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.

[While he was still a] boy, Samuel was working for Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages [that anyone received] from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions [that Yahweh gave them].

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.

By that time Eli’s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. [One night] he was sleeping in his room,

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

and Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent, where the chest that contained the Ten Commandments was kept. While the sacred lamp was still burning,

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

Yahweh called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “I’m here!”

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.

Then he [got up and] ran to Eli. He said to him, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli replied, “No, I did not call you. Go back to your bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again.

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.

Then Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up again and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli said, “No, my son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”

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

At that time Samuel did not yet know [that] Yahweh [could speak to him], because Yahweh had not previously revealed anything to him.

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

[After Samuel lay down again], Yahweh called him a third time. So again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh who was calling the boy.

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.

So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again. If someone calls you again, say ‘Speak to me, Yahweh, because I am listening!’” So Samuel went and lay down again.

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.

Then Yahweh came and stood there and called as he had done the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak to me, because I am listening!”

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 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock/horrify [IDM] everyone who hears about it.

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

When that happens, I will punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said that I would do.

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.

His sons have shown great disrespect for me by the disgraceful things they have done, and Eli did not restrain them. So I told him that I would punish his family forever.

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.

I solemnly promised to Eli’s family, ‘You will never be able to avoid the consequences for your sin, even if you give me sacrifices or offerings.’”

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.

Samuel lay down again until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Sacred Tent [as usual]. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision [that Yahweh had given him].

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

But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel answered, “I am here!”

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.

Eli asked him, “What was it that Yahweh told you? Do not conceal it! I want God to punish you severely if you do not tell me everything that he said to you.”

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 told him everything. He did not refuse to tell him anything. Then Eli said, “He is Yahweh. I am willing for him to do what he thinks is best.”

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

As Samuel grew up, Yahweh helped him, and caused everything to (come true/happen) that Samuel predicted.

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

So all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was truly a prophet of Yahweh.

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.

Yahweh continued to appear to Samuel in Shiloh and give messages to him.