QALA bonyana umsanyana lo muhle kangangani! Ibizo lakhe nguSamuweli. Indoda ebeke isandla sayo ehloko kaSamuweli ngu-Eli umpristi omkhulu wakwa-Israyeli. Laba abalethe uSamuweli ku-Eli, ngu-Elikana noHana ababelethi bakhe.

USamuweli uneemnyaka epheze ibe mine namtjhana mihlanu ubudala. Kodwana uzokuhlala la etabarnakele lakaJehova no-Eli nabanye abapristi. Kubayini u-Elikana noHana banikela ngomntwana omncani ongangoSamuweli bona ayokukhulekela uJehova etabarnakele? Akhe sibone.

Iimnyakana embalwa ngaphambi kwesehlakalwesi uHana gade atshwenyeke khulu. Unobangela gade kukobana bekangamtholi umntwana, begodu bekamfuna ngehliziywakhe yoke. Ngalokho langelinye uHana gade avakatjhele itabarnakele lakaJehova, wathandaza wathi: ‘Maye Jehova, ungangilibali! Newungangipha indodana, ngiyathembisa bona ngizoyinikela kuwe ikukhonze ukuphila kwayo koke.’

UJehova wawuphendula umthandazo kaHana, ngemva kweenyanga ezimbalwa wabeletha uSamuweli. UHana gade amthanda khulu umsanyanakhe lo, wathoma ukumfundisa ngoJehova asesemncani. Watjela indodakhe wathi: ‘Msinyana uSamuweli nasele akhule ngokwaneleko kungasatlhogeki bona amunye, ngizomusa etabarnekele bona ayokukhonza uJehova lapho.’

Ngilokho esikubona uHana no-Elikana bakwenza la esithombeni. Ngombana uSamuweli ababelethi bakhe bamfundise kuhle khulu, uyakuthabela ukuzokukhonza uJehova la etendeni Lakhe. Qobe mnyaka uHana no-Elikana bebeza la etendeni elikhethekileko ukuzokukhulekela nokuzokuvakatjhela umsanyanabo. Qobe mnyaka uHana bekeza nembaji enganamkhono ayithungele uSamuweli.

Njengombana iimnyaka ikhamba, uSamuweli waragela phambili nokukhonza etabarnakela lakaJehova, athandwa nguJehova nabantu. Kodwana amadodana amabili wompristi omkhulu u-Eli, uHofini noFiniyasi bewangakalungi. Bebenza izinto ezinengi ezimbi, benza nabanye bona bangalandeli uJehova. U-Eli bekufuneka bona abasuse ekubeni bapristi, kodwana khenge akwenze lokho.

USamuweli osesemutjha khenge avumele izinto ezimbi egade zenzeka bona zimlisise ukukhonza uJehova etabarnakele. Ngombana bekunabantu abambalwa ebebamthanda kwamambala uJehova, gade sele kusikhathi eside uJehova angasakhulumi nabantu. Lokha uSamuweli nakakhulako aba mkhudlwana ngilokhu okwenzekako:

USamuweli bekalele etabarnakele lokha nekuba nelizwi elimvusako. Waphendula wathi: ‘Ngilapha.’ Wavuka wagijimela ku-Eli wathi: ‘Ungibizile, sengifikile.’

Kodwana u-Eli waphendula: ‘Khenge ngikubize; khambok’lala.’ Ngalokhu uSamuweli wakhamba wayokulala.

Ilizwi lambiza godu: ‘Samuweli!’ USamuweli wavuka wagijimela ku-Eli godu wathi: ‘Ungibizile, sengifikile.’ Kodwana u-Eli waphendula wathi: ‘Khenge ngikubize ndodanami. Khambok’lala godu.’ USamuweli wakhamba wayokulala.

Ilizwi lambiza kwesithathu: ‘Samuweli!’ USamuweli wagijimela ku-Eli wathi: ‘Ngilapha, kufanele bona ungibizile kwanjesi.’ U-Eli bekazi kwanjesi bona kufanele kube nguJehova ogade ambiza. Ngalokho watjela uSamuweli wathi: ‘Khamba uyokulala godu, nekakubizako, kufuneka uphendule uthi: “Khuluma Jehova, incekwakho ilalele.” ’

Ngilokho uSamuweli akutjhoko uJehova nakambizako godu. UJehova watjela uSamuweli bona uzokujezisa u-Eli namadodanakhe. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uHofeni noFiniyasi bafela epini namaFilisti, u-Eli nakezwa ngokwenzekileko, wawa, waphuka intamo wafa. Ngalokho amezwi kaJehova azaliseka.

USamuweli wakhula, waba mumahluleli wamaswaphela kwa-Israyeli. Lokha nasele aluphala, abantu bathi kuye: ‘Khetha ikosi bona isibuse.’ USamuweli bekangafuni ukukwenza lokho, ngombana ikosabo bekunguJehova. Kodwana uJehova wathi kuye akabalalele abantu.

1 Samuweli 1:1-28; 2:11-36; 4:16-18; 8:4-9.