1 Samuel 3

1 The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. The word of Yahweh was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.2 It happened at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),3 and the lamp of God hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yahweh’s temple, where the ark of God was;4 that Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”

5 He ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He said, “I didn’t call; lie down again.”
He went and lay down.

6 Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!”
Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He answered, “I didn’t call, my son; lie down again.”7 Now Samuel didn’t yet know Yahweh, neither was the word of Yahweh yet revealed to him.

8 Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child.9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
11 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them.

14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice nor offering forever.”
15 Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He said, “Here I am.”

17 He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”

18 Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.
He said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19 Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.20 All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh.

21 Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.

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