Kings I 3
1 And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli the priest: and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.
Kijana Samweli alihudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya Eli. Katika siku zile neno la Mungu lilikuwa adimu, hapakuwepo na maono mengi.
2 And it came to pass at that time that Heli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.
Usiku mmoja Eli, ambaye macho yake yalikuwa yamefifia sana kiasi kwamba aliona kwa shida sana, alikuwa amelala mahali pake pa kawaida.
3 And the lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.
Taa ya Mungu bado ilikuwa haijazimika, na Samweli alikuwa amelala Hekaluni mwa Bwana, ambapo Sanduku la Mungu lilikuwako.
4 And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.
Kisha Bwana akamwita Samweli. Samweli akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
5 And he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I did not call you; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.
Naye akakimbia kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Lakini Eli akasema, “Sikukuita; rudi ukalale.” Hivyo akaenda kulala.
6 And the Lord called again, Samuel, Samuel: and he went to Heli the second time, and said, Behold [here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I called you not; return, go to sleep.
Bwana akaita tena, “Samweli!” Naye Samweli akaamka, kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Eli akasema, “Mwanangu, sikukuita, rudi ukalale.”
7 And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed to him.
Wakati huu Samweli alikuwa bado hajamjua Bwana. Neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for you did call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.
Bwana akamwita Samweli mara ya tatu, naye Samweli akaamka kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Ndipo Eli akatambua kuwa Bwana alikuwa akimwita kijana.
9 And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call you, that you shall say, Speak for your servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, “Nenda ukalale, na kama akikuita, sema, ‘Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.’” Hivyo Samweli akaenda na kulala mahali pake.
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before: and Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears.
Bwana akaja akasimama hapo, akiita kama mara zile nyingine, “Samweli! Samweli!” Kisha Samweli akasema, “Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.
Naye Bwana akamwambia Samweli: “Tazama, nipo karibu kufanya kitu katika Israeli ambacho kitafanya masikio ya kila mmoja atakayesikia yawashe.
12 In that day I will raise up against Heli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.
Wakati huo nitatimiza dhidi ya Eli kila kitu nilichonena dhidi ya jamaa yake, kuanzia mwanzo mpaka mwisho.
13 And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.
Kwa kuwa nilimwambia kwamba ningehukumu jamaa yake milele kwa sababu ya dhambi aliyoijua, wanawe kumkufuru Mungu, naye akashindwa kuwazuia.
14 And [it shall] not [go on] so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.
Kwa hiyo, nikaapa kuhusu nyumba ya Eli, ‘Hatia ya nyumba ya Eli kamwe haitaweza kufidiwa kwa dhabihu au sadaka.’”
15 And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell [Heli] the vision.
Samweli akalala mpaka asubuhi, kisha akafungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Aliogopa kumwambia Eli yale maono,
16 And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.
lakini Eli akamwita na kumwambia, “Samweli mwanangu.” Samweli akamjibu, “Mimi hapa.”
17 And he said, What [was] the word that was spoken to you? I pray you hide it not from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.
Eli akamuuliza, “Ni nini alichokuambia? Usinifiche. Bwana na ashughulike nawe, tena kwa ukali, kama utanificha chochote alichokuambia.”
18 And Samuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Heli said, He [is] the Lord, he shall do that which is good in his sight.
Kwa hiyo Samweli akamwambia kila kitu, bila kumficha chochote. Ndipo Eli akasema, “Yeye ni Bwana; na afanye lile lililo jema machoni pake!”
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.
Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Samweli alipokuwa akikua, na hakuacha hata moja ya maneno yake lianguke chini.
20 And all Israel knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Samuel [was] faithful as a prophet to the Lord.
Nao Israeli wote kuanzia Dani hadi Beer-Sheba wakatambua kuwa Samweli amethibitishwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana.
21 And the Lord manifested himself again in Selom, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel; and Samuel was accredited to all Israel as a prophet to the Lord from one end of the land to the other: and Heli [was] very old, and his sons kept advancing [in wickedness], and their way [was] evil before the Lord.
Bwana akaendelea kutokea huko Shilo, na huko kujidhihirisha kwa Samweli kwa njia ya neno lake.
