< 1 Samuel 3 >
1 Now, the boy Samuel, was ministering unto Yahweh, before Eli, —and, the word of Yahweh, had become rare in those days, there was no well-known vision.
And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce.
2 But it came to pass, at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, his eyes, having begun to be dim, he could not see,
And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.
3 though, the lamp of God, was not yet to be put out, and, Samuel, was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where was the ark of God,
Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
4 that Yahweh called unto Samuel, and he said—Behold me!
Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
5 So he ran unto Eli and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, return—Its down. So he went, and lie down.
He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 And again Yahweh called once there—Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said—I called not, my son, return—lie down.
Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7 Now, Samuel, as yet knew not Yahweh, —nor, as yet, had been revealed unto him, the word of Yahweh.
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 And again Yahweh called—Samuel! a third time. Then he arose, and went unto Eli, and said—Behold me! for thou calledst me. Then did Eli perceive, that, Yahweh, was calling the boy.
Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
9 So Eli said to Samuel—Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say—Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place.
“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Then came Yahweh, and stood, and called as time after time—Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant is listening.
Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11 And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Lo! I am doing a thing, in Israel, —at which both ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle.
Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
12 In that day, will I confirm against Eli, all that I have spoken against his house, —beginning and finishing.
On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end.
13 Therefore do I tell him, that I am about to judge his house unto times age-abiding, for the iniquity which he knoweth, in that his sons are cursing God, and he hath not rebuked them.
I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
14 And therefore have I sworn, respecting the house of Eli, —that the iniquity of the house of Eli shall receive no propitiatory-covering, by sacrifice or by present, unto times age-abiding.
Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, —but, Samuel, feared to tell the appearing, unto Eli.
Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
16 So Eli called Samuel, and said—Samuel! my son. And he said—Behold me!
but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17 And he said—What is the word, which he spake unto thee? I pray thee, do not hide it from me. So, let God do to thee, and, so, let him add, if thou hide from me a word, out of anything which he hath spoken unto thee.
“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
18 So Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said, Yahweh, he is; what is good in his own eyes, let him do.
So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
19 And Samuel grew, —and, Yahweh, proved to he with him, and let none of all his words fall to the ground.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
20 So all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, came to know, —that Samuel had become confirmed as a prophet unto Yahweh.
So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
21 Thus did Yahweh again appear in Shiloh, —for Yahweh had revealed himself unto Samuel in Shiloh, in the word of Yahweh.
And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.