1 Umfana uSamuyeli wakhonza phambi kukaThixo engaphansi kuka-Eli. Ngalezonsuku ilizwi likaThixo lalingandanga; kwakungelamibono eminengi.
2 Ngobunye ubusuku u-Eli, amehlo akhe ayesefiphala esebona kalufifi, wayelele endaweni yakhe yansuku zonke.
3 Isibane sikaNkulunkulu sasingakacitshi, njalo uSamuyeli wayelele phansi ethempelini likaThixo, lapho okwakulebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu khona.
4 Uthixo wasembiza uSamuyeli.
5 Wagijimela ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.”
6 Uthixo wambiza futhi wathi, “Samuyeli!” USamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.”
7 Ngalesosikhathi uSamuyeli wayengakamazi uThixo: Ilizwi likaThixo lalingakavezwa kuye.
8 Uthixo wambiza uSamuyeli okwesithathu, njalo uSamuyeli wavuka waya ku-Eli wathi, “Ngilapha; ungibizile.”
9 Ngakho u-Eli watshela uSamuyeli wathi, “Hamba uyelala, njalo nxa ekubiza wena uthi, ‘Khuluma Thixo, ngoba inceku yakho ilalele.’ ” Ngakho uSamuyeli wahamba wayalala endaweni yakhe.
10 Uthixo weza wema khonapho, ebiza njengakuqala esithi, “Samuyeli! Samuyeli!”
11 Uthixo wasesithi kuSamuyeli, “Khangela, sekuseduze ukuba ko-Israyeli ngenze into ezakwenza indlebe zomuntu wonke okuzwayo lokho zincencethe.
12 Ngalesosikhathi ngizamelana lo-Eli, ngenze konke engakukhuluma mayelana lendlu yakhe kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni.
13 Ngoba ngamtshela ukuthi ngizakwahlulela indlu yakhe okulaphakade ngenxa yesono ayesazi; amadodana akhe ayehlambaza uNkulunkulu, yena wehluleka ukuwakhuza.
14 Ngakho, ngayifungela indlu ka-Eli ngathi, ‘Icala lendlu ka-Eli kaliyikuhlawulwa ngomhlatshelo loba ngomnikelo.’ ”
15 USamuyeli walala phansi kwaze kwaba sekuseni wasevula iminyango yendlu kaThixo. Wayesesaba ukutshela u-Eli umbono,
16 kodwa u-Eli wambiza wathi, “Samuyeli, ndodana yami.”
17 U-Eli wabuza wathi, “Kuyini akutshiloyo kuwe na? Ungangifihleli. Sengathi uNkulunkulu angakujezisa, kube buhlungu kakhulu, nxa uzangifihlela loba kuyini akutshele khona.”
18 Ngakho uSamuyeli wamtshela konke, engamfihlelanga lutho. U-Eli wasesithi, “UnguThixo; kenze lokho akubona kukuhle emehlweni akhe.”
19 Uthixo wayeloSamuyeli ekukhuleni kwakhe, njalo kayekelanga lalinye lamazwi akhe liwela phansi.
20 Njalo u-Israyeli wonke kusukela eDani kusiya eBherishebha wakwazi ukuthi uSamuyeli wayebekwe ukuba ngumphrofethi kaThixo.
21 Uthixo waqhubeka ebonakala eShilo, njalo khonapho waziveza kuSamuyeli ngelizwi lakhe.