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.

Now, the boy Samuel, was ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli, —and, the word of Yahweh, had become rare in those days, there was no well-known vision.

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

But it came to pass, at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, his eyes, having begun to be dim, 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.

though, the lamp of God, was not yet to be put out, and, Samuel, was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where was the ark of God,

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

that Yahweh called unto Samuel, and he said—Behold me!

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.

So he ran unto Eli and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, return—Its down. So he went, and lie 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.”

And again Yahweh called once there—Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, my son, return—lie down.

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

Now, Samuel, as yet knew not Yahweh, —nor, as yet, had been revealed unto him, the word of Yahweh.

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.

And again Yahweh called—Samuel! a third time. Then he arose, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. Then did Eli perceive, that, Yahweh, was calling the boy.

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 Eli said to Samuel—Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say—Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And 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.”

Then came Yahweh, and stood, and called as time after time—Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy 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.

And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Lo! I am doing a thing, in Israel, —at which both ears of everyone that heareth 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, will I confirm against Eli, all that I have spoken against his house, —beginning and finishing.

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.

Therefore do I tell him, that I am about to judge his house unto times age-abiding, for the iniquity which he knoweth, in that his sons are cursing God, and he hath not rebuked 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.’”

And therefore have I sworn, respecting the house of Eli, —that the iniquity of the house of Eli shall receive no propitiatory-covering, by sacrifice or by present, unto times age-abiding.

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 until the morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, —but, Samuel, feared to tell the appearing, unto Eli.

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

So Eli called Samuel, and said—Samuel! my son. And he said—Behold me!

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!”

And he said—What is the word, which he spake unto thee? I pray thee, do not hide it from me. So, let God do to thee, and, so, let him add, if thou hide from me a word, out of anything which he hath spoken unto thee.

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.”

So Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said, Yahweh, he is; what is good in his own eyes, let him do.

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

And Samuel grew, —and, Yahweh, proved to he with him, and let none of all his words fall to the ground.

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

So all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, came to know, —that Samuel had become confirmed as a prophet unto Yahweh.

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

Thus did Yahweh again appear in Shiloh, —for Yahweh had revealed himself unto Samuel in Shiloh, in the word of Yahweh.