1 Samuel 3

1 AND the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

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

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

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

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

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

4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

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

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

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.

6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

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.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

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

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

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.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

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.

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

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

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

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

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

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

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

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.

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

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.’”

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

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.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

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

17 And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

“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!”

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

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.”

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

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

20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

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

21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

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