Kuzaliwa Kwa Samweli
11:1 Mwa 18:25; 1Sam 9:5; Yos 17:17-18; 21:20-22; 1Nya 6:27-34; Rut 1:2Kulikuwepo na mtu mmoja kutoka Rama, Msufi kutoka nchi ya vilima vya Efraimu, ambaye jina lake aliitwa Elikana mwana wa Yerohamu, mwana wa Elihu mwana wa Tohu, mwana wa Sufu, Mwefraimu. 21:2 Mwa 4:19; Kum 21:15-17Alikuwa na wake wawili, mmoja aliitwa Hana na mwingine Penina. Penina alikuwa na watoto, lakini Hana hakuwa na mtoto.
31:3 Kut 23:14; 1Sam 2:19; 20:6; Lk 2:41; Kum 12:5-7; 1Sam 2:31; 14:3; Yos 18:1; Amu 18:31; Za 78:60; Yer 7:12-14Kila mwaka mtu huyu alikwea kutoka mji wake ili kuabudu na kutoa dhabihu kwa Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote huko Shilo, ambapo Hofni na Finehasi, wana wawili wa Eli, walikuwa makuhani wa Bwana. 41:4 Law 7:15-18; Kum 12:17-18; Mwa 29:34Kila mara ilipofika siku ya Elikana kutoa dhabihu, aliwapa mafungu Penina mkewe na wanawe wote pamoja na binti zake. 51:5 Mwa 37:3; 11:30; 29:31Lakini alimpa Hana fungu maradufu kwa sababu alimpenda, ingawa Bwana alikuwa amemfunga tumbo. 61:6 Mwa 16:4-5Kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa amemfunga tumbo, mke mwenzake alikuwa anamchokoza ili kumuudhi. 71:7 2Sam 12:17; Za 102:4; Kut 23:14; Kum 16:16; Kut 23:14Hili liliendelea mwaka baada ya mwaka. Kila mara Hana alipokwenda katika nyumba ya Bwana, mke mwenzake alikuwa akimkasirisha mpaka analia na kushindwa kula. 81:8 Rut 4:15Elikana mumewe akawa anamwambia, “Hana, kwa nini unalia? Kwa nini huli? Kwa nini kuvunjika moyo? Je, mimi si bora zaidi kwako kuliko watoto kumi?”
91:9 1Sam 3:3Siku moja walipokuwa wamemaliza kula na kunywa huko Shilo, Hana alisimama. Wakati huo kuhani Eli alikuwa ameketi kwenye kiti pembeni mwa mwimo wa mlango wa Hekalu la Bwana. 101:10 Ay 3:20; 7:11; 10:1; 21:25; 23:2; 27:2; Isa 38:15; Yer 20:18Kwa uchungu wa rohoni Hana alilia sana na akamwomba Bwana. 111:11 Amu 11:30; 13:7; 13:5; Lk 1:15; Mwa 17:1; 8:1; Za 24:10; 46:7; Isa 1:9; Hes 6:1-21; 21:2; 30:3-8; Mhu 5:4; Mwa 29:32; Kut 4:31Naye akaweka nadhiri, akisema, “Ee Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, laiti ungeangalia huzuni kuu ya mtumishi wako na kunikumbuka mimi, wala usimsahau mtumishi wako nawe ukampa mwana, basi huyo mwana nitamtoa kwa Bwana kwa siku zote za maisha yake, wala wembe hautapita kichwani mwake.”
12Alipokuwa anaendelea kumwomba Bwana, Eli alichunguza kinywa chake. 13Hana alikuwa akiomba moyoni mwake, midomo yake ikiwa inachezacheza lakini sauti haikusikika. Eli akafikiri alikuwa amelewa 14naye akamwambia, “Utaendelea kulewa mpaka lini? Achilia mbali mvinyo wako.”
151:15 2Fal 4:27; Za 42:4; 62:8; Mao 2:19Hana akajibu, “Si hivyo bwana wangu, mimi ni mwanamke mwenye huzuni kubwa. Mimi sijanywa mvinyo wala kileo, nilikuwa ninaumimina moyo wangu kwa Bwana. 161:16 Za 55:2; 2Kor 6:15Usimdhanie mtumishi wako kuwa mwanamke mwovu; nimekuwa nikiomba hapa katika wingi wa uchungu mkuu na huzuni.”
171:17 Hes 6:26; 1Sam 20:42; 2Fal 5:19; Mdo 15:33; Mwa 25:21; Za 20:3-5; Mwa 33:15; Yn 16:24Eli akamjibu, “Nenda kwa amani, naye Mungu wa Israeli na akujalie kile ulichomwomba.”
181:18 Mwa 18:3; Rut 2:13; Rum 15:13; Ufu 2:13; Mhu 9:7Hana akasema, “Mtumishi wako na apate kibali machoni pako.” Kisha akaondoka zake na kula chakula, wala uso wake haukuwa na huzuni tena.
191:19 Yos 18:25; Mwa 8; 1; 29:31Kesho yake asubuhi na mapema waliamka wakaabudu mbele za Bwana na kisha wakarudi nyumbani kwao huko Rama. Elikana akakutana kimwili na mkewe Hana, naye Bwana akamkumbuka. 201:20 Mwa 17:19; 29:32; 30:6; Kut 2:10; Mt 1:21; 1Sam 7:5; 12:23; 1Nya 6:27; Yer 15:1; Ebr 11:32Hivyo wakati ulipotimia, Hana akapata mimba na akamzaa mwana. Hana akamwita jina lake Samweli, akasema, “Kwa kuwa nilimwomba kwa Bwana.”
Hana Anamweka Samweli Wakfu
211:21 Mwa 28:20; Hes 30:2; Kum 12:11Wakati huyo mtu Elikana alipanda pamoja na jamaa yake yote kutoa dhabihu ya mwaka kwa Bwana na kutimiza nadhiri yake, 221:22 Lk 2:22; Kut 13:2; 1Sam 2:11; 3:1Hana hakwenda. Alimwambia mume wake, “Baada ya mtoto kuachishwa kunyonya, nitamchukua na kumpeleka mbele za Bwana, naye ataishi huko wakati wote.”
231:23 Mwa 25:21; 21:8; Hes 30:7; 2Sam 7:25Elikana mumewe akamwambia, “Fanya lile unaloona ni bora zaidi kwako. Ukae hapa mpaka utakapomwachisha kunyonya, Bwana na akujalie kutimiza nadhiri yako.” Hivyo huyo mwanamke akakaa nyumbani na kumnyonyesha mwanawe mpaka alipomwachisha kunyonya.
241:24 Hes 15:8-10Baada ya mtoto kuachishwa kunyonya, Hana akamchukua huyo mtoto, akiwa mdogo hivyo hivyo, pamoja na fahali wa miaka mitatu, efa ya unga1:24 Efa moja ya unga ni sawa na kilo 22. na kiriba cha divai, naye akamleta mtoto kwenye nyumba ya Bwana huko Shilo. 25Walipokwisha kumchinja yule fahali, wakamleta mtoto kwa Eli, 26naye Hana akamwambia Eli, “Hakika kama uishivyo, bwana wangu, mimi ndiye yule mama ambaye alisimama hapa karibu nawe akiomba kwa Bwana. 271:27 1Sam 2:20; Za 66:19-20; Mit 7:7Niliomba mtoto huyu, naye Bwana amenijalia kile nilichomwomba. 281:28 Amu 13:7; Mwa 24:26, 52Hivyo sasa ninamtoa kwa Bwana. Kwa maana maisha yake yote atakuwa ametolewa kwa Bwana.” Naye akamwabudu Bwana huko.
Samuel Is Born
1A certain man from Ramathaim in the hill country of Ephraim was named Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham. Jeroham was the son of Elihu. Elihu was the son of Tohu. Tohu was the son of Zuph. Elkanah belonged to the family line of Zuph. Elkanah lived in the territory of Ephraim. 2Elkanah had two wives. One was named Hannah. The other was named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah didn’t.
3Year after year Elkanah went up from his town to Shiloh. He went there to worship and sacrifice to the Lord who rules over all. Hophni and Phinehas served as priests of the Lord at Shiloh. They were the two sons of Eli. 4Every year at Shiloh, the day would come for Elkanah to offer a sacrifice. On that day, he would give a share of the meat to his wife Peninnah. He would also give a share to each of her sons and daughters. 5But he would give two shares of meat to Hannah. That’s because he loved her. He also gave her two shares because the Lord had kept her from having children. 6Peninnah teased Hannah to make her angry. She did it because the Lord had kept Hannah from having children. 7Peninnah teased Hannah year after year. Every time Hannah would go up to the house of the Lord, Elkanah’s other wife would tease her. She would keep doing it until Hannah cried and wouldn’t eat. 8Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why don’t you eat? Why are you so unhappy? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10Hannah was very sad. She wept and wept. She prayed to the Lord. 11She made a promise to him. She said, “Lord, you rule over all. Please see how I’m suffering! Show concern for me! Don’t forget about me! Please give me a son! If you do, I’ll give him back to the Lord. Then he will serve the Lord all the days of his life. He’ll never use a razor on his head. He’ll never cut his hair.”
12As Hannah kept on praying to the Lord, Eli watched her lips. 13She was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving. But she wasn’t making a sound. Eli thought Hannah was drunk. 14He said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Stop drinking your wine.”
15“That’s not true, sir,” Hannah replied. “I’m a woman who is deeply troubled. I haven’t been drinking wine or beer. I was telling the Lord all my troubles. 16Don’t think of me as an evil woman. I’ve been praying here because I’m very sad. My pain is so great.”
17Eli answered, “Go in peace. May the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for.”
18She said, “May you be pleased with me.” Then she left and had something to eat. Her face wasn’t sad anymore.
19Early the next morning Elkanah and his family got up. They worshiped the Lord. Then they went back to their home in Ramah. Elkanah slept with his wife Hannah. And the Lord blessed her. 20So after some time, Hannah became pregnant. She had a baby boy. She said, “I asked the Lord for him.” So she named him Samuel.
Hannah Gives Samuel to the Lord
21Elkanah went up to Shiloh to offer the yearly sacrifice to the Lord. He also went there to keep a promise he had made. His whole family went with him. 22But Hannah didn’t go. She said to her husband, “When the boy doesn’t need me to breast-feed him anymore, I’ll take him to the Lord’s house. I’ll give him to the Lord there. He’ll stay there for the rest of his life.”
23Her husband Elkanah told her, “Do what you think is best. Stay here at home until Samuel doesn’t need you to breast-feed him anymore. May the Lord make his promise to you come true.” So Hannah stayed home. She breast-fed her son until he didn’t need her milk anymore.
24When the boy didn’t need her to breast-feed him anymore, she took him with her to Shiloh. She took him there even though he was still very young. She brought him to the Lord’s house. She brought along a bull that was three years old. She brought 36 pounds of flour. She also brought a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. 25After the bull was sacrificed, Elkanah and Hannah brought the boy to Eli. 26Hannah said to Eli, “Pardon me, sir. I’m the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. And that’s just as sure as you are alive. 27I prayed for this child. The Lord has given me what I asked him for. 28So now I’m giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he’ll be given to the Lord.” And there Eli worshiped the Lord.
