1, 2. Kodi zinthu zinali bwanji pamene Samueli ankalankhula ndi Aisiraeli? Nanga n’chifukwa chiyani anafunika kuwathandiza kuti alape?

SAMUELI, amene anali atatumikira mokhulupirika monga mneneri komanso woweruza kwa zaka zambiri, anaitanitsa Aisiraeli anzake m’tauni ya Giligala. Tikatengera kalendala yathu ya masiku ano, umenewu unali mwezi wa May kapena June, ndipo nyengo ya chilimwe n’kuti itayamba. M’derali tirigu anali atakhwima kale moti anthu anali okonzeka kuti nthawi ina iliyonse ayamba kukolola. Aisiraeli atafika ku Giligala, anali tcheru kuti amve zimene Samueli anawaitanira. Kodi pamenepa Samueli akanalankhula mfundo zotani kuti awafike pa mtima anthuwa?

² Aisiraeli anaumirira kuti akufuna munthu woti akhale mfumu yawo, koma sankadziwa kuopsa kwa zimene ankafunazo. Sanadziwenso kuti akunyoza kwambiri Yehova Mulungu komanso mneneri wake. Pamenepa tingati iwo anakana kuti Yehova akhale Mfumu yawo. Ndiyeno kodi Samueli akanatani kuti athandize anthuwo kulapa?

3, 4. (a) N’chifukwa chiyani Samueli anauza Aisiraeli zokhudza nthawi imene anali mwana? (b) Kodi chitsanzo cha Samueli pa nkhani ya chikhulupiriro n’chofunika bwanji kwa ifeyo?

³ Kenako Samueli anauza khamu la anthulo kuti: “Ine, ndakalamba ndipo ndachita imvi.” Tsitsi lake, lomwe pa nthawiyi lonse linalidi laimvi, linasonyeza kuti zimene akunenazo ndi zoona. Kenako iye anati: “Ine ndatumikira Mulungu ndi kukutsogolerani kuyambira pa ubwana wanga, mpaka lero.” (1 Sam. 11:14, 15; 12:2) Ngakhale kuti Samueli anali atakalamba, ankakumbukirabe zimene zinachitika ali mwana. Zimene anasankha kuchita ali mnyamata zinachititsa kuti pa moyo wake wonse akhale munthu wachikhulupiriro ndiponso wodzipereka kwa Mulungu wake, Yehova.

⁴ Samueli anayesetsa kukhalabe ndi chikhulupiriro cholimba ngakhale kuti nthawi zambiri ankakhala ndi anthu opanda chikhulupiriro komanso osakhulupirika. Masiku anonso, ndi zovuta kukhala ndi chikhulupiriro  cholimba chifukwa tikukhala m’dziko loipa ndipo anthu ambiri ndi opanda chikhulupiriro. (Werengani Luka 18:8.) Tiyeni tione zimene tingaphunzire kwa Samueli kuyambira ali mwana.

5, 6. (a) N’chifukwa chiyani tinganene kuti zimene zinachitika pa moyo wa Samueli ali mwana n’zosiyana ndi ana ena? (b) Kodi makolo ake ankadziwa bwanji kuti mwana wawoyo azikasamalidwa bwino?

⁵ Zimene zinachitika pa moyo wa Samueli ali mwana n’zosiyana kwambiri ndi zimene zimachitika pa moyo wa ana ambiri. Iye ayenera kuti anasiya kuyamwa ali ndi zaka zitatu kapena zitangopitirira pang’ono. Atangosiya kuyamwa, anayamba kutumikira pachihema chopatulika cha Yehova ku Silo. Umenewu unali mtunda wa makilomita 30 kuchokera kwawo ku Rama. Bambo ake a Samueli, a Elikana, ndi mayi ake, a Hana, anamupereka kuti akatumikire Yehova mwapadera ndipo zimenezi zinachititsa kuti Samueli akhale Mnaziri kwa moyo wake wonse. * Koma kodi izi zikutanthauza kuti makolo a Samueli sankamukonda ndiponso anangomutaya?

⁶ Ayi ndithu. Iwo ankadziwa kuti mwana wawoyu azikasamalidwa bwinobwino ku Silo. Popeza Samueli ankagwira ntchito ndi Mkulu wa Ansembe Eli, n’zosakayikitsa kuti Eli ankaonetsetsa kuti Samueli akusamalidwa bwino. Panalinso azimayi angapo amene ankathandiza zinthu zina ndi zina pachihema chopatulika, ndipo panali dongosolo limene ankatsatira pogwira ntchitoyo.—Eks. 38:8; Ower. 11:34-40.

7, 8. (a) Kodi makolo a Samueli ankachita chiyani chaka ndi chaka pofuna kumulimbikitsa? (b) Kodi makolo angaphunzire chiyani kwa makolo a Samueli?

⁷ Komanso Hana ndi Elikana sanamuiwale mwana wawo woyambayu, yemwe kubadwa kwake kunasonyeza kuti Mulungu wayankha pemphero lawo. Hana anali atapempha Mulungu kuti amuthandize kuti akhale ndi mwana wamwamuna ndipo analonjeza kuti adzapereka mwanayo kwa Mulungu kuti azikamutumikira. Chaka chilichonse Hana akamapita ku Silo, ankamupititsira Samueli malaya atsopano odula manja amene wamusokera kuti azikavala potumikira pachihema chopatulika. N’zosachita kufunsa kuti mwanayu ankasangalala kwambiri mayi ake akadzamuona. Makolo ake ankamulimbikitsa, kumuphunzitsa ndiponso kumulangiza kuti aziona kuti ndi mwayi waukulu kutumikira Yehova pamalo amenewo. N’zosakayikitsa kuti zimenezi zinamuthandiza kwambiri kuti azisangalala ndi utumiki wake.

⁸ Masiku ano makolo angaphunzire zambiri kwa Hana ndi Elikana. Makolo ambiri amangoganizira zopezera ana awo zinthu zakuthupi koma saganizira kufunika kowaphunzitsa zinthu zauzimu. Koma mosiyana ndi zimenezi, makolo a Samueli anaika zinthu zauzimu patsogolo ndipo zimenezi zinathandiza kwambiri kuti Samueli atakula azikondabe zinthu zauzimu.—Werengani Miyambo 22:6.

9, 10. (a) Fotokozani mmene chihema chinamangidwira komanso mmene Samueli ankamvera akaona chihemacho. (Onaninso mawu a m’munsi.) (b) Kodi Samueli ankagwira ntchito ziti, ndipo achinyamata angatengere bwanji chitsanzo chake?

 ⁹ Pamene anali mwana, ayenera kuti ankayendayenda m’mapiri ku Silo n’cholinga choti adziwe bwinobwino malowo. Mwina Samueli akayang’ana tauni ya Silo imene inali m’chigwa, n’kuonanso chihema cha Yehova chimene chinali pafupi ndi tauniyi, ankasangalala ndiponso kunyadira kwambiri. Chihema chimenechi chinalidi malo opatulika. * Chihemachi chinali chitamangidwa zaka pafupifupi 400 m’mbuyomo ndipo amene anatsogolera ntchito yomanga chihemachi anali Mose. Chihema chopatulikachi chinali malo okhawo padziko lonse kumene anthu ankapita kukalambira Mulungu woona, Yehova.

¹⁰ Kuyambira ali mwana, Samueli ankakonda kwambiri chihema chopatulikachi. M’nkhani ina imene iye analemba muli mawu akuti: “Samueli anali kutumikira pamaso pa Yehova, ali mwana ndipo anali kuvala efodi wansalu.” (1 Sam. 2:18) Efodi ameneyu anali malaya odula manja ndipo zimenezi zikusonyeza kuti Samueli ankagwira ntchito yothandiza ansembe kuchihema. Ngakhale kuti Samueli sanali wansembe, iye ankagwira ntchito monga kutsegula zitseko zolowera m’bwalo la chihema chopatulika m’mawa uliwonse ndiponso kutumikira Eli amene anali wokalamba. Komabe ngakhale kuti iye ankasangalala kugwira ntchito imeneyi, patapita nthawi anayamba kuvutika mumtima mwake chifukwa zinthu zina sizinkayenda bwino panyumba ya Yehovayi.

11, 12. (a) Kodi Hofeni ndi Pinihasi anali ndi vuto liti? (b) Kodi ndi zoipa ziti zimene Hofeni ndi Pinihasi ankachita kuchihema? (Onaninso mawu a m’munsi.)

¹¹ Samueli ali mwana, anaona anthu akuchita zinthu zoipa komanso zachinyengo kwambiri. Eli anali ndi ana aamuna awiri, Hofeni ndi Pinihasi. Samueli analemba kuti: “Ana aamuna a Eli anali anthu opanda pake. Iwo anali kunyalanyaza Yehova.” (1 Sam. 2:12) Mfundo ziwiri zimene zatchulidwa m’vesi limeneli n’zogwirizana kwambiri. Hofeni ndi Pinihasi anali “anthu opanda pake,” kapena kuti anthu achabechabe, chifukwa ankanyalanyaza Yehova. Iwo sankaganizira n’komwe mfundo zolungama za Yehova ndiponso zimene iye amafuna. Zimenezi n’zimene zinachititsa kuti azichitanso machimo ena ambirimbiri.

 ¹² Chilamulo cha Mulungu chinali ndi malangizo omveka bwino onena za ntchito ya ansembe ndiponso mmene angaperekere nsembe pachihema chopatulika. Kufotokoza malangizowa mwanjira imeneyi kunali koyenera chifukwa nsembe zimenezi zinkaimira dongosolo limene Mulungu anakonza loti akhululukire anthu machimo ndi kuyamba kuwaonanso kuti ndi oyera ndiponso oyenera kuwadalitsa ndi kuwatsogolera. Koma Hofeni ndi Pinihasi anatsogolera ansembe anzawo kuchita zinthu zosalemekeza nsembe zimene anthu ankapereka. *

13, 14. (a) Kodi zoipa zimene zinkachitika kuchihema zinakhudza bwanji anthu osalakwa? (b) Kodi Eli analephera bwanji kukwaniritsa udindo wake monga wansembe komanso bambo?

¹³ Kodi mukuganiza kuti Samueli, yemwe pa nthawiyi anali wachinyamata, ankamva bwanji kuona zinthu zoipa choncho zikupitirira kuchitika? Samueli ayenera kuti ankaona anthu ambiri osauka, ankhawa komanso oponderezedwa akubwera kudzapereka nsembe zawo kuchihema chopatulika n’cholinga choti alimbikitsidwe mwauzimu. Koma anthuwa ankachoka kuchihemako ali okhumudwa komanso atachititsidwa manyazi kwambiri. Kodi Samueli anamva bwanji atadziwa kuti Hofeni ndi Pinihasi ankaswanso malamulo a Yehova pochita zachiwerewere ndi ena mwa azimayi amene ankatumikiranso kuchihema komweko? (1 Sam. 2:22) Mwina iye ankayembekezera kuti Eli achitapo kanthu kuti zimenezi zisapitirire.

¹⁴ Eli anali pamalo abwino oti akanatha kuletsa makhalidwe oipa amenewa. Popeza anali mkulu wa ansembe, iye anali ndi udindo woyang’anira zochitika zonse za pachihema chopatulikacho. Komanso monga bambo, iye anali ndi udindo wolangiza ana akewo. Ndipotu zimene anawa ankachita kunali kungodzipweteka okha komanso kuvulaza anthu ena ambirimbiri m’dzikolo. Koma Eli analephera kukwaniritsa udindo wake monga mkulu wa ansembe komanso monga bambo. Iye anangodzudzula ana akewo mowanyengerera. (Werengani 1 Samueli 2:23-25.) Koma anawo ankafunika kuwadzudzula mwamphamvu chifukwa zimene ankachitazo chilango chake chinali kuphedwa.

15. Kodi Yehova anatumiza uthenga wamphamvu uti kwa Eli, nanga banja la Eli linatani litalandira uthengawu?

¹⁵ Zinthu zinafika poipa kwambiri moti Yehova anatumiza mneneri wina kwa Eli kuti akamuuze uthenga wamphamvu wonena za chiweruzo cha Yehova. Mneneriyu sanatchulidwe dzina, koma Baibulo limangomutchula kuti “munthu wa Mulungu.” Yehova anauza Eli kuti ankalemekeza ana ake kuposa iyeyo. Chifukwa cha zimenezi, anamuuza kuti ana ake oipawo adzafa tsiku limodzi ndiponso banja la Eli lidzakumana ndi mavuto aakulu ndipo anthu a m’banjalo sadzakhalanso ndi mwayi wotumikira ngati ansembe. Kodi uthenga wamphamvu umenewu unathandiza kuti zinthu zisinthe  m’banjali? Baibulo limasonyeza kuti zinthu sizinasinthe.—1 Sam. 2:27–3:1.

16. (a) Kodi Baibulo limanena kuti Samueli ankakula bwanji? (b) N’chifukwa chiyani tinganene kuti zimenezi n’zolimbikitsa?

¹⁶ Kodi makhalidwe oipa amenewa anamukhudza bwanji Samueli? Baibulo limasonyeza kuti pa nthawi yonse imene zinthu zomvetsa chisonizi zinkachitika, Samueli ankachita zinthu zabwino ndipo anakula akukonda kwambiri zinthu zauzimu. Kumbukirani kuti pa 1 Samueli 2:18 timawerenga kuti Samueli ‘anali kutumikira mokhulupirika pamaso pa Yehova, ali mwana.’ Choncho, ngakhale pamene anali mwana, Samueli ankakonda kwambiri kutumikira Mulungu. Vesi 21 limanena mfundo ina yolimbikitsa kwambiri. Limati: “Mwanayo Samueli anapitiriza kukula, akukondedwa ndi Yehova.” Pamene ankakula, ubwenzi wake ndi Yehova unkakulanso kwambiri. Kukhala pa ubwenzi wolimba chonchi ndi Yehova, n’kumene kumateteza munthu kuti asatengere zoipa zimene zimachitika padzikoli.

17, 18. (a) Kodi Akhristu achinyamata angatsanzire bwanji Samueli ngati akukhala ndi anthu amakhalidwe oipa? (b) Kodi n’chiyani chikusonyeza kuti Samueli anasankha zinthu mwanzeru?

¹⁷ Samueli akanatha kuganiza kuti ngati mkulu wa ansembe ndiponso ana ake akuchita machimo, ndiye kuti palibe vuto ngati nayenso atamachita zilizonse zimene akufuna. Koma anthu ena, kuphatikizapo amene ali ndi udindo, akamachita zinthu zoipa, si chifukwa choti nafenso tizichita zoipa. Masiku ano Akhristu achinyamata ambiri amatsatira chitsanzo cha Samueli ndipo ‘akupitirizabe kukula ndi Yehova.’ Iwo amachita zimenezi ngakhale kuti akukhala ndi anthu amene akuchita zoipa.

¹⁸ Kodi khalidwe labwino la Samueli linamuthandiza bwanji? Timawerenga kuti: “Izi zili choncho, mwanayo Samueli anali kukula ndi kukondedwa kwambiri ndi Yehova komanso anthu.” (1 Sam. 2:26) Choncho Samueli ankakondedwa ndi anthu amene analinso ndi makhalidwe abwino. Komanso Yehova anasangalala kwambiri ndi kukhulupirika kwa mnyamata ameneyu. Mosakayikira, Samueli ankadziwa kuti  Mulungu adzachitapo kanthu pa zoipa zimene zinkachitika ku Silo. Koma mwina ankadabwa kuti Mulungu adzachitapo kanthu liti. Tsiku lina, funso limeneli linayankhidwa.

19, 20. (a) Fotokozani zimene zinachitika kwa Samueli tsiku lina. (b) Kodi Samueli ankamuona bwanji Eli? (c) Kodi Samueli anadziwa bwanji yemwe ankamuitana?

¹⁹ Tsiku lina m’mawa kwambiri, kunja kudakali mdima ndipo nyali yaikulu ya m’chihema ikuwalabe, Samueli anamva wina akumuitana. Iye anaganiza kuti ndi Eli, yemwe pa nthawiyi anali wokalamba ndipo ankaona movutikira zedi. Samueli anaimirira ndipo “anathamangira kwa Eli.” Mwina mnyamatayu anadzuka mwamsangamsanga, osavala ndi nsapato zomwe, n’kuthamangira kwa Eli kuti akamve chimene akumuitanira. N’zochititsa chidwi kuona kuti Samueli ankalemekezabe kwambiri Eli ndiponso ankamuchitira zinthu zosonyeza kukoma mtima. Samueli ankadziwa kuti ngakhale kuti Eli ankachita zinthu zoipa zonsezi, iye anali adakali mkulu wa ansembe wa Yehova.—1 Sam. 3:2-5.

²⁰ Samueli anamudzutsa Eli n’kumuuza kuti: “Ndabwera mbuyanga, ndamva kuitana.” Koma Eli ananena kuti sanamuitane ndipo anamuuza kuti abwerere akagone. Samueli anamvanso kuitana ndipo anapitanso kwa Eli. Izi zinachitika maulendo angapo. Pamapeto pake Eli anazindikira chimene chinkachitika. Chifukwa cha zimene zinkachitika pachihema chopatulika, Yehova sankalankhulanso pafupipafupi ndi anthu m’masomphenya kapena kuwatumizira uthenga waulosi. Koma zimene zinachitikazi zinapangitsa Eli kudziwa kuti Yehova wayambanso kulankhula ndi anthu ndipo pa nthawiyi analankhula kwa mwanayu. Eli anauza Samueli kuti apite kukagona ndipo anamulangiza mmene angayankhire akamvanso kuitanako. Samueli anamvera ndipo pasanapite nthawi anamvanso kuitana kuti: “Samueli, Samueli!” Mwanayo anayankha kuti: “Lankhulani, ine mtumiki wanu ndikumvetsera.”—1 Sam. 3:1, 5-10.

21. Kodi tingamvetsere bwanji Yehova masiku ano, ndipo n’chifukwa chiyani kuchita zimenezi kuli kofunika?

²¹ Tsopano Yehova anapeza mtumiki wake ku Silo amene ankamumvetsera. Samueli anapitirizabe kumvera Yehova kwa moyo wake wonse. Kodi nanunso mumamvera Yehova? Masiku ano sitichita kufunikira kumva Mulungu akutiitana usiku chifukwa tikhoza kumva mawu ake nthawi ina iliyonse. Timamva mawu a Mulungu kudzera m’Baibulo. Tikamamvetsera Mulungu n’kumachita zimene akutiuza, m’pamenenso chikhulupiriro chathu chimalimba. Zimenezi ndi zomwe zinachitika kwa Samueli.

22, 23. (a) Kodi uthenga umene poyamba Samueli ankaopa kuuza Eli unakwaniritsidwa bwanji? (b) Kodi n’chiyani chinachititsa kuti Samueli apitirizebe kudziwika kuti anali mneneri wokhulupirika?

²² Zimene zinachitika usiku umenewo zinasintha kwambiri moyo wa Samueli. Tikutero chifukwa kuyambira nthawi imeneyo iye anayamba kudziwa Yehova mwapadera kwambiri ndipo anakhala mneneri wake komanso womulankhulira. Poyamba mnyamatayu anachita mantha kuuza Eli uthenga wa Yehova, popeza unali wonena kuti ulosi wachiweruzo cha Yehova ku banjali watsala pang’ono kukwaniritsidwa. Koma Samueli analimba mtima  n’kuuza Eli uthengawo ndipo Eli modzichepetsa anavomereza chiweruzo cha Mulungu. Pasanapite nthawi, zonse zimene Yehova ananena zinachitikadi. Aisiraeli anapita kukamenyana ndi Afilisiti ndipo Hofeni ndi Pinihasi anaphedwa tsiku limodzi. Nayenso Eli anafa atamva kuti adani alanda Likasa lopatulika la Yehova.—1 Sam. 3:10-18; 4:1-18.

²³ Koma Samueli anapitirizabe kudziwika kuti anali mneneri wokhulupirika. Nkhaniyi imati: “Yehova anali naye.” Imanenanso kuti Yehova anakwaniritsa ulosi wina uliwonse wa Samueli.—Werengani 1 Samueli 3:19.

24. Kodi Aisiraeli ananena kuti akufuna chiyani, ndipo n’chifukwa chiyani limeneli linali tchimo lalikulu?

²⁴ Koma kodi Aisiraeli anamvera malangizo a Samueli n’kukhala anthu okonda zinthu zauzimu ndiponso okhulupirika? Ayi. Patapita nthawi ananena kuti sakufuna kuti azitsogoleredwa ndi mneneri basi. Iwo ankafuna kuti akhale ndi mfumu yawo ngati mmene zinalili ndi anthu a mitundu ina. Yehova anauza Samueli kuti awapatse mfumu imene anapemphayo. Koma anayeneranso kusonyeza Aisiraeliwo kuti zimene anasankhazo ndi tchimo loopsa kwambiri. Aisiraeli sanakane Samueli koma anakana Yehova. Choncho, Samueli anaitanira Aisiraeli onse ku Giligala kuti akakambirane nkhaniyi.

25, 26. Kodi Samueli anathandiza bwanji Aisiraeli kuzindikira kuti achimwira kwambiri Yehova?

²⁵ Tiyeni tione zimene zinachitika atafika ku Giligalako. Tsiku limeneli Samueli, amene pa nthawiyi anali wokalamba, anakumbutsa Aisiraeli kuti watumikira Mulungu mokhulupirika pa moyo wake wonse. Kenako timawerenga kuti: “Samueli anafuulira Yehova,” kumupempha kuti abweretse mvula yamabingu.—1 Sam. 12:17, 18.

²⁶ Koma kodi mvula yamabingu ikanagwadi m’nyengo yachilimwe imeneyi? Zoterezi zinali zisanachitikepo. Koma ngati panali ena amene ankakayikira zoti mvula ingagwe kapena kuseka Samueli, anadabwa chifukwa mwadzidzidzi mitambo yamvula inasonkhana. Kunayamba kuwomba chimphepo champhamvu chimene chinaweramitsa tirigu yense m’minda. Ndiyeno kunagunda mabingu amphamvu, kenako kunayamba kugwa chimvula. Kodi anthuwo anachita chiyani? Baibulo limanena kuti: “Anthu onse anachita mantha kwambiri ndi Yehova ndiponso ndi Samueli.” Apa tsopano Aisiraeliwo anazindikira kuti achimwira Mulungu kwambiri.—1 Sam. 12:18, 19.

27. Kodi Yehova amaona bwanji anthu amene amatsanzira chikhulupiriro cha Samueli?

²⁷ Amene anachititsa kuti Aisiraeli azindikire kuti alakwa, sanali Samueli koma Mulungu wake, Yehova. Kungoyambira ali mwana mpaka kukalamba, Samueli ankakhulupirira Yehova Mulungu ndipo anadalitsidwa. Mpaka pano Yehova sanasinthe. Iye akuthandizabe anthu amene amatsanzira chikhulupiriro cha Samueli.