1 Samweli 3
1 Kijana Samweli alihudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya Eli. Katika siku zile neno la Mungu lilikuwa adimu, hapakuwepo na maono mengi.
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 Usiku mmoja Eli, ambaye macho yake yalikuwa yamefifia sana kiasi kwamba aliona kwa shida sana, alikuwa amelala mahali pake pa kawaida.
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 Taa ya Mungu bado ilikuwa haijazimika, na Samweli alikuwa amelala Hekaluni mwa Bwana, ambapo Sanduku la Mungu lilikuwako.
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 Kisha Bwana akamwita Samweli. Samweli akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
And the Lord called Samuel. And responding, he said, “Here I am.”
5 Naye akakimbia kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Lakini Eli akasema, “Sikukuita; rudi ukalale.” Hivyo akaenda kulala.
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 Bwana akaita tena, “Samweli!” Naye Samweli akaamka, kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Eli akasema, “Mwanangu, sikukuita, rudi ukalale.”
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 Wakati huu Samweli alikuwa bado hajamjua Bwana. Neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.
8 Bwana akamwita Samweli mara ya tatu, naye Samweli akaamka kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Ndipo Eli akatambua kuwa Bwana alikuwa akimwita kijana.
And the Lord continued, and he called to Samuel still a third time. And rising up, he went to Eli.
9 Hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, “Nenda ukalale, na kama akikuita, sema, ‘Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.’” Hivyo Samweli akaenda na kulala mahali pake.
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 Bwana akaja akasimama hapo, akiita kama mara zile nyingine, “Samweli! Samweli!” Kisha Samweli akasema, “Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.”
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 Naye Bwana akamwambia Samweli: “Tazama, nipo karibu kufanya kitu katika Israeli ambacho kitafanya masikio ya kila mmoja atakayesikia yawashe.
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 Wakati huo nitatimiza dhidi ya Eli kila kitu nilichonena dhidi ya jamaa yake, kuanzia mwanzo mpaka mwisho.
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 Kwa kuwa nilimwambia kwamba ningehukumu jamaa yake milele kwa sababu ya dhambi aliyoijua, wanawe kumkufuru Mungu, naye akashindwa kuwazuia.
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 Kwa hiyo, nikaapa kuhusu nyumba ya Eli, ‘Hatia ya nyumba ya Eli kamwe haitaweza kufidiwa kwa dhabihu au sadaka.’”
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 Samweli akalala mpaka asubuhi, kisha akafungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Aliogopa kumwambia Eli yale maono,
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 lakini Eli akamwita na kumwambia, “Samweli mwanangu.” Samweli akamjibu, “Mimi hapa.”
Then Eli called Samuel, and he said, “Samuel, my son?” And responding, he said, “I am here.”
17 Eli akamuuliza, “Ni nini alichokuambia? Usinifiche. Bwana na ashughulike nawe, tena kwa ukali, kama utanificha chochote alichokuambia.”
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 Kwa hiyo Samweli akamwambia kila kitu, bila kumficha chochote. Ndipo Eli akasema, “Yeye ni Bwana; na afanye lile lililo jema machoni pake!”
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 Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Samweli alipokuwa akikua, na hakuacha hata moja ya maneno yake lianguke chini.
And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.
20 Nao Israeli wote kuanzia Dani hadi Beer-Sheba wakatambua kuwa Samweli amethibitishwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana.
And all of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew Samuel to be a faithful prophet of the Lord.
21 Bwana akaendelea kutokea huko Shilo, na huko kujidhihirisha kwa Samweli kwa njia ya neno lake.
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.
