1 Hannah prayed:
You make me strong
and happy, Lord.
You rescued me.
Now I can be glad
and laugh at my enemies.
2 No other god is like you.
And with you we are safer
than on a high mountain.
3 I can tell those proud people,
“Stop your boasting!
Nothing is hidden from the Lord,
and he judges what we do.”
4 Our Lord, you break
the bows of warriors,
but you give strength
to everyone who stumbles.
5 People who once
had plenty to eat
must now hire themselves out
for only a piece of bread.
But you give the hungry more
than enough to eat.
A woman did not have a child,
and you gave her seven,
but a woman who had many
was left with none.
6 You take away life,
and you give life.
You send people down
to the world of the dead
and bring them back again.
7 Our Lord, you are the one
who makes us rich or poor.
You put some in high positions
and bring disgrace on others.
8 You lift the poor and homeless
out of the garbage dump
and give them places of honor
in royal palaces.
You set the world on foundations,
and they belong to you.
9 You protect your loyal people,
but everyone who is evil
will die in darkness.
We cannot win a victory
by our own strength.
10 Our Lord, those who attack you
will be broken in pieces
when you fight back
with thunder from heaven.
You will judge the whole earth
and give power and strength
to your chosen king.
Samuel Stays with Eli
11 Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the Lord.
Eli's Sons
12-13 Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the Lord. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork. 14 The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to Eli's two sons. That was how they treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh. 15 Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the Lord.
Then the servant would tell them, “The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!”
16 Usually the people answered, “Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the Lord.”
“No,” the servant would reply. “If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force.”
17 Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the Lord very angry.
Hannah Visits Samuel
18 The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment 19 and the clothes his mother made for him. She brought new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.
20 Eli always blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.
21 The Lord was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the Lord's house in Shiloh.
Eli Warns His Sons
22 Eli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. 23-24 “Why are you doing these awful things?” he asked them. “I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the Lord's people. 25 If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the Lord, no one can help you!”
But the Lord had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.
A Prophet Speaks to Eli
26 Each day, as Samuel grew older, the Lord was pleased with him, and so were the people.
27 One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:
When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am. 28-29 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.
But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.
30 I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me. 31 The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.
32 Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young. 33 If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death! 34 To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.
35 I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king. 36 But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”
Eimbilo lehambelelo laHanna
1 Opo nee Hanna okwa ilikana ndele ta ti:
“Omutima wange otau kuwilile mOmwene.
Oluvinga lange ola yeluka pombada mOmwene.
Okanya kange ka makukila ovatondadi vange,
osheshi ame ohandi nyakukilwa ekwafo loye!
2 “Pehe nomuyapuki ngaashi Omwene.
Heeno, pehe na nande umwe ponho yaye.
Ndele pehe na emanya ngaashi Kalunga ketu.
3 Inamu kala nokulitanga unene alushe.
Inamu pitifa mo mokanya keni eendjovo doukolokoshi.
Osheshi Omwene Oye Kalunga omushiivi waaishe.
Ye ota yeleke oilonga.
4 Omauta ovaladi a teywa po,
ndelenee oingone ya dikwa eenghono.
5 Ava va li va kuta, hava longele ondjabi yomungome,
ndelenee ava va li va fya ondjala, itava fi vali ondjala.
Ongadji otai dala vaheyali,
ndelenee oshipuna shovana tashi kanifa eenghono.
6 Omwene ta yandje efyo, ndele ta yandje omwenyo.
Ye ota twala moshovafi, ndele ta alula mo.
7 Omwene ta tokeke omunhu, ndele te mu punike.
Ye ota ninipike, ndele Ye ta nenepeke yo.
8 Mondwi Ye ota yambula omufyoona
ndele ta lenge omukwanaluhepo moshala shomute,
vo va kale omutumba peehamba,
va fyuulule olukalwa lado lefimano.
“Osheshi eengudi dedu odo dOmwene,
ndele kombada yado Ye okwa dika ounyuni.
9 Eemhadi dovayuki vaye ote di amene,
ndelenee ovahenakalunga tava kana momilaulu.
Osheshi omunhu ita dulu sha neenghono daye mwene.
10 Ava hava twifa Omwene eemhata tava ka teyaulwa po.
Vo ote va ndundumine meulu.
Omwene ta tokola omaxulilo ongonga yedu,
ndele Ye ta yandje eenghono kohamba yaye
ndele ta yelula oluvinga lomuvaekwa waye.”
11 Opo nee Elkana okwa ya keumbo laye mu Rama,
fimbo okaana okamati ka kala pomupristeli
Eli, okulongela Omwene.
Oukolokoshi wovana vaEli
12 Ndelenee ovana ovamati vaEli va li ovapwidi. Vo inava yavala Omwene. 13 Mokukalafana kwavo novanhu, eenghedi da li ngaha: Umwe ngeenge a toma ongobe yeyambo, opo nee ombelela eshi ya pya, omupiya womupristeli e uya, e nefoloko leenyala nhatu meke laye, 14 ndele te li tu mombiya i noikongo ile mombiya yomaulu ile moshipana ile moshiyaxa. Aishe oyo tai kwatwa kefoloko omupristeli te likufile. Osho ngaha va ningila Ovaisraeli aveshe ava ve uya kuSilo. 15 Nokuli fimbo inava xwika po omakaadi, omupiya womupristeli e uya ndele ta lombwele omulumenhu ou ta yambe: “Yandja ombelela, i telekelwe omupristeli, osheshi ye ita tambula kwoove ombelela ya telekwa, ndelenee ombelela iishu.” 16 Omulumenhu ngeenge te mu lombwele ta ti: “Nava xwike po tete omakaadi, opo nee u kufe osho omwenyo woye wa hala.” Opo ye ta ti: “Ahowe, ndelenee u noku i yandja paife eshi. Nongeenge hasho, ame ohandi i likufile.” 17 Nomatimba ovalumenhu ovanyasha a li manene koshipala shOmwene, osheshi ovalumenhu ava va dina eyambo lOmwene.
18 Ndelenee okamati Samuel ka yakula moilonga koshipala shOmwene, ndele ka li ka djala oshikutu shokomapepe sholiina. 19 Ndele ina yako okwe ka tungila oshikutu shinini shokombada nokwe shi ka etela omudo nomudo, vo nomulumenhu waye eshi ve uya ko okweeta eyambo lomudo keshe; 20 opo nee Eli okwa nangeka noupuna Elkana nomwalikadi waye, ndele ta ti: “Omwene ne ku pe okaana momwalikadi ou ponhele yaaka ye e ka yandja kOmwene.” Opo nee va shuna keumbo lavo.
21 NOmwene okwa dimbulukwa Hanna, onghee ye a ninga oufimba nokwa dala natango ovana vatatu oulume novana vavali oukadona. Nomumati Samuel okwa kula pOmwene.
22 Ndelenee Eli okwa kulupa nokukulupilila, ndele ye eshi a uda ashishe eshi ovana vaye ovamati hava ningile Ovaisraeli aveshe naashi hava nangala novakainhu ava hava yakula moilonga yoposhivelo shetwali leongalo, 23 ye ota ti kuvo: “Omolwashike tamu ningi oinima ya tya ngaha, ame ondi nokuuda kovanhu ava aveshe oinima yeni ii. 24 Inashi yuka ngaha, ovamwange! Osheshi eendjovo odo handi di udu, kadi fi diwa nande. Nye otamu nyonifa ovanhu vOmwene. 25 Omunhu ngeenge ta nyono komukwao ota tokolwa komutokoli, ndelenee omunhu ngeenge ta nyono kOmwene, olyelye ta dulu oku mu popila?” Ndelenee vo inava pwilikina xe yavo, osheshi Omwene okwa li a hala oku va komba po. 26 Ndelenee omumati Samuel a kula ndele ta wapalele Omwene novanhu.
Okuxulifwa po kwepata laEli taku xunganekwa
27 Ndele omulumenhu waKalunga e uya kuEli ndele te mu lombwele: “Omwene osho ta ti: Ame inandi lihololela hamba epata laxo, lo eshi la li muEgipiti meumbo laFarao? 28 Ndele Ame onde mu hoolola momapata aeshe aIsrael ngaashi omupristeli, a londe koaltari yange a xwameke oitwiminifo ndele a djale oshikutu shokomapepe moipafi yange. Ndele Ame nda yandja kepata laxo omindiloyambo adishe dovana vaIsrael. 29 Omolwashike nye tamu dini etomenoyambo lange neendjayambo dange, nde di lombwela di ningwe mongulu yange, ndele to fimaneke ovana voye ovamati komesho yange, opo tamu lyondola naashi shiwelela shomoshaliyambo shovanhu vange Israel? 30 Onghee hano Omwene Kalunga kaIsraeli ta ti: ‘Ame nde shi tonga shili nokutya, eumbo loye neumbo laxo tali ka enda koshipala shange fiyo alushe.’ Ndelenee paife Omwene ta ti: ‘Ahowe, shi dalelwe! Osheshi ava hava fimaneke nge, Ame ohandi ke va fimaneka. Ndelenee ava tava dini nge, otava ka dinika. 31 Tala, omafiku tae uya, Ame ohandi ka teta po okwooko kwoye nokwooko kwepata laxo, paha kale meumbo loye nande umwe ta fiki koukulunhu. 32 Ndele ove oto ka tala omutondadi e li mongulu yange nomouwa aushe ou Ye ote ke u ningila Israel. Ndele meumbo loye itamu ka kala nande umwe ta fiki koukulunhu. 33 Ndelenee umwe aeke womovakweni, itandi mu kandula po moaltari yange, omesho oye opo aha loloke nomwenyo woye uha nyike oufiye. Ndele aveshe vomoludalo loye otava ka fya mounyasha wavo. 34 Ndele edidiliko loinima ei oleli: ovana voye ovamati vavali, Hofni naPinehas, tava ka fya mefiku limwe alike. 35 Ndele Ame ohandi ke lipendulila omupristeli omudiinini, ou ta ka longa pamutima wange nopamwenyo wange; ndele Ame ohandi ke mu tungila ongulu tai kala po, ndele ye ota ka kala nokweenda alushe koshipala shOmuvaekwa wange.’ 36 Ndele aveshe ava tava ka xupa po meumbo loye, otave ke uya okulinyongamena koshipala shaye va pewe okamaliwa nokapambu komungome, ndele tava ka tya: ‘Tambule nge yo meyakulolonga limwe loupristeli, ndi shiive okulya okapambu komungome.’ ”
