1 Samuel 3

1 Le jeune Samuel était au service de l’Éternel devant Éli. La parole de l’Éternel était rare en ce temps-là, les visions n’étaient pas fréquentes.

[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 En ce même temps, Éli, qui commençait à avoir les yeux troubles et ne pouvait plus voir, était couché à sa place,

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

3 la lampe de Dieu n’était pas encore éteinte, et Samuel était couché dans le temple de l’Éternel, où était l’arche de Dieu.

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 Alors l’Éternel appela Samuel. Il répondit: Me voici!

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

5 Et il courut vers Éli, et dit: Me voici, car tu m’as appelé. Éli répondit: Je n’ai point appelé; retourne te coucher. Et il alla se coucher.

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 L’Éternel appela de nouveau Samuel. Et Samuel se leva, alla vers Éli, et dit: Me voici, car tu m’as appelé. Éli répondit: Je n’ai point appelé, mon fils, retourne te coucher.

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 Samuel ne connaissait pas encore l’Éternel, et la parole de l’Éternel ne lui avait pas encore été révélée.

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

8 L’Éternel appela de nouveau Samuel, pour la troisième fois. Et Samuel se leva, alla vers Éli, et dit: Me voici, car tu m’as appelé. Éli comprit que c’était l’Éternel qui appelait l’enfant,

[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 et il dit à Samuel: Va, couche-toi; et si l’on t’appelle, tu diras: Parle, Éternel, car ton serviteur écoute. Et Samuel alla se coucher à sa 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 L’Éternel vint et se présenta, et il appela comme les autres fois: Samuel, Samuel! Et Samuel répondit: Parle, car ton serviteur écoute.

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 Alors l’Éternel dit à Samuel: Voici, je vais faire en Israël une chose qui étourdira les oreilles de quiconque l’entendra.

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 En ce jour j’accomplirai sur Éli tout ce que j’ai prononcé contre sa maison; je commencerai et j’achèverai.

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

13 Je lui ai déclaré que je veux punir sa maison à perpétuité, à cause du crime dont il a connaissance, et par lequel ses fils se sont rendus méprisables, sans qu’il les ait réprimés.

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 C’est pourquoi je jure à la maison d’Éli que jamais le crime de la maison d’Éli ne sera expié, ni par des sacrifices ni par des offrandes.

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 Samuel resta couché jusqu’au matin, puis il ouvrit les portes de la maison de l’Éternel. Samuel craignait de raconter la vision à Éli.

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 Mais Éli appela Samuel, et dit: Samuel, mon fils! Il répondit: Me voici!

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

17 Et Éli dit: Quelle est la parole que t’a adressée l’Éternel? Ne me cache rien. Que Dieu te traite dans toute sa rigueur, si tu me caches quelque chose de tout ce qu’il t’a dit!

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 Samuel lui raconta tout, sans lui rien cacher. Et Éli dit: C’est l’Éternel, qu’il fasse ce qui lui semblera bon!

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 Samuel grandissait. L’Éternel était avec lui, et il ne laissa tomber à terre aucune de ses paroles.

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

20 Tout Israël, depuis Dan jusqu’à Beer-Schéba, reconnut que Samuel était établi prophète de l’Éternel.

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 L’Éternel continuait à apparaître dans Silo; car l’Éternel se révélait à Samuel, dans Silo, par la parole de l’Éternel.

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