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 LORD’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then.

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

At that time, when Eli was laid 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 God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the LORD’s temple where God’s ark was,

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

The LORD called Samuel. 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 didn’t 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 arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t 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 didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word 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.

The LORD called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived 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.

Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD; for your servant hears.’” So 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.”

The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”

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, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will 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 brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t 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 or 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.

Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.

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

Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He said, “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 don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”

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.”

Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. 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.

Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of 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.

All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

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

The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the LORD’s word.