1 Samuel 3

1And the boy Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. Now in those days the word of Yahweh was rare, and visions were scarce.

2And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.

3Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was located.

4Then Yahweh called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”

5He 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.

6Once again Yahweh 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.”

7Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, because the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him.

8Once again, for the third time, Yahweh 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 Yahweh who was calling the boy.

9“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Yahweh, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10Then Yahweh came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

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

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

13I 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.

14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

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

16but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.

17“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.”

18So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is Yahweh,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

19And Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

20So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of Yahweh.

21And Yahweh continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.