1 Samuel 3

1 And the youth Samuel is serving YHWH before Eli, and the word of YHWH has been precious in those days—there is no vision breaking forth.

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.

2 And it comes to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun [to be] faded—he is not able to see.

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, )

3 And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of YHWH, where the Ark of God [is],

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

4 and YHWH calls to Samuel, and he says, “Here I [am].”

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

5 And he runs to Eli and says, “Here I [am], for you have called for me”; and he says, “I did not call; turn back, lie down”; and he goes and lies down.

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.

6 And YHWH adds to call Samuel again, and Samuel rises and goes to Eli, and says, “Here I [am], for you have called for me”; and he says, “I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.”

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.

7 And Samuel has not yet known YHWH, and the word of YHWH is not yet revealed to him.

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.

8 And YHWH adds to call Samuel the third time, and he rises and goes to Eli, and says, “Here I [am], for you have called for me”; and Eli understands that YHWH is calling to the youth.

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.

9 And Eli says to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it has been, if He calls to you, that you have said, Speak, YHWH, for Your servant is hearing”; and Samuel goes and lies down in his place.

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.

10 And YHWH comes, and stations Himself, and calls as time by time, “Samuel, Samuel”; and Samuel says, “Speak, for Your servant is hearing.”

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.

11 And YHWH says to Samuel, “Behold, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of everyone hearing it tingle.

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.

12 In that day I establish to Eli all that I have spoken to his house, beginning and completing;

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

13 and I have declared to him that I am judging his house for all time, for the iniquity which he has known, for his sons are making themselves vile, and he has not restrained them,

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.

14 and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli is not atoned for, by sacrifice, and by offering—for all time.”

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.

15 And Samuel lies until the morning, and opens the doors of the house of YHWH, and Samuel is afraid of declaring the vision to Eli.

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.

16 And Eli calls Samuel and says, “Samuel, my son”; and he says, “Here I [am].”

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

17 And he says, “What [is] the word which He has spoken to you? Please do not hide it from me; so God does to you, and so does He add, if you hide from me a word of all the words that He has spoken to you.”

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.

18 And Samuel declares to him the whole of the words, and has not hid from him; and he says, “It [is] YHWH; that which is good in His eyes He does.”

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.

19 And Samuel grows up, and YHWH has been with him, and has not let any of his words fall to the earth;

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

20 and all Israel knows, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to YHWH.

And it was clear to all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba that Samuel had been made a prophet of the Lord.

21 And YHWH adds to appear in Shiloh, for YHWH has been revealed to Samuel, in Shiloh, by the word of YHWH.

And the Lord was seen again in Shiloh; for the Lord gave to Samuel in Shiloh the revelation of his word.