Lute; 1 Samuela 1–7

ʻOku fakamatalaʻi ʻe he tohi ʻa Luté ʻa e hisitōlia ʻo e fāmili ʻo Nāomi mo ʻElimelekí, ʻa ia naʻe moʻui lolotonga ʻa e taimi ʻo e kau fakamāú. Ko e taha ia ʻo e tohi pē ʻe ua ʻi he Fuakava Motuʻá ʻoku fakahingoa ki ha fefine. ʻOku fokotuʻu mai ʻe he tohí ʻa e feʻofaʻaki mo e manavaʻofa ʻa Nāomi mo Lute ko hono ʻofefine ʻi he fonó ʻi heʻena foua ko ha ongo uitou ʻa e ngaahi faingataʻá.

Ko e tefitoʻi kaveinga ʻi he tohi ʻa Luté ko e huhuʻí. Ko Luté ko ha muli, ʻikai ha fānau, pea ko ha uitou, mo fuʻu masiva ʻangoʻango pea ʻikai hano poupou. Neongo hono ngaahi tūkungá, ka naʻá ne fili ke muimui ʻia Sihova pea hoko ko ha konga ʻo Hono kakai ʻo e fuakavá. Naʻe faifai pea toe mali ʻa Lute, naʻe tali kakato ia ko ha tokotaha ʻIsileli, pea tāpuekina ʻaki ia ha fānau. Koeʻuhí ko e kaveinga ko ʻeni ʻo e huhuʻí, ʻoku mahuʻinga ke fakatokangaʻi ko Sīsū Kalaisi, ʻa ia ko e Huhuʻi ʻo e māmaní, ko ha hako tonu ia ʻo Lute.

Ko e kau Moapé ko e hako ia ʻo Lote mo hono ʻofefine lahí. Naʻe faʻa fepaki ʻa e kau Moapé mo e kau ʻIsilelí ʻi ha ngaahi tau kehekehe. Naʻa nau hū kia Kimosi, ko ha ʻotua naʻe ngalingali felāveʻi mo hono feilaulau ʻaki ʻa e tangatá. Naʻe tuʻu ʻa e fonua ko Moapé ʻi he fakahahake ʻo e Tahi Maté, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa Soatani ʻi he ʻaho ní.

Naʻe fekau ʻe he ʻEikí ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsesé ke ʻoua naʻa utu ʻe kinautolu ʻoku ʻanautolu ʻa e ngoué ʻa e konga ʻi he ngaahi tafatafaʻaki ʻo ʻenau ngoué. Naʻe lava leva heni ke toli ʻe he masivá ʻa e ngoue ko ʻení, mo fakapapauʻi te nau maʻu ha meʻa ke kai. Hili hono tānaki ʻo e ututaʻú, naʻe fakangofua foki mo e kau masivá ke nau tānaki ʻa e kiʻi toenga ngoue naʻe ngalo pe ngangana mei he nima ʻo e kau ututaʻú. ʻI he kuonga ʻo e tohi tapú, naʻe ui ʻa e ngāue ki hono tānaki ʻo e kēlení pe ko ha fua kehe ʻo e ngoué naʻe liʻaki ʻe he kau tuʻusí ko e “okooko.”

Naʻe fakahaaʻi ʻe Pōasi ha angaʻofa lahi kia Lute ʻaki ʻene fakahinohinoʻi ʻene kau ngāué ke nau tuku ha kēleni lahi ange ke ne tānaki. ʻI he taimi naʻe foki atu ai ʻa Lute kia Nāomí, naʻá ne foki atu mo ha ʻefa ʻo e paʻalé—ʻa ia ʻoku fakafuofua ki ha lita ʻe 23 pe pāuni nai ʻe 30 (kilo ʻe 13.5). Naʻe lahi ange eni ia ʻi he meʻa angamaheni ʻoku lava ke tānaki ʻe he kau okookó ʻi ha ʻaho.

ʻOku maʻu ʻa e kupuʻi lea ko e “kāinga ofi” ʻi he Liliu ʻa Kingi Sēmisi ʻo e Fuakava Motuʻá ʻoku maʻu ia mei he foʻi lea faka-Hepelū ko e gō’el, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻuhinga ko e “huhuʻi.” ʻI he kuonga muʻá ʻi ʻIsileli, naʻe ʻuhinga, ʻa e huhuʻí ki ha kāinga ofi naʻe ʻi ai hono fatongia ke ne fakahaofi ʻa e kau mēmipa ʻo e fāmilí mei he ngaahi moʻua naʻe ʻikai ke nau lava ʻo totongi ʻiate kinautolu peé. Naʻe kau heni hono fakatauʻatāinaʻi ʻo e kau mēmipa ʻo e fāmilí mei he nofo pōpulá pe fakatau mai ha kelekele fakafāmili naʻe mei mole koeʻuhí ko ha ngaahi moʻua naʻe teʻeki totongi.

ʻOku felāveʻi makehe ʻa e tohi ʻa Luté mo e huhuʻi ʻa e kāinga ofí pea mo e fono faka-līvai ʻo e malí. ʻI he malumalu ʻo e lao faka-līvaí, kapau naʻe mate ʻa e husepānití ʻoku ʻikai haʻane fānau, ko e fatongia ia ʻo e tokoua ʻo e husepānití pe kāinga tangata ofi tahá ke mali mo e uitoú. ʻI he taimi naʻe talaange ai ʻe Nāomi kia Lute, “Ko e tangata kāinga ofi ia kiate kitaua [Poasi], ko e toko taha ʻo hota kāinga ʻoku ofi lahi,” ko ʻene ʻuhingá ko Poasi ʻa e toko taha te ne huhuʻi kinaua mei hona tuʻunga masivesivá. Naʻe ʻikai ngata pē hono fai ʻeni ʻe Poasi ko hono fakatau ʻo e kelekele ʻo ʻElimelekí kae toe muimui foki ki he ngaahi anga fakafonua faka-līvaí ke mali mo Luté.

Pea hangē pē ko Nāomi mo Luté, he ʻikai ke tau lava ʻo fakahaofi kitautolu ka kuo pau ke tau falala ki hotau Huhuʻi ko Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻa ia kuó Ne “fakatau [kitautolu] ʻaki hono taʻataʻa ʻoʻoná.” Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ʻe ʻEletā D. Toti Kulisitofasoni ʻo pehē: “Ko e taha ʻo e huafa mahuʻinga taha ʻokú ne fakamatalaʻi ʻa Sīsū Kalaisí ko e Huhuʻí. … ʻOku ʻuhinga ʻa e foʻi lea huhuʻí ke totongi ʻosi ha haʻisia pe moʻua. ʻE toe lava foki ke ʻuhinga ʻa e huhuʻí ke fakahaofi pe fakatauʻatāinaʻi ʻi hano totongi ha moʻua. … ʻOku fakafōtunga mai ʻe he ngaahi ʻuhingá ni takitaha ha ngaahi konga kehekehe ʻo e Huhuʻi maʻongoʻonga naʻe fai ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi ʻi Heʻene Fakaleleí.” Makatuʻunga mei Heʻene feilaulau fakaleleí, ʻoku totongi ai ʻe Sīsū Kalaisi hotau ngaahi moʻua fakalaumālié, fakahaofi kitautolu mei he angahalá mo e maté, pea foaki mai hatau tofiʻa taʻengata.

Hili ʻa e ututaʻú, naʻe fakatahataha hake ʻa e kau ngāué ki ha foʻi kelekele māʻolunga, ʻoku meimei fuopotopoto ʻa ia ʻoku ui ko e potu hahaʻangá. Naʻa nau fakamavahevaheʻi heni ʻa e tengaʻi kēlení mei he ngeʻesi ʻokú ne kofukofuʻi kinautolú—ʻa ia naʻe ui ko e kafukafú. Naʻe faʻa fakahoko ʻeni ʻi he efiafí, ʻi he taimi naʻe lava ai ʻe he havilivili mālohí ʻo toʻo ʻa e kafukafú. Ko ha taimi fakafiefia hono haha ʻo e uité, ko hono fakaʻilongaʻi ia ʻo e ngataʻanga ʻo e faʻahitaʻu fakalahí mo e ututaʻú. Naʻe faʻa nofo maʻu pē ʻa e tokotaha ʻoku ʻaʻana ʻa e ngoué ʻi he potu hahaʻangá ke maluʻi ʻa e ututaʻú mei he kau kaihaʻá.

Hili hono ʻiloʻi ʻe Nāomi ʻa e angaʻofa ʻa Poasi kia Luté peá ne ʻiloʻi ko ia ʻe hoko ko ha huhuʻí, naʻe fakalotolahiʻi ai ʻe Nāomi ʻa Lute ke ne feinga ke na mali. Naʻe fai pau ʻa Lute ki he fakahinohino ʻa Nāomí, ʻo tokoto ʻi he veʻe vaʻe ʻo Poasí lolotonga ʻene mohe ʻi he potu hahaʻangá. ʻOku lekooti ʻi he Liliu ʻa Kingi Sēmisi ʻo e Fuakava Motuʻá ʻa e kole ʻa Lute kia Poasí ʻo peheni, “Ke ke ʻai ho kafú ki hoʻo kaunangá; he ko e kāinga ofi koe.” Ka ko ha liliu ʻeni ʻe toe fakahangatonu angé, “Folahi mai ho kapakaú ki hoʻo kaunangá, he ko koé ko ha huhuʻi.” ʻI hono fai ʻo e kole ko ʻení, ko e matuʻaki kole ia ʻa Lute kia Poasi ke mali mo ia koeʻuhí ke ne [Poasi] lava ʻo maluʻi mo tokangaʻi ia.

Naʻe ʻuluaki loto ʻa e kāinga ofi taha kia Nāomí ke ne huhuʻi ʻa e konga fonua ʻo ʻElimelekí, ka naʻe toe liliu ʻene fakakaukaú ʻi heʻene ʻiloʻi ʻe fiemaʻu foki ke ne mali mo Luté. Naʻá ne hohaʻa naʻa hoko ʻene fakaʻaongaʻi ʻene totonu ki he huhuʻí ke “maumau ai [hono] tofiʻa ʻoʻoná.” ʻOku fakamahino mai ʻe he hohaʻa ko ʻení ʻa e ʻikai ke ne loto ke maʻu ʻa e kelekele naʻá ne fakataú ʻe ha ngaahi foha ʻo Lute ʻi he kahaʻú kae ʻikai ko e kau mēmipa totonu ʻo hono fāmilí.

ʻOku fakamatala ʻa e tohi ʻa 1 Samuelá ki he ngāue ʻa e palōfita ko Samuelá, ko e fakamuimui taha ia ʻi he kau fakamaau ʻo ʻIsilelí. Lolotonga ʻa e kuonga ʻo e kau fakamāú, naʻe fakangaloki ʻe he tokolahi ʻo e kau ʻIsilelí ʻa e ʻEikí ka nau tafoki ʻo tauhi tamapua. ʻOku fakamatalaʻi ʻe he tohi 1 ʻa Samuelá ʻa e feinga ʻa Samuela ke toe fokotuʻu ʻa e moihū maʻu pē kia Sihová. ʻOkú ne toe fakamatalaʻi foki ʻa e faingataʻaʻia ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí ʻi he liliu mei he kau fakamāú ki he ngaahi tuʻí. ʻI he fakahinohino ʻa e ʻEikí, naʻe ui mo pani ʻe Samuela ʻa Saula ke hoko ko e ʻuluaki tuʻi ʻo ʻIsilelí pea ke hoko ʻa Tēvita ko ha tuʻi ʻo ʻIsileli ʻi he kahaʻú.

Naʻe fai ʻe ʻAna ha fuakava kapau ʻe tāpuakiʻi ia ʻe he ʻEikí ʻaki ha foha, te ne “foaki ia ki [he ʻEikí] ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo ʻene moʻuí.” ʻOku fakahaaʻi ʻe he fuakava ko ʻení, fakataha mo ʻene palōmesi he ʻikai ʻai ha tele ki he ʻulu ʻo ʻene tama tangatá, naʻe ohi hake ʻa Samuela ko ha tangata ʻoku fakamavahe pea vaheʻi ke ngāue maʻá e ʻOtuá. Ko e kau Fakamavahé ko ha kakai ia naʻa nau fai ha fuakava makehe ʻi ha vahaʻataimi ke līʻoa maʻá e ʻOtuá. Lolotonga ʻa e taimi pehe ní, naʻe palōmesi ʻa e kau Fakamavahé he ʻikai ke tele honau ʻulú, inu uaine, pe ala ki ha faʻahinga meʻa kuo mate.

Naʻe fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e kupuʻi lea ko e “ngaahi foha ʻo Pilealí” ʻi hono kotoa ʻo e Liliu ʻa Kingi Sēmisi ʻi he Fuakava Motuʻá ke ne fakamatalaʻi ʻa e kakai naʻa nau angatuʻu ki he ngaahi akonaki ʻa e ʻEikí mo e ngaahi meʻa naʻe tali ʻe he sosaietí. Naʻe fakahingoa ʻaki eni ʻa e ongo foha ʻo ʻĪlaí koeʻuhí ko ʻena ngaahi tōʻonga angahalá lolotonga ʻena hoko ko ha ongo taulaʻeiki ʻi he tāpanekalé. Naʻe kau ʻi heʻena faihalá ʻa hono toʻo ʻo e kakanoʻi manú mei he ngaahi feilaulau ʻo e monumanú mo kau ʻi ha ngaahi ngāue angaʻuli mo e kau fafine naʻe omi ke moihū ʻi he tāpanekalé.

ʻOku fakaʻaongaʻi ʻa e foʻi lea ko e mahuʻingá ʻi he Liliu ʻa Kingi Sēmisi ʻi he Fuakava Motuʻá ke ʻuhinga ki he “hāhāmolofia.” Naʻe akoʻi ʻe Palesiteni Hāloti B. Lī ko e lolotonga ʻa e vahaʻataimi ko ʻeni ʻi he hisitōlia ʻo ʻIsilelí, “naʻe ʻikai ha palōfita ʻi he funga ʻo e māmaní ʻe lava ke fakahā mai ai ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa hono finangaló, ʻi ha aʻusia fakataautaha, pe ʻi he fakahā.” Naʻe ngata ʻa e taimi ko ʻeni ʻo e ʻikai ha fakahaá ʻi he taimi naʻe folofola ai ʻa e ʻEikí kia Samuelá, ʻa ia naʻe faifai pea ʻiloʻi ʻe ʻIsileli kotoa ko ha palōfita ia ʻa e ʻEikí.

Naʻe fakafofongaʻi ʻe he puha ʻo e fuakavá ʻa e ʻao ʻo e ʻEikí. Naʻe angamaheni ʻaki pē hono faʻa tauhi ia ʻi he Potu Toputapu ʻaupitó ʻi he loto tāpanekalé. Lolotonga ʻenau feinga tau ʻi he fonua ʻo e talaʻofá, naʻe fua ʻe he kau ʻIsilelí ʻa e ʻaʻaké ko ha fakaʻilonga mo ha fakamanatu ʻoku ʻiate kinautolu ʻa e ʻOtuá.

Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa e kaumātuʻa ʻo e kau ʻIsilelí ʻe tokoniʻi kinautolu ʻe he puha ʻaʻaké ke nau ikunaʻi ʻenau tau mo e kau Filisitiá. ʻOku fakamahino mai ʻe he kupuʻi lea “ke ne fakamoʻui ʻa kitautolu” ʻi he veesi 3 ʻa hono tuku ʻa e falala ia ʻa e kau ʻIsilelí ʻi he ʻaʻaké ʻo ʻikai ʻi he ʻEikí. Naʻe taʻofi ʻe heʻenau faiangahalá ʻenau maʻu ʻa e mālohi mo e maluʻi ʻa e ʻEikí. Koeʻuhí he naʻe ʻikai ke ʻiate kinautolu ʻa e ʻEikí, naʻe ikunaʻi ʻa e kakai ʻIsilelí ʻe he kau Filisitiá, pea naʻe mate mo e ongo foha ʻo ʻĪlaí, pea kapa ʻa e ʻaʻaké. ʻI he taimi naʻe ʻilo ai ʻe ʻĪlai ʻa e mālōlō hono ongo fohá pea mo hono kapa ʻo e ʻaʻaké, naʻe lōmekina ia ʻe he mamahí ʻo ne tō mei hono nofoʻangá ʻo mate. Naʻe fakahoko ʻe he ngaahi meʻa ko ʻení ʻa e kikite ʻa Samuela ʻe aʻusia ʻe he fāmili ʻo ʻĪlaí ha ikuʻanga fakamamahi.

Ko Tākoni ʻa e taha ʻo e ngaahi ʻotua naʻe lotu ki ai ʻa e kau Filisitiá. Naʻe tui ʻa e kau Filisitiá naʻe foaki ange ʻe Tākoni kiate kinautolu ʻa hono ikunaʻi ʻo Sihova mo e kau ʻIsilelí. Naʻa nau ʻomi ʻa e puha ʻo e fuakavá ki he temipale ʻo Tākoní pea tuku ia ʻi he vaʻe ʻo e tā tongitongi ʻo Tākoní ko ha meʻaʻofa mei he vete ʻo e taú. ʻI he pongipongi hono uá, naʻe ʻiloʻi ai ʻe he kau Filisitiá kuo tūʻulu ʻa e fuʻu tā tongitongi ʻo Tākoní ʻi he ʻao ʻo e ʻaʻaké, pea kuo motu hono ʻulú mo fasi hono ongo ʻaofinimá. Naʻe tuku mai leva ʻe he ʻEikí ha mahaki kovi (mahalo pē ko ha ngaahi foʻi ngungu pe hangatāmaki) mo e fanga kumaá ki he kau Filisitiá, ʻa ia naʻe toki ʻosi pē ʻi he taimi naʻe fakafoki ai ʻa e ʻaʻaké ki he kau ʻIsilelí. Naʻe fakahaaʻi ʻe he ngaahi meʻá ni ʻa e mālohi lahi ange ʻa Sihova ʻia Tākoní.

Hili hono ikunaʻi ʻe he kau ʻIsilelí ʻa e kau Filisitiá, naʻe fokotuʻu ʻe Samuela ha fuʻu maka naʻá ne ui ko “ʻEpenisa” ko ha maka fakamanatu ke manatua ʻa e ʻEikí. Ko e ʻuhinga ʻo e ebenezer ʻi he lea faka-Hepeluú “ko e maka ʻo e tokoní.”

Neongo hono taʻofi ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa e Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-Melekisētekí mei he kakai ʻIsilelí ʻi he taimi naʻá Ne fokotuʻu ai ʻa e fono ʻa Mōsesé, ka naʻe teʻeki ai pē ke toʻo kotoa ia mei he māmaní. Naʻe akoʻi ʻe he Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá ʻo pehē, “naʻe maʻu ʻe he kau paōfitá kotoa ʻa e Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-Melekisētekí.” ʻOku mahino ʻe kau heni ʻa Samuela, ʻa ia naʻe ʻiloʻi kotoa ʻe ʻIsileli ko ha palōfita ʻa e ʻEikí. Koeʻuhí he naʻe maʻu ʻe Samuela ʻa e Lakanga Taulaʻeiki Faka-Melekisētekí, naʻe fakamafaiʻi ai ia ke ne fai ha ngaahi feilaulau mo fakahoko ha ngaahi fatongia kehe naʻe faʻa tuku fakatatali pē ia maʻá e kau taulaʻeiki Līvaí.

• “The Threshing Floor,” Ensign, Sept. 2017, 70–71

• Kristin M. Yee, “Ko e Fiefia ʻo Hotau Huhuʻí,” Liahona, Nōvema 2024, 57–60

• Elaine S. Dalton, “Lessons from the Old Testament: Lessons from Ruth and Hannah,” Ensign, Apr. 2006, 34–37

• Walter F. González, “Listening as Samuel Listened,” Ensign, Aug. 2010, 38–41

• “Huhuʻi ʻo ʻIsilelí,” Ngaahi Himí, fika 5

• “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Hymns—For Home and Church, no. 1001