1 Samuele 3

1 Or il giovinetto Samuele serviva all’Eterno sotto gli occhi di Eli. La parola dell’Eterno era rara, a quei tempi, e le visioni non erano frequenti.

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no manifest vision.

2 In quel medesimo tempo, Eli, la cui vista cominciava a intorbidarsi in guisa ch’egli non ci poteva vedere, se ne stava un giorno coricato nel suo luogo consueto;

Then it happened that, on a certain day, Eli was lying in his place. And his eyes had dimmed, so that he was unable to see.

3 la lampada di Dio non era ancora spenta, e Samuele era coricato nel tempio dell’Eterno dove si trovava l’arca di Dio.

And so, to prevent the lamp of God from going out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

4 E l’Eterno chiamò Samuele, il quale rispose: “Eccomi!”

And the Lord called Samuel. And responding, he said, “Here I am.”

5 e corse da Eli e disse: “Eccomi, poiché tu m’hai chiamato”. Eli rispose: “Io non t’ho chiamato, torna a coricarti”. Ed egli se ne andò a coricarsi.

And he ran to Eli, and he said, “Here I am. For you called me.” And he said: “I did not call. Return and sleep.” And he went away, and he slept.

6 L’Eterno chiamò di nuovo Samuele. E Samuele s’alzò, andò da Eli e disse: “Eccomi, poiché tu m’hai chiamato”. E quegli rispose: “Figliuol mio, io non t’ho chiamato; torna a coricarti”.

And again, the Lord continued to call to Samuel. And rising up, Samuel went to Eli, and he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” And he responded: “I did not call you, my son. Return and sleep.”

7 Or Samuele non conosceva ancora l’Eterno, e la parola dell’Eterno non gli era ancora stata rivelata.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.

8 L’Eterno chiamò di bel nuovo Samuele, per la terza volta. Ed egli s’alzò, andò da Eli e disse: “Eccomi, poiché tu m’hai chiamato”. Allora Eli comprese che l’Eterno chiamava il giovinetto.

And the Lord continued, and he called to Samuel still a third time. And rising up, he went to Eli.

9 Ed Eli disse a Samuele: “Va’ a coricarti; e, se sarai chiamato ancora, dirai: Parla, o Eterno, poiché il tuo servo ascolta”. Samuele andò dunque a coricarsi al suo posto.

And he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord had called the boy. And he said to Samuel: “Go and sleep. And if he calls to you from now on, you will say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” Therefore, Samuel went away, and he slept in his place.

10 E l’Eterno venne, si tenne lì presso, e chiamò come le altre volte: “Samuele, Samuele!” Samuele rispose: “Parla, poiché il tuo servo ascolta”.

And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, just as he had called the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” And Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

11 Allora l’Eterno disse a Samuele: “Ecco, io sto per fare in Israele una cosa tale che chi l’udrà ne avrà intronati ambedue gli orecchi.

And the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I am accomplishing a word in Israel. Whoever will hear about it, both his ears will ring.

12 In quel giorno io metterò ad effetto contro ad Eli, dal principio fino alla fine, tutto ciò che ho detto circa la sua casa.

In that day, I will raise up against Eli all the things that I have spoken over his house. I will begin, and I will finish.

13 Gli ho predetto che avrei esercitato i miei giudizi sulla casa di lui in perpetuo, a cagione della iniquità ch’egli ben conosce, poiché i suoi figli hanno attratto su di sé la maledizione, ed egli non li ha repressi.

For I have foretold to him that I will judge his house unto eternity, because of iniquity. For he had known that his sons acted shamefully, and he did not chastise them.

14 Perciò io giuro alla casa d’Eli che l’iniquità della casa d’Eli non sarà mai espiata né con sacrifizi né con oblazioni”.

For this reason, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of his house will not be expiated, with victims or with gifts, even forever.”

15 Samuele rimase coricato sino alla mattina, poi aprì le porte della casa dell’Eterno. Egli temeva di raccontare ad Eli la visione.

Then Samuel slept until morning, and he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

16 Ma Eli chiamò Samuele e disse: “Samuele, figliuol mio!” Egli rispose: “Eccomi”.

Then Eli called Samuel, and he said, “Samuel, my son?” And responding, he said, “I am here.”

17 Ed Eli: “Qual è la parola ch’Egli t’ha detta? Ti prego, non me la celare! Iddio ti tratti col massimo rigore, se mi nascondi qualcosa di tutto quello ch’Egli t’ha detto”.

And he questioned him: “What is the word that the Lord has spoken to you? I beg you that you may not conceal it from me. May God do these things to you, and may he add these other things, if you hide from me one word out of all the things that were told to you.”

18 Samuele allora gli raccontò tutto, senza celargli nulla. Ed Eli disse: “Egli è l’Eterno: faccia quello che gli parrà bene”.

And so, Samuel revealed to him all the words, and he did not hide them from him. And he responded: “He is the Lord. May he do what is good in his own eyes.”

19 Samuele intanto cresceva, e l’Eterno era con lui e non lasciò cader a terra alcuna delle parole di lui.

And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.

20 Tutto Israele, da Dan fino a Beer-Sceba, riconobbe che Samuele era stabilito profeta dell’Eterno.

And all of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew Samuel to be a faithful prophet of the Lord.

21 L’Eterno continuò ad apparire a Sciloh, poiché a Sciloh l’Eterno si rivelava a Samuele mediante la sua parola, e la parola di Samuele era rivolta a tutto Israele.

And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh. For the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh, according to the word of the Lord. And the word about Samuel went forth to all of Israel.