1 Samuel 3

1 The child Samuel served Yahweh under Eli. Yahweh's word was rare in those days; there was no frequent prophetic vision.

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.

2 At that time, when Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see well, was lying down in his own bed.

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;

3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down to sleep in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was.

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; ]

4 Yahweh called to Samuel, who said, “Here I am.”

That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I.

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

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.

6 Yahweh called again, “Samuel.” Again Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son; lie down again.”

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.

7 Now Samuel did not yet have any experience of Yahweh, nor had any message from Yahweh ever been revealed to him.

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

8 Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh had called the boy.

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.

9 Then Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again; if he calls you again, you must say, 'Speak, Yahweh, for your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went and lay down in his own place once more.

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.

10 Yahweh came and stood; he called as at the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

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

11 Yahweh said to Samuel, “See, I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

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.

12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have said about his house, from beginning to end.

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.

13 I have told him that I am about to judge his house once for all for the sin that he knew about, because his sons brought a curse upon themselves and he did not stop them.

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.

14 Because of this I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sins of his house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”

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.

15 Samuel lay down until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

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

16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” Samuel said, “Here I am.”

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

17 He said, “What was the word he spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and even more, if you hide anything from me of all the words that he spoke to you.”

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.

18 Samuel told him everything; he hid nothing from him. Eli said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him.”

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.

19 Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him, and he let none of his prophetic words fall to the ground.

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

20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was appointed to be a prophet of Yahweh.

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

21 Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh, for he revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.

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