1 Samuel 3

¹The child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. The LORD’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then. ²At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), ³and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the LORD’s temple where God’s ark was, ⁴The LORD called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.”

⁵He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”

He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.”

He went and lay down. ⁶The LORD called yet again, “Samuel!”

Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”

He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” ⁷Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, neither was the LORD’s word yet revealed to him. ⁸The LORD called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”

Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. ⁹Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, the LORD; for your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”

¹¹The LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. ¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. ¹³For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them. ¹⁴Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.”

¹⁵Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the LORD’s house. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision. ¹⁶Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”

He said, “Here I am.”

¹⁷He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”

¹⁸Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.

He said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.”

¹⁹Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. ²¹The LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the LORD’s word.