INJANI ukuba ntle le nkwenkwana? Igama layo nguSamuweli. Yaye indoda ebeke isandla sayo entlokweni kaSamuweli ngumbingeleli omkhulu wakwaSirayeli uEli. Abanye nguyise kaSamuweli uElikana nonina uHana abazise uSamuweli kuEli.

USamuweli umalunga neminyaka emine okanye emihlanu kuphela ubudala. Kodwa uza kuhlala apha emnqubeni kaYehova noEli kwanabanye ababingeleli. Kutheni uElikana noHana benikela umntwana omncinane njengoSamuweli ukuze akhonze uYehova emnqubeni? Masibone.

Kwakuyiminyaka nje embalwa ngaphambi koku ekwathi uHana waba buhlungu gqitha. Isizathu yayikukuba wayengafumani mntwana, yaye wayemfuna kunene. Ngoko ngamhla uthile xa uHana wayetyelele emnqubeni kaYehova, wathandaza: ‘Yehova, musa ukundilibala! Ukuba undinika unyana, ndithembisa ukuba ndomnikela kuwe akukhonze bonke ubomi bakhe.’

UYehova wawuphendula umthandazo kaHana, yaye emva kweenyanga wazala uSamuweli. UHana wayeyithanda le nkwenkwana yakhe, yaye waqalisa ukuyifundisa ngoYehova isencinane gqitha. Wathi kumyeni wakhe: ‘Akuba mdala ngokwaneleyo uSamuweli ukuba angalunyulwa, ndiya kumsa emnqubeni ukuze akhonze uYehova apho.’

Yiloo nto esiyibona isenziwa nguHana noElikana emfanekisweni. Yaye ngenxa yokuba uSamuweli efundiswe kakuhle ngabazali bakhe, uyakuvuyela ukukhonza uYehova apha ententeni kaYehova. Nyaka ngamnye uHana noElikana beza kunqula kule ntente ikhethekileyo, nokutyelela inkwenkwana yabo. Yaye nyaka ngamnye uHana uzisa ingubo entsha engenamikhono ayenzele uSamuweli.

Njengokuba iminyaka ihamba, uSamuweli uhlala ekhonza emnqubeni kaYehova, yaye uYehova nabantu bayamthanda. Kodwa oonyana bombingeleli omkhulu uEli uHofeni noFinehasi bangabantu ababi. Benza izinto ezininzi ezimbi, yaye babangela ukuba nabanye bangamthobeli uYehova. UEli umele abasuse ekubeni ngababingeleli, kodwa akenjinjalo.

USamuweli omncinane akavumeli naziphi na izinto ezimbi ezenzeka emnqubeni zimbangele ayeke ukukhonza uYehova. Kodwa kuba bembalwa gqitha abantu abamthanda ngokwenene uYehova, sekulithuba elide uYehova egqibele ukuthetha nabantu. Xa uSamuweli ekhula esiba mdala kwenzeka le nto:

USamuweli ulele emnqubeni aze avuswe lilizwi. Uyaphendula: ‘Ndilapha.’ Uyavuka abaleke aye kuEli esithi: ‘Undibizile, ndilapha.’

Kodwa uEli uyaphendula: ‘Andikubizanga; buyela emandlalweni.’ Ngoko uSamuweli ubuyela emandlalweni wakhe.

Kuze kuvakale ilizwi okwesibini: ‘Samuweli!’ Ngoko uSamuweli uyavuka aze abuyele kuEli. ‘Undibizile, ndilapha,’ utsho. Kodwa uEli uyaphendula: ‘Andikubizanga, nyana wam. Lala kwakhona.’ Ngoko uSamuweli ubuyela emandlalweni.

‘Samuweli!’ ilizwi limbiza okwesithathu. Aze uSamuweli abaleke aye kuEli. ‘Ndilapha. Ngoku makube undibizile,’ utsho. Ngoku uEli uyazi ukuba makube nguYehova ombizayo. Ngoko uthi kuSamuweli: ‘Phinda uye kulala, yaye ukuba uva ilizwi kwakhona, yithi: “Thetha, Yehova, umkhonzi wakho uphulaphule.”’

Uthetha loo nto uSamuweli xa uYehova embiza kwakhona. UYehova uxelela uSamuweli ukuba uza kumohlwaya uEli noonyana bakhe. Kamva uHofeni noFinehasi bafela edabini besilwa namaFilisti; yaye xa uEli esiva okwenzekileyo uyawa, aphuke intamo aze naye afe. Ngoko ilizwi likaYehova lizalisekile.

USamuweli uyakhula, aze abe ngumgwebi wokugqibela kaSirayeli. Ekwaluphaleni, abantu bayamcela: ‘Sinyulele ukumkani asilawule.’ USamuweli akafuni ukwenza le nto, kuba ngokwenene nguYehova ukumkani wabo. Kodwa uYehova uthi makabaphulaphule abantu.