1 Samuel

¹The boy Samuel was serving the LORD under Eli's supervision. In those days, the word of the LORD was rare and visions were uncommon.

²One night Eli was lying in his room, and his eyesight had grown so poor that he could barely see.

³The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the tabernacle where the ark of God was kept, and Samuel was lying down there to sleep,

⁴when the LORD called out, 'Samuel!' Samuel answered, 'Here I am!'

⁵He 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 and lay down.

⁶The LORD called again, 'Samuel!' Samuel got up and went to Eli again, saying, 'Here I am — you called me.' But Eli replied, 'I didn't call you, my son. Go back to bed.'

⁷Samuel did not yet know the LORD personally, and the LORD's word had not yet been revealed to him directly.

⁸The LORD called a third time. Samuel got up again and went to Eli, saying, 'Here I am — you called me.' Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy.

⁹So Eli told Samuel, 'Go lie down, and if he calls you again, say, Speak, LORD — your servant is listening.' So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.

¹⁰The LORD came and stood there and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Speak — your servant is listening.'

¹¹The LORD said to Samuel, 'I am about to do something in Israel that will make everyone who hears about it tremble.'

¹²'On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken against his family — from beginning to end.'

¹³'I told him I would judge his household forever because of the sin he knew about. His sons were bringing contempt on God, and he failed to restrain them.'

¹⁴'Therefore I swore concerning the house of Eli: the guilt of his family will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.'

¹⁵Samuel lay there until morning, then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli what he had seen.

¹⁶But Eli called out to him and said, 'Samuel, my son.' Samuel answered, 'Here I am.'

¹⁷Eli asked, 'What did the LORD say to you? Do not hide it from me. May God punish you severely if you keep anything from me.'

¹⁸So Samuel told him everything and held nothing back. Eli said, 'He is the LORD. Let him do what he thinks is right.'

¹⁹As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and made sure that everything Samuel said came true.

²⁰All Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.

²¹The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, revealing himself to Samuel there through his word.