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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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 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.”

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

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

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 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.

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

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

11 And YHWH says to Samuel, “Behold, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of everyone hearing it 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 establish to Eli all that I have spoken to his house, beginning and completing;

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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.”

“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 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.”

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

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

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

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

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