1
Basi, mtoto Samweli akamtumikia Bwana mbele ya Eli. Na neno la Bwana lilikuwa adimu siku zile; hapakuwa na mafunuo dhahiri.
And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce.
2
Ikawa wakati huo, Eli alipokuwa amelala mahali pake (tena macho yake yalikuwa yameanza kupofuka, hata asiweze kuona),
And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.
3
na taa ya Mungu ilikuwa haijazimika bado, na Samweli alikuwa amelala katika hekalu la Bwana, palipokuwa na sanduku la Mungu;
Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
4
basi, wakati huo Bwana akamwita Samweli; naye akasema, Mimi hapa.
Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
5
Akamwendea Eli kwa haraka, akasema, Mimi hapa; kwa maana uliniita. Akasema, Sikukuita; kalale tena. Naye akaenda, akalala tena.
He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6
Bwana akaita mara ya pili, Samweli! Samweli! Akaondoka akamwendea Eli, akasema, Mimi hapa; kwa maana uliniita. Akajibu, Sikukuita, mwanangu; kalale tena.
Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7
Basi Samweli alikuwa hamjui Bwana bado, na neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8
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.
Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
9
Kwa hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, Enenda, kalale; itakuwa, akikuita, utasema, Nena, Bwana; kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikia. Basi Samweli akaenda akalala mahali pake.
“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10
Bwana akaja, akasimama, akaita vile vile kama kwanza, Samweli! Samweli! Ndipo Samweli akasema, Nena, Bwana; kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikia.
Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11
Bwana akamwambia Samweli, Angalia, nitatenda tendo katika Israeli, ambalo kila atakayelisikia masikio yake yatamwasha.
Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
12
Siku hiyo nitayatimiza maneno yale yote niliyoyasema juu ya Eli katika habari za nyumba yake, tangu mwanzo hata mwisho.
On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end.
13
Kwa maana nimemwambia ya kwamba nitaihukumu nyumba yake milele, kwa ajili ya ule uovu alioujua; kwa kuwa wanawe walijiletea laana, wala yeye hakuwazuia.
I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
14
Na kwa hiyo nimeapa juu ya nyumba ya Eli, ya kwamba uovu wa nyumba ya Eli hautasafika kwa dhabihu wala kwa sadaka hata milele.
Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15
Naye Samweli akalala hata asubuhi, akaifungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Samweli akaogopa kumjulisha Eli maono hayo.
Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
16
Basi Eli akamwita Samweli, akasema, Samweli, mwanangu. Naye akajibu, Mimi hapa.
but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17
Akamwuliza, Ni neno gani alilosema nawe? Nakusihi, usinifiche; Mungu akufanyie vivyo hivyo, na kuzidi, ukinificha lo lote katika hayo yote Bwana aliyosema nawe.
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
18
Basi Samweli akamwambia kila neno, asimfiche lo lote. Naye akasema, Ndiye Bwana; na afanye alionalo kuwa ni jema.
So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
19
Samweli akakua, naye Bwana alikuwa pamoja naye, wala hakuliacha neno lake lo lote lianguke chini.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
20
Nao Waisraeli wote, toka Dani mpaka Beer-sheba, walitambua ya kwamba huyo Samweli amewekwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana.
So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
21
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.
And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.