1 Samuel 3
1 The boy Samuel served the LORD in Eli’s presence. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not common.
2 One day, Eli was lying in his place. His eyes were growing weak, and he could not see.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
4 The LORD called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” Eli replied, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 The LORD called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” Eli replied, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel a third time. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD calling the boy.
9 Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 The LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring.”
12 “On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end.
13 I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the wrongdoing he knew about: his sons were bringing a curse on themselves, and he did not restrain them.
14 That is why I have sworn concerning Eli’s family: the guilt of Eli’s family will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”
15 Samuel lay there until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
16 Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” He answered, “Here I am.”
17 Eli asked, “What did he say to you? Please don’t hide it from me. May God do this to you, and more besides, if you hide a single word of everything he said to you.”
18 Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Eli said, “He is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19 Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, for at Shiloh the LORD revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the LORD.
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