1 Samuel 3

"Speak, God. I'm Ready to Listen"

1-3 The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli's direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.

4-5  Then God called out, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Yes? I'm here." Then he ran to Eli saying, "I heard you call. Here I am."
Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." And so he did.

6-7  God called again, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel got up and went to Eli, "I heard you call. Here I am."
Again Eli said, "Son, I didn't call you. Go back to bed." (This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)

8-9  God called again, "Samuel!"—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, "Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am."
That's when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, "Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, 'Speak, God. I'm your servant, ready to listen.'" Samuel returned to his bed.

10  Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak. I'm your servant, ready to listen."

11-14  God said to Samuel, "Listen carefully. I'm getting ready to do something in Israel that is going to shake everyone up and get their attention. The time has come for me to bring down on Eli's family everything I warned him of, every last word of it. I'm letting him know that the time's up. I'm bringing judgment on his family for good. He knew what was going on, that his sons were desecrating God's name and God's place, and he did nothing to stop them. This is my sentence on the family of Eli: The evil of Eli's family can never be wiped out by sacrifice or offering."

15  Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then rose early and went about his duties, opening the doors of the sanctuary, but he dreaded having to tell the vision to Eli.

16  But then Eli summoned Samuel: "Samuel, my son!"
Samuel came running: "Yes? What can I do for you?"

17  "What did he say? Tell it to me, all of it. Don't suppress or soften one word, as God is your judge! I want it all, word for word as he said it to you."

18  So Samuel told him, word for word. He held back nothing.
Eli said, "He is God. Let him do whatever he thinks best."

19-21  Samuel grew up. God was with him, and Samuel's prophetic record was flawless. Everyone in Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that Samuel was the real thing—a true prophet of God. God continued to show up at Shiloh, revealed through his word to Samuel at Shiloh.

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