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