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.

And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli the priest: and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.

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

And it came to pass at that time that Heli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not 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 lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.

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

And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [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 he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I did not call you; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.

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 the Lord called again, Samuel, Samuel: and he went to Heli the second time, and said, Behold [here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I called you not; return, go to sleep.

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

And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed 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 the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for you did call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.

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.

And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call you, that you shall say, Speak for your servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.

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

And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before: and Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears.

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, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.

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 raise up against Heli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.

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 I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish 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.’”

And [it shall] not [go on] so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.

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 slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell [Heli] the vision.

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

And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [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 [was] the word that was spoken to you? I pray you hide it not from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.

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.”

And Samuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Heli said, He [is] the Lord, he shall do that which is good in his sight.

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

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.

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

And all Israel knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Samuel [was] faithful as a prophet to the Lord.

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

And the Lord manifested himself again in Selom, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel; and Samuel was accredited to all Israel as a prophet to the Lord from one end of the land to the other: and Heli [was] very old, and his sons kept advancing [in wickedness], and their way [was] evil before the Lord.