1 Samuel 3

1 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.

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

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

And the lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.

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

And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

5 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.

And he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for thou didst call me: and he said, I did not call thee; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.

6 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.

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

7 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.

And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed to him.

8 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.

And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for thou didst call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.

9 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.

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

10 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.

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

11 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.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

17 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.

And he said, What [was] the word that was spoken to thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: may God do these things to thee, and more also, if thou hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to thee in thine ears.

18 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.

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

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

20 And it was clear to all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba that Samuel had been made 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 was seen again in Shiloh; for the Lord gave to Samuel in Shiloh the revelation of 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.