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.

[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 Usiku mmoja Eli, ambaye macho yake yalikuwa yamefifia sana kiasi kwamba aliona kwa shida sana, alikuwa amelala mahali pake pa kawaida.

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

3 Taa ya Mungu bado ilikuwa haijazimika, na Samweli alikuwa amelala Hekaluni mwa Bwana, ambapo Sanduku la Mungu lilikuwako.

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 Kisha Bwana akamwita Samweli. Samweli akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”

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

5 Naye akakimbia kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Lakini Eli akasema, “Sikukuita; rudi ukalale.” Hivyo akaenda kulala.

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 Bwana akaita tena, “Samweli!” Naye Samweli akaamka, kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.” Eli akasema, “Mwanangu, sikukuita, rudi ukalale.”

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 Wakati huu Samweli alikuwa bado hajamjua Bwana. Neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.

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

[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 Hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, “Nenda ukalale, na kama akikuita, sema, ‘Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.’” Hivyo Samweli akaenda na kulala mahali pake.

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 Bwana akaja akasimama hapo, akiita kama mara zile nyingine, “Samweli! Samweli!” Kisha Samweli akasema, “Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.”

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 Naye Bwana akamwambia Samweli: “Tazama, nipo karibu kufanya kitu katika Israeli ambacho kitafanya masikio ya kila mmoja atakayesikia yawashe.

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 Wakati huo nitatimiza dhidi ya Eli kila kitu nilichonena dhidi ya jamaa yake, kuanzia mwanzo mpaka mwisho.

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

13 Kwa kuwa nilimwambia kwamba ningehukumu jamaa yake milele kwa sababu ya dhambi aliyoijua, wanawe kumkufuru Mungu, naye akashindwa kuwazuia.

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 Kwa hiyo, nikaapa kuhusu nyumba ya Eli, ‘Hatia ya nyumba ya Eli kamwe haitaweza kufidiwa kwa dhabihu au sadaka.’”

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 Samweli akalala mpaka asubuhi, kisha akafungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Aliogopa kumwambia Eli yale maono,

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 lakini Eli akamwita na kumwambia, “Samweli mwanangu.” Samweli akamjibu, “Mimi hapa.”

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

17 Eli akamuuliza, “Ni nini alichokuambia? Usinifiche. Bwana na ashughulike nawe, tena kwa ukali, kama utanificha chochote alichokuambia.”

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 Kwa hiyo Samweli akamwambia kila kitu, bila kumficha chochote. Ndipo Eli akasema, “Yeye ni Bwana; na afanye lile lililo jema machoni pake!”

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 Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Samweli alipokuwa akikua, na hakuacha hata moja ya maneno yake lianguke chini.

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

20 Nao Israeli wote kuanzia Dani hadi Beer-Sheba wakatambua kuwa Samweli amethibitishwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana.

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 Bwana akaendelea kutokea huko Shilo, na huko kujidhihirisha kwa Samweli kwa njia ya neno lake.

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