1 Samuel 3

The Lord Calls Samuel

1 The boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. In those days a prophecy from the Lord was rare; visions were infrequent.2 One night Eli was lying down in his room. His eyesight had begun to fail so that he couldn’t see well.

3 The lamp in God’s templet hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was asleep in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was kept.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel. “Here I am,” Samuel responded.

5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back and lay down.6 The Lord called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”“I didn’t call you, son,” he responded. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel had no experience with the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The Lord called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy.

9 “Go, lie down,” Eli told Samuel. “When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his room.
10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.”11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am going to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it ring.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 that I would hand down a permanent judgment against his household because he knew about his sons’ sin—that they were cursing Godt —but he didn’t try to stop them.

14 That is why 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 the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.16 Then Eli called Samuel. “Samuel, my son!” he said.“Here I am,” he responded.17 “What did the Lord tell you?” he asked. “Please don’t hide anything from me. May God strike you dead if you hide anything he told you from me.”18 So Samuel told Eli everything.Eli replied, “He is the Lord. May he do what he thinks is right.”19 Samuel grew up. The Lord was with him and didn’t let any of his words go unfulfilled.20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew Samuel was the Lord’s appointed prophet.

21 The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, since the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord. And Samuel spoke to all Israel.t

1 Samuel 3

The Call of Samuel

1 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision.t Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place,3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there.4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!”5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Elit said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down.

6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Elit said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.

9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!”11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel;t when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle.12 On that day I will carry outt against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish!13 Yous should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because oft the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God,s and he did not rebuke them.

14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.16 However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.”

17 Elit said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severelyt if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”
18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Elit said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.”t19 Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled.t20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuels through the word of the Lord.t