I Samuel 3

vehanna'ar shemu'el mesharet et-Adonai lifne eli udevar-Adonai hayah yaqar bayyamim hahem en khazon nifrats

Young Samuel was in the service of GOD under Eli. In those days the word of GOD was rare; prophecy was not widespread.

vayehi bayyom hahu ve'eli shokhev bimqomo ve'enav hekhellu khehot lo yukhal lirot

One day, Eli was asleep in his usual place; his eyes had begun to fail and he could barely see.

vener elohim terem yikhbeh ushemu'el shokhev behekhal Adonai asher-sham aron elohim

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of GOD where the Ark of God was.

vayyiqra Adonai el-shemu'el vayyomer hinneni

GOD called out to Samuel, and he answered, “I’m coming.”

vayyarots el-eli vayyomer hinni ki-qarata li vayyomer lo-qarati shuv shekhav vayyelekh vayyishkav

He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down.

vayyosef Adonai qero od shemu'el vayyaqom shemu'el vayyelekh el-eli vayyomer hinni ki qarata li vayyomer lo-qarati veni shuv shekhav

Again GOD called, “Samuel!” Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call, my son; go back to sleep.”—

ushemu'el terem yada et-Adonai veterem yiggaleh elayw devar-Adonai

Now Samuel had not yet experienced GOD; the word of GOD had not yet been revealed to him.—

vayyosef Adonai qero-shemu'el bashelishit vayyaqom vayyelekh el-eli vayyomer hinni ki qarata li vayyaven eli ki Adonai qore lanna'ar

GOD called Samuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that GOD was calling the boy.

vayyomer eli lishmu'el lekh shekhav vehayah im-yiqra elekha ve'amarta dabber Adonai ki shomea avdekha vayyelekh shemu'el vayyishkav bimqomo

And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, GOD, for Your servant is listening.’” And Samuel went to his place and lay down.

vayyavo Adonai vayyityatsav vayyiqra khefa'am-befa'am shemu'el shemu'el vayyomer shemu'el dabber ki shomea avdekha

GOD started communicating, calling as before: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

vayyomer Adonai el-shemu'el hinneh anokhi oseh davar beyisra'el asher kol-shome'o tetsillenah shete oznayw

GOD said to Samuel: “I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tingle.

bayyom hahu aqim el-eli et kol-asher dibbarti el-beto hakhel vekhalleh

In that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I spoke concerning his house, from beginning to end.

vehiggadti lo ki-shofet ani et-beto ad-olam ba'avon asher-yada ki-meqallim lahem banayw velo khihah bam

And I declare to him that I sentence his house to endless punishment for the iniquity he knew about—how his sons committed sacrilege at will—and he did not rebuke them.

velakhen nishbati levet eli im-yitkapper avon bet-eli bezevakh uveminkhah ad-olam

Assuredly, I swear concerning the house of Eli that the iniquity of the house of Eli will never be expiated by sacrifice or offering.”

vayyishkav shemu'el ad-habboqer vayyiftakh et-daltot bet-Adonai ushemu'el yare mehaggid et-hammarah el-eli

Samuel lay there until morning; and then he opened the doors of the House of GOD. Samuel was afraid to report the vision to Eli,

vayyiqra eli et-shemu'el vayyomer shemu'el beni vayyomer hinneni

but Eli summoned Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son”; and he answered, “Here.”

vayyomer mah haddavar asher dibber elekha al-na tekhakhed mimmenni koh ya'aseh-llekha elohim vekhoh yosif im-tekhakhed mimmenni davar mikkol-haddavar asher-dibber elekha

And [Eli] asked, “What did [God] say to you? Keep nothing from me. Thus and more may God do to you if you keep from me a single word of all that was said to you!”

vayyagged-lo shemu'el et-kol-haddevarim velo khikhed mimmennu vayyomar Adonai hu hattov be'enav ya'aseh

Samuel then told him everything, withholding nothing from him. And [Eli] said, “GOD will always do what is right.”

vayyigdal shemu'el va-Adonai hayah immo velo-hippil mikkol-devarayw aretsah

Samuel grew up and GOD was with him—not leaving any of his predictions unfulfilled.

vayyeda kol-yisra'el middan ve'ad-be'er shava ki ne'eman shemu'el lenavi la-Adonai

All Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was trustworthy as a prophet of GOD.

vayyosef Adonai lehera'oh veshiloh ki-niglah Adonai el-shemu'el beshilo bidvar Adonai

And GOD continued to appear at Shiloh—GOD being revealed to Samuel at Shiloh with the word of GOD;