撒母耳記上 3
1 童子撒母耳在以利面前事奉耶和華。當那些日子，耶和華的言語稀少，不常有默示。
[While he was still a] boy, Samuel was working for Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages [that anyone received] from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions [that Yahweh gave them].
2 一日，以利睡臥在自己的地方；他眼目昏花，看不分明。
By that time Eli’s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. [One night] he was sleeping in his room,
3 上帝的燈在上帝耶和華殿內約櫃那裏，還沒有熄滅，撒母耳已經睡了。
and Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent, where the chest that contained the Ten Commandments was kept. While the sacred lamp was still burning,
4 耶和華呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳說：「我在這裏！」
Yahweh called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “I’m here!”
5 就跑到以利那裏，說：「你呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利回答說：「我沒有呼喚你，你去睡吧。」他就去睡了。
Then he [got up and] ran to Eli. He said to him, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli replied, “No, I did not call you. Go back to your bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again.
6 耶和華又呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來，到以利那裏，說：「你呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利回答說：「我的兒，我沒有呼喚你，你去睡吧。」
Then Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up again and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli said, “No, my son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”
7 那時撒母耳還未認識耶和華，也未得耶和華的默示。
At that time Samuel did not yet know [that] Yahweh [could speak to him], because Yahweh had not previously revealed anything to him.
8 耶和華第三次呼喚撒母耳。撒母耳起來，到以利那裏，說：「你又呼喚我？我在這裏。」以利才明白是耶和華呼喚童子。
[After Samuel lay down again], Yahweh called him a third time. So again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh who was calling the boy.
9 因此以利對撒母耳說：「你仍去睡吧；若再呼喚你，你就說：『耶和華啊，請說，僕人敬聽！』」撒母耳就去，仍睡在原處。
So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again. If someone calls you again, say ‘Speak to me, Yahweh, because I am listening!’” So Samuel went and lay down again.
10 耶和華又來站着，像前三次呼喚說：「撒母耳啊！撒母耳啊！」撒母耳回答說：「請說，僕人敬聽！」
Then Yahweh came and stood there and called as he had done the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak to me, because I am listening!”
11 耶和華對撒母耳說：「我在以色列中必行一件事，叫聽見的人都必耳鳴。
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock/horrify [IDM] everyone who hears about it.
12 我指着以利家所說的話，到了時候，我必始終應驗在以利身上。
When that happens, I will punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said that I would do.
13 我曾告訴他必永遠降罰與他的家，因他知道兒子作孽，自招咒詛，卻不禁止他們。
His sons have shown great disrespect for me by the disgraceful things they have done, and Eli did not restrain them. So I told him that I would punish his family forever.
14 所以我向以利家起誓說：『以利家的罪孽，雖獻祭奉禮物，永不能得贖去。』」
I solemnly promised to Eli’s family, ‘You will never be able to avoid the consequences for your sin, even if you give me sacrifices or offerings.’”
15 撒母耳睡到天亮，就開了耶和華的殿門，不敢將默示告訴以利。
Samuel lay down again until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Sacred Tent [as usual]. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision [that Yahweh had given him].
16 以利呼喚撒母耳說：「我兒撒母耳啊！」撒母耳回答說：「我在這裏！」
But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel answered, “I am here!”
17 以利說：「耶和華對你說甚麼，你不要向我隱瞞；你若將上帝對你所說的隱瞞一句，願他重重地降罰與你。」
Eli asked him, “What was it that Yahweh told you? Do not conceal it! I want God to punish you severely if you do not tell me everything that he said to you.”
18 撒母耳就把一切話都告訴了以利，並沒有隱瞞。以利說：「這是出於耶和華，願他憑自己的意旨而行。」
So Samuel told him everything. He did not refuse to tell him anything. Then Eli said, “He is Yahweh. I am willing for him to do what he thinks is best.”
19 撒母耳長大了，耶和華與他同在，使他所說的話一句都不落空。
As Samuel grew up, Yahweh helped him, and caused everything to (come true/happen) that Samuel predicted.
20 從但到別是巴所有的以色列人都知道耶和華立撒母耳為先知。
So all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was truly a prophet of Yahweh.
21 耶和華又在示羅顯現；因為耶和華將自己的話默示撒母耳，撒母耳就把這話傳遍以色列地。
Yahweh continued to appear to Samuel in Shiloh and give messages to him.
