkakhe, wathi: “USimakade makakunike uzalo ngalo wesifazane ngenxa yesipho enanikela ngaso kuSimakade.” Base bebuyela ekhaya. USimakade wamhambela uHana, wakhulelwa wazala amadodana amathathu namadodakazi amabili. Umntwana uSamuweli wakhula phambi kukaSimakade. U-Eli wayesemdala kakhulu, wezwa ngakho konke amadodana akhe ayekwenza kwa-Israyeli, nokuthi ayelala nabesifazane ababekhonza ngasemnyango wethende lokuhlangana. Wathi kuwo: “Nizenzeleni izinto ezinjalo na? Ngokuba ngiyezwa ngemisebenzi yenu emibi kubo bonke laba bantu. Qha, madodana ami, akusiwo umbiko omuhle engiwuzwa ukhulunywa ngabantu bakaSimakade ngani. Uma umuntu ona kumuntu, uNkulunkulu uyakumehlulela, kodwa uma umuntu ona kuSimakade, ngubani oyakumnxusela na?” Kepha awalalelanga izwi likayise ngokuba uSimakade wayefuna ukuwabulala. Umntwana uSamuweli waqhubeka wakhula, waba muhle kuSimakade nakubantu. Kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu ku-Eli, wathi kuye: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Angithi ngazibonakalisa kuyo indlu kayihlo, beseseGibhithe endlini kaFaro. Ngamkhetha kuzo zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli ukuba abe ngumphristi wami, anikele e-althare lami, ashise impepho kulo, embathe ingubo yamahlombe phambi kwami, ngayinika indlu kayihlo yonke iminikelo yomlilo yabantu bakwa-Israyeli. Kungani niwedelela umhlatshelo wami nomnikelo wami engiyale ngakho endlini yami, uhloniphe amadodana akho kunami, nizikhuluphalise ngeminikelo emihle yakwa-Israyeli, yabantu bami na?’ “Ngakho-ke uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, uthi: ‘Impela ngasho ukuthi indlu yakho nekayihlo ziyongena ziphume ebukhoneni bami kuze kube phakade. Uyabona-ke, ziyeza izinsuku engiyakunquma ngazo amandla akho namandla endlu kayihlo ukuze kungabi bikho ngwevu endlini yakho, futhi uyakukubona ukuhlupheka kwendlu yami. Nakuba konke okuhle kuyakwenzelwa u-Israyeli, kodwa akuyukuba bikho ngwevu endlini yakho, kuze kube phakade. Kepha umuntu engingayukumsusa e-althare lami phambi kwakho, yilowo oyoletha izinyembezi aze afiphazeke amehlo akho, noyogcwalisa umphefumulo wakho ngosizi. Bonke abendlu yakho bayakufa sebengamadoda. “ ‘Lokhu kuyakuba yisiboniso kuwe esiyakwehlela amadodana akho amabili, uHofini noFinehasi; ngalusuku lunye, bayakufa bobabili. Ngiyakuzivusela umphristi othembekileyo oyokwenza njengalokho okusenhliziyweni yami nasengqondweni yami; ngiyakumakhela indlu eqinileyo. Uyakuhamba phambi kogcotshiweyo wami kuze kube phakade. Kuyakuthi bonke abasele endlini yakho, bafike bamkhothamele ngohlamvu lwesiliva nangeqebelengwane lesinkwa, bathi: “Ake ungibeke kwesinye sezikhundla zomphristi ukuze ngidle ucezu lwesinkwa.” ’ ”