The Call of Samuel
1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Basi, mtoto Samweli akamtumikia Bwana mbele ya Eli. Na neno la Bwana lilikuwa adimu siku zile; hapakuwa na mafunuo dhahiri.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
Ikawa wakati huo, Eli alipokuwa amelala mahali pake (tena macho yake yalikuwa yameanza kupofuka, hata asiweze kuona),
3 and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was , and Samuel was laid down to sleep ;
na taa ya Mungu ilikuwa haijazimika bado, na Samweli alikuwa amelala katika hekalu la Bwana, palipokuwa na sanduku la Mungu;
4 that the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
basi, wakati huo Bwana akamwita Samweli; naye akasema, Mimi hapa.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
Akamwendea Eli kwa haraka, akasema, Mimi hapa; kwa maana uliniita. Akasema, Sikukuita; kalale tena. Naye akaenda, akalala tena.
6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
Bwana akaita mara ya pili, Samweli! Samweli! Akaondoka akamwendea Eli, akasema, Mimi hapa; kwa maana uliniita. Akajibu, Sikukuita, mwanangu; kalale tena.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
Basi Samweli alikuwa hamjui Bwana bado, na neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
Bwana akamwita Samweli mara ya tatu. Naye akaondoka akamwendea Eli, akasema, Mimi hapa; kwa maana uliniita. Ndipo Eli akatambua ya kuwa Bwana ndiye aliyemwita yule mtoto.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Kwa hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, Enenda, kalale; itakuwa, akikuita, utasema, Nena, Bwana; kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikia. Basi Samweli akaenda akalala mahali pake.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Bwana akaja, akasimama, akaita vile vile kama kwanza, Samweli! Samweli! Ndipo Samweli akasema, Nena, Bwana; kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikia.
11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
Bwana akamwambia Samweli, Angalia, nitatenda tendo katika Israeli, ambalo kila atakayelisikia masikio yake yatamwasha.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
Siku hiyo nitayatimiza maneno yale yote niliyoyasema juu ya Eli katika habari za nyumba yake, tangu mwanzo hata mwisho.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
Kwa maana nimemwambia ya kwamba nitaihukumu nyumba yake milele, kwa ajili ya ule uovu alioujua; kwa kuwa wanawe walijiletea laana, wala yeye hakuwazuia.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Na kwa hiyo nimeapa juu ya nyumba ya Eli, ya kwamba uovu wa nyumba ya Eli hautasafika kwa dhabihu wala kwa sadaka hata milele.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
Naye Samweli akalala hata asubuhi, akaifungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Samweli akaogopa kumjulisha Eli maono hayo.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
Basi Eli akamwita Samweli, akasema, Samweli, mwanangu. Naye akajibu, Mimi hapa.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
Akamwuliza, Ni neno gani alilosema nawe? Nakusihi, usinifiche; Mungu akufanyie vivyo hivyo, na kuzidi, ukinificha lo lote katika hayo yote Bwana aliyosema nawe.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
Basi Samweli akamwambia kila neno, asimfiche lo lote. Naye akasema, Ndiye Bwana; na afanye alionalo kuwa ni jema.
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
Samweli akakua, naye Bwana alikuwa pamoja naye, wala hakuliacha neno lake lo lote lianguke chini.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
Nao Waisraeli wote, toka Dani mpaka Beer-sheba, walitambua ya kwamba huyo Samweli amewekwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana.
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
Naye Bwana akaonekana tena huko Shilo; kwa kuwa Bwana akajifunua kwa Samweli huko Shilo, kwa neno la Bwana. Nalo neno la Samweli likawajia Israeli wote.
