(א) וְהַנַּעַר שְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת אֶת יקוק לִפְנֵי עֵלִי וּדְבַר יקוק הָיָה יָקָר בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין חָזוֹן נִפְרָץ.
(ב) וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְעֵלִי שֹׁכֵב בִּמְקֹמוֹ ועינו הֵחֵלּוּ כֵהוֹת לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת.
(ג) וְנֵר אֱלֹהִים טֶרֶם יִכְבֶּה וּשְׁמוּאֵל שֹׁכֵב בְּהֵיכַל יקוק אֲשֶׁר שָׁם אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים. (ד) וַיִּקְרָא יקוק אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי.
(ה) וַיָּרָץ אֶל עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי קָרָאתָ לִּי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא קָרָאתִי שׁוּב שְׁכָב וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּב. (ו) וַיֹּסֶף יקוק קְרֹא עוֹד שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּקָם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי קָרָאתָ לִי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא קָרָאתִי בְנִי שׁוּב שְׁכָב.
(ז) וּשְׁמוּאֵל טֶרֶם יָדַע אֶת יקוק וְטֶרֶם יִגָּלֶה אֵלָיו דְּבַר יקוק.
(ח) וַיֹּסֶף יקוק קְרֹא שְׁמוּאֵל בַּשְּׁלִשִׁית וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי קָרָאתָ לִי וַיָּבֶן עֵלִי כִּי יקוק קֹרֵא לַנָּעַר.
(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר עֵלִי לִשְׁמוּאֵל לֵךְ שְׁכָב וְהָיָה אִם יִקְרָא אֵלֶיךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ דַּבֵּר יקוק כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ עַבְדֶּךָ וַיֵּלֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּשְׁכַּב בִּמְקוֹמוֹ.
(1) And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.
(2) And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place—now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see—
(3) and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, (4) that the LORD called Samuel; and he said: ‘Here am I.’ .
(5) And he ran unto Eli, and said: ‘Here am I; for thou didst call me.’ And he said: ‘I called not; lie down again.’ And he went and lay down. (6) 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.’
(7) Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
(8) 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 was calling the child.
(9) Therefore Eli said unto Samuel: ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if thou be called, that thou shalt say: Speak, LORD; for Thy servant heareth.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
(ב) וַיִּקְחוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיָּבִיאוּ אֹתוֹ בֵּית דָּגוֹן וַיַּצִּיגוּ אֹתוֹ אֵצֶל דָּגוֹן.
(ג) וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים מִמָּחֳרָת וְהִנֵּה דָגוֹן נֹפֵל לְפָנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יקוק וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת דָּגוֹן וַיָּשִׁבוּ אֹתוֹ לִמְקוֹמוֹ.
(ד) וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ בַבֹּקֶר מִמָּחֳרָת וְהִנֵּה דָגוֹן נֹפֵל לְפָנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יקוק וְרֹאשׁ דָּגוֹן וּשְׁתֵּי כַּפּוֹת יָדָיו כְּרֻתוֹת אֶל הַמִּפְתָּן רַק דָּגוֹן נִשְׁאַר עָלָיו.
(ה) עַל כֵּן לֹא יִדְרְכוּ כֹהֲנֵי דָגוֹן וְכָל הַבָּאִים
בֵּית דָּגוֹן עַל מִפְתַּן דָּגוֹן בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.
(ו) וַתִּכְבַּד יַד יקוק אֶל הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִים וַיְשִׁמֵּם וַיַּךְ אֹתָם בעפלים [בַּטְּחֹרִים] אֶת אַשְׁדּוֹד וְאֶת גְּבוּלֶיהָ.
(2) And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
(3) And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
(4) And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.
(5) Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
(6) But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.