1 Samuel 3

1The boy Samuel was serving Yahweh under Eli. In those days the word of Yahweh was rare; visions were not widespread.

2One day Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes had begun to grow dim, and he could not see.

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

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

5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he said, “I did not call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

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

8Yahweh called Samuel a third time. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh was calling the boy.

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

10Yahweh came and stood there and called as he had before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

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

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

13I told him that I would judge his house forever because of the iniquity he knew about: his sons were bringing a curse on themselves, and he did not restrain them.

14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”

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

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

17Eli said, “What was it he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you severely, and more so, if you hide from me anything of all that he told you.”

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

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

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

21Yahweh continued to appear at Shiloh, for at Shiloh Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel through the word of Yahweh.