1 Samuel 3

1 And the lad Samuel was ministering unto the Lord before 'Eli. And the word of the Lord was scarce in those days: prophecy was not extended.

Le jeune Samuel servait donc le Seigneur sous les yeux d’Héli. A cette époque, la parole de l’Eternel était rare, la vision prophétique peu répandue.

2 And it came to pass one day, when 'Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow dim, he could not see;

Or, en ce temps-là, Héli, dont les yeux commençaient à s’obscurcir et qui y voyait à peine, était couché à sa place habituelle;

3 And the lamp of God had not yet gone out, while Samuel was lying down in [the hall of] the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was;

Samuel aussi dormait, et la lampe sacrée brûlait encore dans le temple de l’Eternel, où était l’arche divine,

4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he said, Here am I.

lorsque l’Eternel appela Samuel, qui répondit: "Me voici!"

5 And he ran unto 'Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he said, I did not call: lie down again. And he went and lay down.

Et il accourut près d’Héli en disant: "Tu m’as appelé, me voici." Héli répondit: "Je n’ai point appelé; va te recoucher." Ce que fit Samuel.

6 And the Lord continued to call again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to 'Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I did not call, my son: lie down again.

L’Eternel appela de nouveau: "Samuel!" Celui-ci se leva, alla trouver Héli en disant: "Tu m’as appelé, me voici", et Héli répondit: "Je n’ai point appelé, mon enfant; recouche-toi."

7 And Samuel knew not yet the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord been as yet revealed unto him.

Samuel ne connaissait pas encore l’Eternel, la parole divine ne s’étant pas encore révélée à lui.

8 And the Lord continued to call, Samuel, the third time; and he arose and went to 'Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And 'Eli then perceived that the Lord was calling the lad.

Une troisième fois, Dieu appela: "Samuel!" Il se leva et s’en fut auprès d’Héli en disant: "Tu m’as appelé, me voici." Alors Héli comprit que c’était Dieu qui appelait le jeune homme,

9 And '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. And Samuel went and lay down in his place.

et il dit à Samuel: "Va te recoucher, et si l’on t’appelle, tu diras: Parle, Seigneur, ton serviteur écoute." Samuel le quitta et regagna sa couche.

10 And the Lord came, and placed himself, and called as at previous times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

Le Seigneur vint, s’arrêta là et appela comme il avait fait chaque fois: "Samuel!…. Samuel!…" Et Samuel dit: "Parle, ton serviteur écoute."

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.

Alors le Seigneur dit à Samuel: "Je vais accomplir une chose en Israël, à faire tinter les oreilles de quiconque l’entendra.

12 On that day will I fulfill on 'Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin and finish.

Ce jour-là, j’exécuterai à l’égard d’Héli toutes mes menaces concernant sa famille; j’en poursuivrai l’exécution jusqu’au bout.

13 And I tell him that I will judge his house for ever; for the iniquity that he knew that his sons were drawing a curse on themselves, and he restrained them not.

Je lui ai annoncé que je condamne à jamais sa famille, parce qu’il a eu le tort, connaissant la conduite indigne de ses fils, de ne pas la réprimer.

14 And therefore have I sworn unto the house of 'Eli, that the iniquity of 'Eli's house shall not be atoned for with sacrifice or meat-offering for ever.

Je le déclare donc avec serment à la maison d’Héli: rien ne saurait désormais expier son crime, ni sacrifice, ni oblation!"

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, when he opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell the vision unto 'Eli.

Samuel resta couché jusqu’au matin, et ouvrit alors les portes de la maison de Dieu; mais il n’osait rapporter cette vision à Héli.

16 But 'Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I.

Celui-ci appela Samuel en disant: "Samuel, mon fils!" Et il répondit: "Me voici!"

17 And he said, What is the word which he hath spoken unto thee? do not, I pray thee, conceal it from me: may God do to thee thus, and continue to do so, if thou conceal any thing from me of all the word that he hath spoken unto thee.

Héli reprit: "Quelle parole t’a-t-il adressée? De grâce, ne me cache rien. Que Dieu t’en fasse autant et plus, si tu me caches quoi que ce soit de ce qu’il t’a dit!"

18 And Samuel told him all the words, and concealed nothing from him. And he said, He is the Lord: let him do what seemeth good in his eyes.

Alors Samuel lui redit toutes les paroles, sans lui rien dissimuler; et Héli répondit: "Il est l’Eternel; qu’il fasse selon sa volonté!"

19 And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and he did not let fall any one of all his words to the ground.

Ainsi grandissait Samuel, et l’Eternel était avec lui, et il ne laissait tomber à terre aucune de ses prophéties.

20 And thus knew all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba' that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of the Lord.

Et tout Israël, depuis Dan jusqu’à Bersabée, reconnut l’autorité de Samuel, comme prophète du Seigneur.

21 And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh; for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Et l’Eternel se manifesta souvent encore à Silo, car c’est à Silo qu’il se manifestait à Samuel par la parole divine.