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.

The child Samuel served Yahweh under Eli. Yahweh's word was rare in those days; there was no frequent prophetic vision.

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

At that time, when Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see well, was lying down in his own bed.

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.

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down to sleep in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was.

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

Yahweh called to Samuel, who said, “Here I am.”

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.

Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So Samuel went and lay down.

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.”

Yahweh called again, “Samuel.” Again Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son; lie down again.”

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

Now Samuel did not yet have any experience of Yahweh, nor had any message from Yahweh ever been 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.

Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh had called the boy.

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.

Then Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again; if he calls you again, you must say, 'Speak, Yahweh, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his own place once more.

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

Yahweh came and stood; he called as at the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

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.

Yahweh said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

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

On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have said about his house, from beginning to 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.

I have told him that I am about to judge his house once for all for the sin that he knew about, because his sons brought a curse upon themselves and he did not stop 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.’”

Because of this I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sins of his house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”

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,

Samuel lay down until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

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

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

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.”

He said, “What was the word he spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and even more, if you hide anything from me of all the words that he spoke 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.”

Samuel told him everything; he hid nothing from him. Eli said, “It is Yahweh. 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.

Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him, and he let none of his prophetic words fall to the ground.

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

All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was appointed to be a prophet of Yahweh.

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

Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh, for he revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.