1 Samuel 3

1 Forsothe the child Samuel `mynystride to the Lord bifor Heli, and the word of the Lord was preciouse; in tho daies was noon opyn reuelacioun.

Nowe the childe Samuel ministred vnto the Lord before Eli: and the word of the Lord was precious in those dayes: for there was no manifest vision.

2 Therfor it was doon in a dai, Heli lay in his bed, and hise iyen dasewiden, and he myyte not se the lanterne of God, bifor that it was quenchid.

And at that time, as Eli lay in his place, his eyes began to waxe dimme that he could not see.

3 Forsothe Samuel slepte in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

And yet the light of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the Arke of God was.

4 And the Lord clepide Samuel; and he answeride and seide, Lo!

Then the Lord called Samuel: and hee said, Here I am.

5 Y. And he ran to Hely, and seide to hym, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. Which Hely seide, Y clepide not thee; turne thou ayen and slepe.

And he ranne vnto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. But he said, I called thee not: goe againe and sleepe. And he went and slept.

6 And he yede and slepte. And the Lord addide eft to clepe Samuel; and Samuel roos, and yede to Hely, and seide, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. And Heli answeride, Y clepide not thee, my sone; turne thou ayen and slepe.

And the Lord called once againe, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou diddest call me. And he answered, I called thee not, my sonne: go againe and sleepe.

7 Forsothe Samuel knew not yit the Lord, nether the `word of the Lord was shewid to hym.

Thus did Samuel, before hee knewe the Lord, and before the word of the Lord was reueiled vnto him.

8 And the Lord addide, and clepide yit Samuel the thridde tyme; `which Samuel roos and yede to Heli,

And the Lord called Samuel againe the thirde time: and he arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou hast called me. Then Eli perceiued that the Lord had called the childe.

9 and seide, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. Therfor Heli vndirstood, that the Lord clepide the child; and Heli seide to Samuel, Go and slepe; and if he clepith thee aftirward, thou schalt seie, Speke thou, Lord, for thi seruaunt herith. Therfor Samuel yede and slepte in his place.

Therefore Eli saide vnto Samuel, Goe and sleepe: and if he call thee, then say, Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

10 And the Lord cam, and stood, and clepide as he hadde clepid the secunde tyme, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel seide, Speke thou, Lord, for thi seruaunt herith.

And the Lord came, and stoode, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speake, for thy seruant heareth.

11 And the Lord seide to Samuel, Lo! Y make a word in Israel, which word who euer schal here, bothe hise eeris schulen rynge.

Then the Lord said to Samuel, Beholde, I wil doe a thing in Israel, whereof whosoeuer shall heare, his two eares shall tingle.

12 In that dai Y schal reise ayens Heli alle thingis, whiche Y spak on his hows; Y schal bigynne, and Y schal ende.

In that day I will raise vp against Eli all things which I haue spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an ende.

13 For Y biforseide to hym, that Y schulde deme his hows with outen ende for wickidnesse; for he knew, that hise sones diden vnworthili, and he chastiside not hem.

And I haue tolde him that I will iudge his house for euer, for the iniquitie which hee knoweth, because his sonnes ranne into a slaunder, and he stayed them not.

14 Therfor Y swoor to the hows of Heli, that the wickidnesse of his hows schal not be clensid bi sacrifices and yiftis til in to with outen ende.

Nowe therefore I haue sworne vnto the house of Eli, that the wickednes of Elis house, shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offring for euer.

15 Forsothe Samuel slepte til the morewtid, and he openyde the doris of the hows of the Lord; and Samuel dredde to schewe the reuelacioun to Heli.

Afterward Samuel slept vntil the morning, and opened the doores of the house of the Lord, and Samuel feared to shewe Eli the vision.

16 Therfor Heli clepide Samuel, and seide, Samuel, my sone. And he answeride and seide, Y am redi.

Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel my sonne. And he answered, Here I am.

17 And Heli axide hym, What is the word which the Lord spak to thee? Y preye thee, hide thou not fro me; God do to thee `these thingis, and encreesse these thingis, if thou hidist fro me a word of alle wordis that ben seid to thee.

Then he said, What is it, that the Lord said vnto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from mee. God doe so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me, of all that he said vnto thee.

18 And Samuel schewide to hym alle the wordis, and `hidde not fro hym. And Heli answeride, He is the Lord; do he that, that is good in hise iyen.

So Samuel tolde him euery whit, and hid nothing from him. Then hee said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

19 Forsothe Samuel encreeside, and the Lord was with hym, and noon of alle hise wordis felde in to erthe.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And al Israel fro Dan to Bersabee knew, that feithful Samuel was a profete of the Lord.

And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that faithfull Samuel was the Lordes Prophet.

21 And the Lord addide `that he schulde appere in Silo, for the Lord was schewid to Samuel in Silo bi the `word of the Lord; and the word of Samuel cam to al Israel.

And the Lord appeared againe in Shiloh: for the Lord reueiled himselfe to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.