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.
Omuwa ti ihololele Samuel
1 Pomasiku ngeyaka, manga Samuel a li ta longele Omuwa mewiliko lyaEli, omalaka ga za kOmuwa, oga li ga pumba, nomamoniko oga li gaa ko we. 2 Uusiku umwe omusamane Eli, ngoka a li ihaa mono ko we nawa, okwa li a lala kontala ye a kotha. 3 Samuel wo okwa li a kothela motempeli, moka mwa li oshikethahangano oshiyapuki. Manga inaaku sha, nonyeka ya li ya minikila natango, 4 Omuwa okwi ithana Samuel. Samuel a yamukula: “Tatekulu!” 5 Nokwa matukile kuEli e ta ti: “Ongame nguka wi ithana.”
Ihe Eli okwa yamukula: “Inandi ku ithana; inda, u ka lale.” Onkee Samuel okwa shuna, a ka lale.
6-7 Omuwa okwi ithana ishewe Samuel. Omumati ina tseya nando kutya oye Omuwa, oshoka Omuwa okwa li inaa popya naye nale. Onkee okwa penduka po nokwa yi kuEli e ta ti: “Owi ithana ndje, ongame nguka.”
Ihe Eli okwa yamukula: “Mumwandje, inandi ku ithana; shuna, u ka lale.”
8 Omuwa okwi ithana Samuel olutitatu. Okwa penduka e ta yi kuEli e ta ti: “Ongoye wi ithana ndje, ongame nguka.”
Nena Eli okwa dhimbulula kutya Omuwa oye ti ithana omumati. 9 Onkee okwa ti kuye: “Inda, u ka lale; nongele te ku ithana ishewe, tya: ‘Popya, Omuwa, omuntu gwoye onda pulakena.’ ” Osho ngaaka Samuel okwa shuna, a ka lale.
10 Omuwa okwe ya nokwa thikama hwiyaka, nokwi ithana ngaashi nale: “Samuel! Samuel!”
Samuel okwa yamukula: “Popya, omuntu gwoye onda pulakena.”
11 Omuwa okwa ti kuye: “Pomasiku ngaka mAaisraeli otii ka ninga mo oshinima oshitilithi, nakehe ngoka te shi uvu, ota ka kunkwa. 12 Mesiku ndyoka otandi ka tsakanitha omalondodho gandje agehe megumbo lyaEli okuza ketameko sigo okehulilo. 13 Onde mu lombwela nale nokuli kutya otandi ka geela egumbo lye sigo aluhe, oshoka oyana oya dhini ndje. Eli okwa li e shi shi sho haa ningi, ihe ine ya ganda. 14 Onkee onda gana kutya eyono lyezimo lyaEli itali ka kuthwa po komafikilondjambo nenge kiikulyandjambo.”
15 Samuel okwa kala a lala sigo ongula; nena okwa penduka e te egulula omiyelo dhongulu yOmuwa. Okwa li a tila okuhokololela Eli emoniko ndyoka. 16 Eli okwe mu ithana a ti: “Samuel, mumati gwandje!”
Samuel okwa yamukula a ti: “Ee, tatekulu!”
17 Eli okwe mu pula a ti: “Omuwa okwe ku lombwele shike? Ino holeka ndje nando osha. Kalunga ne ku geele sigo aluhe, ngele ito hokololele ndje adhihe ndhoka a ti.” 18 Onkee Samuel okwe mu lombwele adhihe; ina holeka po nando osha. Eli okwa ti: “Oye Omuwa; na longe shoka she mu opalela.”
19 Samuel okwa koko, Omuwa okwa li pamwe naye nokwa tsakanitha oohapu dhe adhihe a li e dhi mu lombwele. 20 Onkee Aaisraeli ayehe moshilongo ashihe, okuza kuDan sigo okuBeersheba, oya li ya tseya kutya Samuel oye omuhunganeki gwOmuwa. 21 Omuwa okwa tsikile okwiiholola muShilo, moka a holokele Samuel nokupopya naye. NaSamuel ngele a popi, nena Aaisraeli ayehe oya pulakene.
