The Lord Speaks to Samuel
1-2 Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the Lord hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, 3 and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the Lord's house. They had not been asleep very long 4 when the Lord called out Samuel's name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered. 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn't call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6 Again the Lord called out Samuel's name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn't call you. Go back to sleep.”
7 The Lord had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. 8 When the Lord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel. 9 So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I'm listening, Lord. What do you want me to do?’ ”
Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
10 The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I'm listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
11 The Lord said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it! 12 I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised. 13 He knew that his sons refused to respect me, and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever. 14 I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.
15 The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the Lord's house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said. 16 But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”
“Yes, sir!” Samuel answered.
17 Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I'll ask God to punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”
18 Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord, and he will do what's right.”
The Lord Helps Samuel
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord helped him and made everything Samuel said come true. 20 From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the Lord's prophet. 21 The Lord often appeared to Samuel at Shiloh and told him what to say.
Samuel ta ifanwa kOmwene
1 Ndele omumati Samuel okwa longela Omwene kokuulikilwa kuEli. Neendjovo dOmwene oda li da pumba pomafiku enya. Kakwa li omamoniko mahapu. 2 Mefimbo linya, fimbo Eli a nangala monhele yaye, omesho aye a hovela okutwika, ye ita dulu vali okumona ko, 3 nolamba yaKalunga inai dima natango, naSamuel okwa nangala a kofa motembeli yOmwene, omo mwa li oshikefa shaKalunga, 4 Omwene okwa ifana Samuel, ndele ye okwa nyamukula ta ti: “Aame ou!” 5 Opo nee ye okwa ya kuEli ndele ta ti: “Aame ou, owa ifana nge.” Ndelenee ye okwa nyamukula: “Ame inandi ku ifana; inda u ka nangale vali. Opo nee ye okwa ya a ka nangale. 6 Omwene okwa ifana vali Samuel, ndele Samuel okwa penduka ndele ta i kuEli ta ti: Aame ou, wa ifana nge. Ndelenee ye okwa nyamukula, ta ti: Ame inandi ku ifana omumwange. Inda nee hano u ka nangale vali.” 7 Ndelenee Samuel ina shiiva natango Omwene. Nondjovo yOmwene inai mu hololelwa natango. 8 NOmwene okwa ifana Samuel olutitatu. Ndele ye okwa penduka ndele ta i kuEli ndele ta ti: “Aame ou, osheshi ove owa ifana nge.” Opo nee Eli e shi dimbulukwa nokutya, Omwene okwa ifana omumati. 9 Onghee hano Eli okwa lombwela Samuel ndele ta ti: Inda u ka nangale, ndele Ye ngeenge te ku ifana, u nokunyamukula: “Popya Omwene, omupiya woye ta udu ko.” Opo nee Samuel okwa ya a ka nangale monhele yaye.
10 Opo nee Omwene e uya nokwa kala ofika ndele ta ifana ngaashi shito: Samuel, Samuel! Ndele Samuel okwa nyamukula: “Popya, osheshi omupiya woye ta udu ko.” 11 Opo nee Omwene okwa tya kuSamuel: “Tala, Ame ohandi ka ninga oshinima shimwe muIsrael, keshe ou te shi udu, omatwi aye avali otaa ka uma. 12 Mefiku tuu olo Ame ohandi ka wanifila Eli ashishe osho nde shi tongela epata laye, okehovelo fiyo okexulilo. 13 Ndele Ame ohandi ke mu hololela nokutya Ame ohandi tokola epata laye fiyo alushe omolwoulunde ou e u shii, osheshi ovana vaye ovamati ve lietela oshififohoni, ndelenee ye ine va handukila shili. 14 Onghee hano Ame ohandi anene epata laEli. Oshili, oulunde wepata laEli itau ka dimwa po fiyo alushe komatomenoyambo ile keendjayambo.”
15 Ndele Samuel okwa nangala fiyo ongula. Ndele ye okwa yeulula oivelo yongulu yOmwene. Ndelenee Samuel okwa tila okuhepaululila Eli emoniko olo. 16 Ndele Eli okwa ifana Samuel ndele ta ti: “Samuel, omumwange!” Ndele ye okwa nyamukula: “Aame ou!” 17 Opo nee Eli ta pula: “Ondjovo ei wa lombwelwa kuye otai ti shike? Ino i holeka nge. Kalunga ne ku handukile paife nokomesho, ngeenge to holeke nge sha shomudo Ye e di ku lombwela.” 18 Ndele Samuel okwe mu hepaululila eendjovo adishe, ine mu holeka nande sha. Ndele ye ta ti: “Oye Omwene. Ye na ninge eshi tashi mu wapalele.”
19 Ndele Samuel okwa kula, nOmwene a kala naye. Ndele ye ina efa nande ondjovo imwe yomeendjovo adishe i wile poshi. 20 Ndele Israel ashishe okudja kuDan fiyo okuBerseba sha shiiva nokutya, Samuel a tulwa po omuxunganeki wOmwene. 21 NOmwene okwa holoka vali muSilo. Osheshi Omwene okwa holokela Samuel muSilo meendjovo dOmwene.
