Puer autem Samuel ministrabat Domino coram Heli, et sermo Domini erat pretiosus in diebus illis: non erat visio manifesta.

In those days, when Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Heli’s care, a mes-sage from the Lord was a rare treasure; he would not openly reveal himself.

Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision.

Factum est ergo in die quadam, Heli jacebat in loco suo, et oculi ejus caligaverant, nec poterat videre:

One night, Heli lay down to rest where he was wont to lie, his eyes dim now with age and sightless,

And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:

lucerna Dei antequam extingueretur, Samuel dormiebat in templo Domini, ubi erat arca Dei.

and Samuel was asleep, there in the divine presence, where God’s ark was, with the sacred lamp still burning.

Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

Et vocavit Dominus Samuel. Qui respondens, ait: Ecce ego.

And the Lord’s call came to Samuel. I am coming, he answered;

And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

Et cucurrit ad Heli, et dixit: Ecce ego: vocasti enim me. Qui dixit: Non vocavi: revertere, et dormi. Et abiit, et dormivit.

then ran to find Heli, and said, I am here at thy summons. Nay, said he, I never summoned thee; go back and lie down again. So back he went, and fell asleep.

And he ran to Heli and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.

Et adjecit Dominus rursum vocare Samuelem. Consurgensque Samuel, abiit ad Heli, et dixit: Ecce ego, quia vocasti me. Qui respondit: Non vocavi te, fili mi: revertere et dormi.

Then the Lord called Samuel again, and again he rose up and went to Heli, to answer his summons. But still no summons had been given, and he must go back to sleep again.

And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep.

Porro Samuel necdum sciebat Dominum, neque revelatus fuerat ei sermo Domini.

Till then, Samuel was a stranger to the divine voice; the Lord had not made any revelation to him.

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him.

Et adjecit Dominus, et vocavit adhuc Samuelem tertio. Qui consurgens abiit ad Heli,

But when a third time the persistent call came, and Samuel went to Heli,

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli,

et ait: Ecce ego, quia vocasti me. Intellexit ergo Heli quia Dominus vocaret puerum: et ait ad Samuelem: Vade, et dormi: et si deinceps vocaverit te, dices: Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus tuus. Abiit ergo Samuel, et dormivit in loco suo.

still ready at his command, Heli recognized at last whose voice it was the boy had heard. Go back to sleep, he told Samuel; and if the voice comes again, do thou answer, Speak on, Lord; thy servant is listening. And Samuel went back to his bed and fell asleep.

And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and slept in his place.

Et venit Dominus, et stetit: et vocavit, sicut vocaverat secundo: Samuel, Samuel. Et ait Samuel: Loquere, Domine, quia audit servus tuus.

And the Lord came to his side, and stood there waiting. Then, as before, he called him twice by name; and Samuel answered, Speak on, Lord, thy servant is listening.

And the Lord came and stood: and he called, as he had called the other times: Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

Et dixit Dominus ad Samuelem: Ecce ego facio verbum in Israël, quod quicumque audierit, tinnient ambæ aures ejus.

And this was the Lord’s message to Samuel: Here is doom I mean to bring on Israel that shall ring in the ears of all that hear of it.

And the Lord said to Samuel: Behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle.

In die illa suscitabo adversum Heli omnia quæ locutus sum super domum ejus: incipiam, et complebo.

For Heli it shall bring fulfilment of all the threats I have uttered against his clan; from first to last, they shall be accomplished.

In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end.

Prædixi enim ei quod judicaturus essem domum ejus in æternum propter iniquitatem, eo quod noverat indigne agere filios suos, et non corripuerit eos.

Warning enough I gave him, I would pass eternal sentence on that clan of his, for his sons’ wickedness that went ever unchecked;

For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise them.

Idcirco juravi domui Heli quod non expietur iniquitas domus ejus victimis et muneribus usque in æternum.

and now I have taken an oath against all his line, sacrifice nor offering shall ever atone for their sin.

Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

Dormivit autem Samuel usque mane, aperuitque ostia domus Domini. Et Samuel timebat indicare visionem Heli.

Samuel slept on till morning, when it was time for him to open the doors of the Lord’s house; and fear withheld him from telling Heli of his vision.

And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli.

Vocavit ergo Heli Samuelem, et dixit: Samuel fili mi? Qui respondens ait: Præsto sum.

Then he heard the voice of Heli calling, Samuel, my son Samuel! I am ready at thy command, said he.

Then Heli called Samuel, and said: Samuel, my son. And he answered: Here am I.

Et interrogavit eum: Quis est sermo, quem locutus est Dominus ad te? oro te ne celaveris me: hæc faciat tibi Deus, et hæc addat, si absconderis a me sermonem ex omnibus verbis quæ dicta sunt tibi.

And Heli asked him, What message is it the Lord has sent thee? May the Lord give thee thy due of punishment, and more than thy due, if thou hidest from me any word of the message that was given thee.

And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee? I beseech thee hide it not from me. May God do so and so to thee, and add so and so, if thou hide from me one word of all that were said to thee.

Indicavit itaque ei Samuel universos sermones, et non abscondit ab eo. Et ille respondit: Dominus est: quod bonum est in oculis suis faciat.

Thereupon Samuel told him all that was said, keeping nothing back from him. It is the Lord, answered he, that has spoken; let him do his will.

So Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide them from him. And he answered: It is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight.

Crevit autem Samuel, et Dominus erat cum eo, et non cecidit ex omnibus verbis ejus in terram.

Samuel grew up, still enjoying the Lord’s favour, and no word he spoke went unfulfilled,

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.

Et cognovit universus Israël, a Dan usque Bersabee, quod fidelis Samuel propheta esset Domini.

so that he became known all over Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, as the Lord’s true prophet.

And all Israel from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord.

Et addidit Dominus ut appareret in Silo, quoniam revelatus fuerat Dominus Samueli in Silo juxta verbum Domini. Et evenit sermo Samuelis universo Israëli.

After this revelation made to Samuel in Silo, the Lord continued to reveal himself there, as he had promised; and when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened.

And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel.