1
Naye Hana akaomba, akasema, Moyo wangu wamshangilia Bwana, Pembe yangu imetukuka katika Bwana, Kinywa changu kimepanuka juu ya adui zangu; Kwa kuwa naufurahia wokovu wako;
At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation.
2
Hakuna aliye mtakatifu kama Bwana; Kwa maana hakuna ye yote ila wewe, Wala hakuna mwamba kama Mungu wetu.
There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
3
Msizidi kunena kwa kutakabari hivyo; Majivuno yasitoke vinywani mwenu; Kwa kuwa Bwana ni Mungu wa maarifa, Na matendo hupimwa na yeye kwa mizani.
Do not boast so proudly, or let arrogance come from your mouth, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by Him actions are weighed.
4
Pinde zao mashujaa zimevunjika, Na hao waliojikwaa wamefungiwa nguvu.
The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength.
5
Walioshiba wamejikodisha ili kupata chakula, Na hao waliokuwa na njaa wamepata raha. Naam, huyo aliyekua tasa amezaa watoto saba, Na yeye aliye na wana wengi amedhoofika.
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.
6
Bwana huua, naye hufanya kuwa hai; Hushusha hata kuzimu, tena huleta juu.
The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7
Bwana hufukarisha mtu, naye hutajirisha; Hushusha chini, tena huinua juu.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.
8
Humwinua mnyonge kutoka mavumbini, Humpandisha mhitaji kutoka jaani, Ili awaketishe pamoja na wakuu, Wakakirithi kiti cha enzi cha utukufu; Kwa maana nguzo za dunia zina Bwana, Naye ameuweka ulimwengu juu yake.
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.
9
Yeye atailinda miguu ya watakatifu wake; Bali waovu watanyamazishwa gizani, Maana kwa nguvu hakuna atakayeshinda;
He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
10
Washindanao na Bwana watapondwa kabisa; Toka mbinguni yeye atawapigia radi; Bwana ataihukumu miisho ya dunia; Naye atampa mfalme wake nguvu, Na kuitukuza pembe ya masihi wake.
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11
Kisha Elkana akaenda Rama nyumbani kwake. Na yule mtoto akamtumikia Bwana mbele yake Eli, kuhani.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
12
Basi, hao wana wa Eli walikuwa watu wasiofaa kitu; hawakumjali Bwana,
Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD
13
wala haki ya makuhani ilivyokuwa kwa watu. Wakati huo mtu ye yote alipotoa dhabihu wakati wo wote, ndipo huja mtumishi wa kuhani, nyama ilipokuwa katika kutokota, naye akawa na uma wa meno matatu mkononi mwake;
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
14
naye huutia kwa nguvu humo chunguni, au birikani, au sufuriani, au chomboni; nyama yote iliyoinuliwa kwa huo uma kuhani huichukua mwenyewe. Ndivyo walivyofanya huko Shilo kwa Waisraeli wote waliokuja huko.
and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15
Tena, kabla ya kuteketeza mafuta, huja mtumishi wa kuhani, akamwambia yule mwenye kuitoa dhabihu, Mtolee kuhani nyama ya kuoka; kwa kuwa hataki kupewa nyama iliyotokoswa, bali nyama mbichi.
Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16
Tena, ikiwa mtu yule amwambia, Hawakosi wataichoma moto hayo mafuta kwanza, kisha utwae kadiri roho yako itakavyopenda; ndipo husema, Sivyo, lakini sharti unipe sasa hivi; la, hunipi, basi nitaitwaa kwa nguvu.
And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”
17
Hivyo dhambi yao wale vijana ilikuwa kubwa sana machoni pa Bwana; kwa maana hao watu walidharau sadaka ya Bwana.
Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
18
Lakini Samweli alikuwa akitumika mbele za Bwana, naye alikuwa kijana, mwenye kuvaa naivera ya kitani.
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
19
Tena mamaye humfanyizia kanzu ndogo, na kumletea mwaka kwa mwaka, hapo alipokwea pamoja na mumewe ili kutoa dhabihu kila mwaka.
Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20
Naye Eli akambariki Elkana na mkewe, akasema, Bwana na akupe uzao kwa mwanamke huyu, badala ya azimo aliloazimiwa Bwana. Kisha wakaenda nyumbani kwao.
And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home.
21
Naye Bwana akamwangalia Hana, naye akachukua mimba, akazaa watoto, wa kiume watatu na wa kike wawili. Naye huyo mtoto Samweli akakua mbele za Bwana.
So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
22
Basi Eli alikuwa mzee sana; naye alisikia habari za mambo yote ambayo wanawe waliwatenda Waisraeli; na jinsi walivyolala na wanawake waliokuwa wakitumika mlangoni pa hema ya kukutania.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
23
Akawaambia, Mbona mnatenda mambo kama hayo? Maana nasikia habari za matendo yenu mabaya kwa watu hawa wote.
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.
24
Sivyo hivyo, wanangu, kwa maana habari hii ninayoisikia si habari njema; mnawakosesha watu wa Bwana.
No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.
25
Mtu mmoja akimkosa mwenzake, Mungu atamhukumu; lakini mtu akimkosa Bwana, ni nani atakayemtetea? Lakini hawakuisikia sauti ya baba yao, kwa sababu Bwana amekusudia kuwaua.
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.
26
Na yule mtoto, Samweli, akazidi kukua akapata kibali kwa Bwana, na kwa watu pia.
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.
27
Kisha mtu wa Mungu akamwendea Eli, akamwambia, Bwana asema hivi, Je! Mimi sikujidhihirisha nafsi yangu kwa nyumba ya baba yako, walipokuwa katika Misri, wakiitumikia nyumba ya Farao?
Then a man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s house?
28
Je! Sikumchagua yeye katika kabila zote za Israeli, ili awe kuhani wangu, apande madhabahuni kwangu; na kufukiza uvumba, na kuvaa naivera mbele zangu? Nami sikuwapa watu wa mbari ya baba yako dhabihu zote za wana wa Israeli zilizotolewa kwa moto?
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I also gave to the house of your father all the food offerings of the Israelites.
29
Kwa nini basi mnaipiga teke dhabihu yangu na sadaka yangu nilizoziamuru katika maskani yangu; ukawaheshimu wanao kuliko mimi, mpate kujinenepesha kwa sadaka zote za watu wangu Israeli zilizo njema?
Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’
30
Kwa sababu hiyo, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema, Ni kweli, nalisema ya kuwa nyumba yako, na nyumba ya baba yako itakwenda mbele zangu milele; lakini sasa Bwana asema, Jambo hili na liwe mbali nami; kwa maana wao wanaoniheshimu nitawaheshimu, na wao wanaonidharau watahesabiwa kuwa si kitu.
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
31
Angalia, siku zinakuja, nitakapoukata mkono wako, na mkono wa mbari ya baba yako, hata nyumbani mwako hatakuwako mzee.
Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in it will reach old age.
32
Nawe utalitazama teso la maskani yangu, katika utajiri wote watakaopewa Israeli; wala nyumbani mwako hatakuwako mzee milele.
You will see distress in My dwelling place. Despite all that is good in Israel, no one in your house will ever again reach old age.
33
Tena mtu wa kwako, ambaye sitamtenga na madhabahu yangu, atakuwa mtu wa kukupofusha macho, na kukuhuzunisha moyo; tena wazao wote wa nyumba yako watakufa wapatapo kuwa watu wazima.
And every one of you that I do not cut off from My altar, I will cause your eyes to fail and your heart to grieve. All your descendants will die by the sword of men.
34
Na hii ndiyo ishara itakayokuwa kwako, itakayowapata wana wako wawili, Hofni na Finehasi; watakufa wote wawili katika siku moja.
And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
35
Nami nitajiinulia kuhani mwaminifu, atakayefanya sawasawa na mambo yote niliyo nayo katika moyo wangu, na katika nia yangu; nami nitamjengea nyumba iliyo imara; naye atakwenda mbele ya masihi wangu milele.
Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.
36
Kisha itakuwa, ya kwamba kila mtu atakayesalia katika nyumba yako atakwenda kumsujudia, apate kipande kidogo cha fedha, na mkate mmoja; na kumwambia, Tafadhali unitie katika kazi mojawapo ya ukuhani, nipate kula kipande kidogo cha mkate.
And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”