1 Samuel 3

1 The child Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli. The word of Jehovah was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli the priest: and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.

2 It happened at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),

And it came to pass at that time that Heli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.

3 and the lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in Jehovah's temple, where the ark of God was;

And the lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.

4 that Jehovah called, "Samuel. Samuel." And he said, "Here I am."

And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

5 He ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." He said, "I did not call; lie down again." He went and lay down.

And he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I did not call you; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.

6 Jehovah called yet again, "Samuel. Samuel." And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

And the Lord called again, Samuel, Samuel: and he went to Heli the second time, and said, Behold [here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I called you not; return, go to sleep.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know God, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed to him.

And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed to him.

8 Then Jehovah called Samuel again the third time, and he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli realized that Jehovah had called the child.

And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for you did call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.

9 So he said, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, reply, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.'" Then Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call you, that you shall say, Speak for your servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And Jehovah came and stood, and called as at other times. Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before: and Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears.

11 Jehovah said to Samuel, "Look, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.

In that day I will raise up against Heli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were cursing God, and he did not restrain them.

And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.

14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be removed with sacrifice nor offering forever."

And [it shall] not [go on] so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.

15 And Samuel lay there until the morning, and in the morning he got up and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision.

And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell [Heli] the vision.

16 Then Eli said to Samuel, "Samuel, my son." And he replied, "Here I am."

And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

17 He said, "What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do thus to you if you hide anything from me of all the words that he spoke to you in your ears."

And he said, What [was] the word that was spoken to you? I pray you hide it not from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.

18 And Samuel told him everything, and did not hide anything from him. And he said, "It is Jehovah. Let him do what seems good to him."

And Samuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Heli said, He [is] the Lord, he shall do that which is good in his sight.

19 So Samuel continued to grow, and Jehovah was with him and let none of his words fail.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.

20 Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of Jehovah.

And all Israel knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Samuel [was] faithful as a prophet to the Lord.

21 And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh, for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel.

And the Lord manifested himself again in Selom, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel; and Samuel was accredited to all Israel as a prophet to the Lord from one end of the land to the other: and Heli [was] very old, and his sons kept advancing [in wickedness], and their way [was] evil before the Lord.