1 Samuel 3

1 The boy Samuel served before the Lord under Eli's supervision. At that time messages from the Lord were rare—visions were not common.

The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 One evening, Eli had gone to bed in his room. His eyes were now so weak that he couldn't see.

It happened at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),

3 The lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Lord's Temple where the Ark of God was.

and the lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the LORD's temple, where the ark of God was;

4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel!” He answered, “I'm here.”

that the LORD called, "Samuel. Samuel." And he said, "Here I am."

5 He ran to Eli, and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.

He ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." He said, "I did not call; lie down again." He went and lay down.

6 Then the Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you, my son,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.”

The LORD called yet again, "Samuel. Samuel." And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

7 (Samuel hadn't yet come to know the Lord and had not received any message from him.)

Now Samuel did not yet know God, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.

8 The Lord called again for the third time, “Samuel!” He got up went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the Lord calling the boy.

Then the LORD called Samuel again the third time, and he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD had called the child.

9 Eli told Samuel, “Go back to bed, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, because your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to his bed.

So he said, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, reply, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'" Then Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, because your servant is listening.”

And the LORD came and stood, and called as at other times. Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

11 The Lord told Samuel: “Pay attention, because I'm going to do something in Israel that will surprise everyone who hears it.

The LORD said to Samuel, "Look, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.

12 That's when I will carry out against Eli and his family everything I have said, from beginning to end.

In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.

13 I told him that I will judge his family forever because of the sins he knows about, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not try and stop them.

For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were cursing God, and he did not restrain them.

14 That's why I swore to Eli and his family, ‘The guilt of Eli and his descendants will never be removed by sacrifice or offering.’”

Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be removed with sacrifice nor offering forever."

15 Samuel remained in bed until the morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Lord's Temple as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

And Samuel lay there until the morning, and in the morning he got up and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.

16 But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “I'm here,” Samuel answered.

Then Eli said to Samuel, "Samuel, my son." And he replied, "Here I am."

17 “What did he tell you?” Eli asked. “Don't hide it from me. May God punish you very severely if you hide anything he told you from me!”

He said, "What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do thus to you if you hide anything from me of all the words that he spoke to you in your ears."

18 So Samuel told him everything and didn't hide anything from him. “It's the Lord,” Eli replied. “May he do what he thinks is good.”

And Samuel told him everything, and did not hide anything from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."

19 Samuel continued to grow up. The Lord was with him and made sure all he said was trustworthy.

So Samuel continued to grow, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fail.

20 Everyone in the whole of Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.

21 The Lord went on appearing at Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel and delivered his messages,

And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel.