1 O menino Samuel ministrava a Jeová diante de Eli. Naqueles dias a palavra de Jeová era preciosa; não havia visão manifesta.2 Estando Eli deitado no seu lugar (ora os seus olhos tinham começado a escurecer, ele não podia ver),3 e ainda não se havendo apagado a lâmpada de Deus, e estando Samuel também deitado, no templo de Jeová onde estava a arca de Deus,4 chamou Jeová a Samuel. Este respondeu: Eis-me aqui.5 Correndo a Eli, disse-lhe: Eis-me aqui, pois tu me chamaste. Ele respondeu: Eu não te chamei; torna a deitar-te. Ele foi e deitou-se.6 Jeová tornou a chamar outra vez a Samuel, que, levantando-se, foi a Eli e disse: Eis-me aqui, pois me chamaste. Eli respondeu-lhe: Não te chamei, meu filho; torna a deitar-te.7 Samuel ainda não conhecia a Jeová, cuja palavra ainda não lhe havia sido revelada.8 Tornou Jeová a chamar a Samuel pela terceira vez. Ele, levantando-se, foi a Eli e disse: Eis-me aqui, pois me chamaste. Então entendeu Eli que Jeová chamava ao menino.9 Por isso disse Eli a Samuel: Vai deitar-te; se alguém te chamar, responderás: Fala, Jeová, porque o teu servo ouve. Foi, pois, Samuel e deitou-se no seu lugar.10 Então veio Jeová, parou e chamou como das outras vezes: Samuel, Samuel. Respondeu ele: Fala, pois o teu servo ouve.11 Disse Jeová a Samuel: Eis que vou fazer uma coisa em Israel, a qual todo o que a ouvir, ficar-lhe-ão tinindo ambos os ouvidos.12 Naquele dia darei contra Eli pleno cumprimento de tudo o que tenho falado a respeito da sua casa.13 Eu já lhe disse que julgarei a sua casa para sempre, por causa da iniqüidade de que ele tinha ciência, pois trouxeram seus filhos uma maldição sobre si, e ele não os repreendeu.14 Por isso jurei à casa de Eli que a iniqüidade dela nunca jamais será expiada com sacrifícios nem com ofertas de cereais.15 Samuel ficou deitado até pela manhã, quando abriu as portas da casa de Jeová. Mas ele temia relatar a visão a Eli.16 Chamou Eli a Samuel, e disse: Samuel, meu filho. Este respondeu: Eis-me aqui.17 Eli perguntou-lhe: Que é o que Jeová te falou? peço-te que não mo encubras; assim te faça Deus e ainda mais, se me encobrires alguma coisa de tudo o que te falou.18 Samuel referiu-lhe tudo e nada lhe encobriu. Então disse Eli: Ele é Jeová, faça o que lhe parecer bem.19 Crescia Samuel, e Jeová era com ele; não deixou nenhuma das suas palavras cair no chão.20 Todo o Israel desde Dã até Berseba conheceu que Samuel foi confirmado como profeta de Jeová.21 Jeová tornou a aparecer em Silo, pois ali se revelou a Samuel pela sua palavra;

1 When the boy Samuel was serving Jehovah under the direction of Eli, there were very few messages from Jehovah. Visions from him were rare.2 Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes became dim and he could not see.3 The lamp of God went out in the Temple of Jehovah. Samuel was lying down where the Ark of God was.4 Jehovah called Samuel. He answered: »Here am I.«5 He ran to Eli and said: »Here I am. You called me?« »I did not call you,« Eli replied. »Go back to bed.« So Samuel went back to bed.6 Jehovah called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said: »Here I am. You called me.« Eli responded: »I did not call you, son. Go back to bed.«7 Samuel had no experience with Jehovah, because the word of Jehovah had not yet been revealed to him.8 Jehovah called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said: »Here I am. You called me!« Eli realized discerned that Jehovah was calling the boy.9 »Go, lie down,« Eli told Samuel. When he calls you, say: »Speak Jehovah I am listening.« So Samuel went back to bed in his room.10 Jehovah came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: »Samuel! Samuel!« Samuel replied: »Speak! Your servant is listening.«11 Jehovah said to Samuel: »I will do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle.12 »On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end.13 »I told him I would hand down a long lasting judgment against his household because he knew about his sons’ sin. They were cursing God but he did not restrain them.14 »I have taken an oath concerning Eli’s family line. No offering or sacrifice will ever be able to make peace for the sins that Eli’s family committed.«15 Samuel remained in bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of Jehovah’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.16 Eli called Samuel and said: »Samuel, my son.« »Here I am,« he responded.17 »What did Jehovah tell you?« He asked. »Please do not hide it from me. May God strike you dead if you hide anything he told you from me.«18 Then Samuel told Eli everything. Eli replied: »He is Jehovah! He will do what he thinks is right.«19 Samuel grew up. Jehovah was with him and did not let any of his words go unfulfilled fail.20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew Samuel was Jehovah’s appointed prophet.21 Jehovah continued to appear in Shiloh, since Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of Jehovah. And Samuel spoke to all Israel.