1 Samuel 3
O jovem Samuel servia ao Senhor sob os olhos de Heli. a palavra do Senhor era rara naqueles dias, e as visões não eram freqüentes.
Ora, aconteceu certo dia que Heli estava deitado {seus olhos tinham-se enfraquecido, e ele mal podia ver},
e a lâmpada de Deus ainda não se apagara. Samuel repousava no templo do Senhor, onde se encontrava a arca de Deus.
O Senhor chamou Samuel, o qual respondeu: Eis-me aqui.
Samuel correu para junto de Heli e disse: Eis-me aqui: chamaste-me. Não te chamei, meu filho, torna a deitar-te. Ele foi e deitou-se.
O Senhor chamou de novo Samuel. Este levantou-se e veio dizer a Heli: Eis-me aqui, tu me chamaste. Eu não te chamei, meu filho, torna a deitar-te.
Samuel ainda não conhecia o Senhor; a palavra do Senhor não lhe tinha sido ainda manifestada.
Pela terceira vez o Senhor chamou Samuel, que se levantou e foi ter com Heli: Eis-me aqui, tu me chamaste. Compreendeu então Heli que era o Senhor quem chamava o menino.
Vai e torna a deitar-te, disse-lhe ele, e se ouvires que te chamam de novo, responde: Falai, Senhor; vosso servo escuta! Voltou Samuel e deitou-se.
Veio o Senhor pôs-se junto dele e chamou-o como das outras vezes: Samuel! Samuel! Falai, respondeu o menino; vosso servo escuta!
O Senhor disse a Samuel: Eis que vou fazer uma tal coisa em Israel, que a todo o que a ouvir ficar-lhe-ão retinindo os ouvidos.
Naquele dia cumprirei contra Heli todas as ameaças que pronunciei contra a sua casa. Começarei e irei até o fim.
Anunciei-lhe que eu condenaria para sempre a sua família, por causa dos crimes que ele sabia que os seus filhos cometiam, e não os corrigiu.
Por isso jurei à casa de Heli que a sua culpa jamais seria expiada, nem com sacrifícios nem com oblações.
Samuel ficou deitado até pela manhã, quando abriu as portas da casa do Senhor. Ele temia contar a visão a Heli.
Heli, porém chamou-o e disse: Samuel, meu filho! Eis-me aqui, respondeu ele.
E Heli: Que te disse ele? Não me ocultes nada. Deus te trate com toda a severidade, se me encobrires algo de tudo o que ele te disse.
Então Samuel contou-lhe tudo, sem nada ocultar. Heli exclamou: O Senhor fará o que lhe parecer melhor.
Samuel crescia, e o Senhor estava com ele. Ele não negligenciava nenhuma de suas palavras.
Todo o Israel, desde Dã até Bersabéia, reconheceu que Samuel era um profeta do Senhor.
E o Senhor continuou a se manifestar em Silo. É ali que o Senhor aparecia a Samuel, descobrindo-lhe sua palavra.
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; {there was} no open vision.
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli {was} laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, {that} he could not see;
And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God {was}, and Samuel was laid down {to sleep};
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here {am} I.
And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here {am} I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here {am} I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. {Now...: or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him}
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here {am} I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
In that day I will perform against Eli all {things} which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. {when...: Heb. beginning and ending}
For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. {For I...: or, And I will tell him} {vile: or, accursed} {restrained...: Heb. frowned not upon them}
And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here {am} I.
And he said, What {is} the thing that {the LORD} hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide {it} not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide {any} thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. {more also: Heb. so add} {thing: or, word}
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It {is} the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. {every...: Heb. all the things, or, words}
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel {was} established {to be} a prophet of the LORD. {established: or, faithful}
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.