The Lord Calls Samuel
1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them. 14Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”
15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
Bwana Amwita Samweli
13:1 1Sam 2:11; Za 74:9; Mao 2:9; Eze 7:26; Amo 8:11Kijana Samweli alihudumu mbele za Bwana chini ya Eli. Katika siku zile neno la Mungu lilikuwa adimu, hapakuwepo na maono mengi.
23:2 1Sam 4:15; Mwa 27:1Usiku mmoja Eli, ambaye macho yake yalikuwa yamefifia sana kiasi kwamba aliona kwa shida sana, alikuwa amelala mahali pake pa kawaida. 33:3 Kut 25:31-38; Law 24:1-4; 1Sam 1:9; Kum 10:1-5; 1Fal 6:19; 8:1Taa ya Mungu bado ilikuwa haijazimika, na Samweli alikuwa amelala Hekaluni3:3 Hekaluni maana yake ndani ya Maskani ya Bwana. mwa Bwana, ambapo Sanduku la Mungu lilikuwako. 43:4 Mwa 22:1; Kut 3:4Kisha Bwana akamwita Samweli.
Samweli akajibu, “Mimi hapa.” 5Naye akakimbia kwa Eli na kumwambia, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.”
Lakini Eli akasema, “Sikukuita; rudi ukalale.” Hivyo akaenda kulala.
6Bwana akaita tena, “Samweli!” Naye Samweli akaamka, kwenda kwa Eli na kusema, “Mimi hapa, kwa kuwa umeniita.”
Eli akasema, “Mwanangu, sikukuita, rudi ukalale.”
73:7 1Sam 2:12; Hes 12:6; Mdo 19:2; Amo 3:7Wakati huu Samweli alikuwa bado hajamjua Bwana. Neno la Bwana lilikuwa bado halijafunuliwa kwake.
8Bwana 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. 9Hivyo Eli akamwambia Samweli, “Nenda ukalale, na kama akikuita, sema, ‘Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.’ ” Hivyo Samweli akaenda na kulala mahali pake.
103:10 Kut 3:4; Za 85:8; Mdo 9:6Bwana akaja akasimama hapo, akiita kama mara zile nyingine, “Samweli! Samweli!”
Kisha Samweli akasema, “Nena Bwana, kwa kuwa mtumishi wako anasikiliza.”
113:11 2Fal 21:12; Ay 15:21; Yer 19:3Naye Bwana akamwambia Samweli: “Tazama, nipo karibu kufanya kitu katika Israeli ambacho kitafanya masikio ya kila mmoja atakayesikia yawashe. 123:12 1Sam 2:27-36Wakati huo nitatimiza dhidi ya Eli kila kitu nilichonena dhidi ya jamaa yake, kuanzia mwanzo mpaka mwisho. 133:13 1Fal 1:6; 1Sam 2:12Kwa kuwa nilimwambia kwamba ningehukumu jamaa yake milele kwa sababu ya dhambi aliyoijua, wanawe kumkufuru Mungu, naye akashindwa kuwazuia. 143:14 1Sam 2:25; Law 15:30-31; Isa 22:14; Hes 12:6; Yer 7:16; Ebr 10:26-31Kwa hiyo, nikaapa kuhusu nyumba ya Eli, ‘Hatia ya nyumba ya Eli kamwe haitaweza kufidiwa kwa dhabihu au sadaka.’ ”
153:15 1Sam 3:2Samweli akalala mpaka asubuhi, kisha akafungua milango ya nyumba ya Bwana. Aliogopa kumwambia Eli yale maono, 16lakini Eli akamwita na kumwambia, “Samweli mwanangu.”
Samweli akamjibu, “Mimi hapa.”
173:17 1Fal 22:14; Yer 23:28; 38:14; 42:4; Rut 1:17; 1:17; Mt 26:63Eli akamuuliza, “Ni nini alichokuambia? Usinifiche. Bwana na ashughulike nawe, tena kwa ukali, kama utanificha chochote alichokuambia.” 183:18 Amu 10:15; 2:16; Mwa 18:25; 1Sam 16:10-12; Isa 39:8; 1Pet 5:6Kwa hiyo Samweli akamwambia kila kitu, bila kumficha chochote. Ndipo Eli akasema, “Yeye ni Bwana; na afanye lile lililo jema machoni pake!”
193:19 Mwa 21:22; Hes 14:43; Amu 13:24; 1Sam 9:6; Mwa 39:2Bwana alikuwa pamoja na Samweli alipokuwa akikua, na hakuacha hata moja ya maneno yake lianguke chini. 203:20 Amu 20:1; Kum 18:22; Eze 33:33; Amu 20:1Nao Israeli wote kuanzia Dani hadi Beer-Sheba wakatambua kuwa Samweli amethibitishwa kuwa nabii wa Bwana. 213:21 Mwa 12:7; Hes 12:6; Amo 3:7Bwana akaendelea kutokea huko Shilo, na huko kujidhihirisha kwa Samweli kwa njia ya neno lake.
