1 Samuel 3

1 And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce.

Now the young Samuel was the servant of the Lord before Eli. In those days the Lord kept his word secret from men; there was no open vision.

2 And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.

And at that time, when Eli was resting in his place, (now his eyes were becoming clouded so that he was not able to see, )

3 Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.

And the light of God was still burning, while Samuel was sleeping in the Temple of the Lord where the ark of God was,

4 Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”

The voice of the Lord said Samuel's name; and he said, Here am I.

5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

And running to Eli he said, Here am I, for you said my name. And Eli said, I did not say your name; go to your rest again. So he went back to his bed.

6 Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”

And again the Lord said, Samuel. And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here am I; for you certainly said my name. But he said in answer, I said nothing, my son; go to your rest again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

Now at that time Samuel had no knowledge of the Lord, and the revelation of the word of the Lord had not come to him.

8 Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.

And for the third time the Lord said Samuel's name. And he got up and went to Eli and said, Here am I; for you certainly said my name. Then it was clear to Eli that the voice which had said the child's name was the Lord's.

9 “Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

So Eli said to Samuel, Go back: and if the voice comes again, let your answer be, Say on, Lord; for the ears of your servant are open. So Samuel went back to his bed.

10 Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Then the Lord came and said as before, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel made answer, Say on, Lord; for the ears of your servant are open.

11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.

And the Lord said to Samuel, See, I will do a thing in Israel at which the ears of everyone hearing of it will be burning.

12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end.

In that day I will do to Eli everything which I have said about his family, from first to last.

13 I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.

And you are to say to him that I will send punishment on his family for ever, for the sin which he had knowledge of; because his sons have been cursing God and he had no control over them.

14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

So I have made an oath to the family of Eli that no offering of meat or of meal which they may make will ever take away the sin of his family.

15 Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,

And Samuel kept where he was, not moving till the time came for opening the doors of the house of God in the morning. And fear kept him from giving Eli an account of his vision.

16 but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.

Then Eli said, Samuel, my son. And Samuel answering said, Here am I.

17 “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”

And he said, What did the Lord say to you? Do not keep it from me: may God's punishment be on you if you keep from me anything he said to you.

18 So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

Then Samuel gave him an account of everything, keeping nothing back. And he said, It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.

19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

And Samuel became older, and the Lord was with him and let not one of his words be without effect.

20 So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.

And it was clear to all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba that Samuel had been made a prophet of the Lord.

21 And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.

And the Lord was seen again in Shiloh; for the Lord gave to Samuel in Shiloh the revelation of his word.