1 Samuel 3

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God Calls Samuel

3 <1> The boy Samuel was Eli's helper and served the Lord with him. At that time, the Lord did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions.[31]

<2> Eli's eyes were getting so weak that he was almost blind. One night he went to his room to go to bed. <3> The special lamp in the temple[32] was still burning, so Samuel lay down in the temple near where the Holy Box[33] was. <4> The Lord called Samuel, and Samuel answered, "Here I am." <5> Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."

But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed."

So Samuel went back to bed. <6> Again the Lord called, "Samuel!" Again Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."

Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed."

<7> Samuel did not yet know the Lord because the Lord had not spoken directly to him before.[34]

<8> The Lord called Samuel the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."

Finally, Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. <9> Eli told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, 'Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.'"

So Samuel went back to bed. <10> The Lord came and stood there. He called as he did before, saying, "Samuel, Samuel!"

Samuel said, "Speak. I am your servant, and I am listening."

<11> The Lord said to Samuel, "I will soon do things in Israel that will shock anyone who hears about them. <12> I will do everything I said I would do against Eli and his family, everything from the beginning to the end. <13> I told Eli I would punish his family forever. I will do this because Eli knew his sons were saying and doing bad things against God. But he failed to control them. <14> That is why I swore (promised) that sacrifices and grain offerings will never take away the sins of the people in Eli's family.[35]"

<15> Samuel lay down in bed until the morning came. He got up early and opened the doors of the Lord house. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

<16> But Eli said to Samuel, "Samuel, my son."

Samuel answered, "Yes, sir."

<17> Eli asked, "What did the Lord say to you? Don't hide it from me. God will punish you if you hide anything from the message he spoke to you."

<18> So Samuel told Eli everything. He did not hide anything from Eli.

Eli said, "He is the Lord. Let him do whatever he thinks is right."

<19> The Lord was with Samuel while he grew up. He did not let any of Samuel's messages prove false. <20> Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was a true prophet of the Lord. <21> And the Lord continued to appear to Samuel at Shiloh. He revealed himself to Samuel as the word of the Lord.[36]