The First of Samuel 3:1-21
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Samuel called to be a prophet (1-21)
3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel was ministering+ to Jehovah before Eʹli, but word from Jehovah had become rare in those days; visions+ were not widespread.
2 One day Eʹli was lying down in his usual place, and his eyes had grown dim; he was not able to see.+
3 The lamp of God+ had not yet been extinguished, and Samuel was lying in the temple*+ of Jehovah, where the Ark of God was.
4 Jehovah then called Samuel. He answered: “Here I am.”
5 He ran to Eʹli and said: “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said: “I did not call. Lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 Jehovah called once again: “Samuel!” At this Samuel got up and went to Eʹli and said: “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said: “I did not call, my son. Lie down again.”
7 (Now Samuel had not yet come to know Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah had not yet been revealed to him.)+
8 So Jehovah called again, a third time: “Samuel!” At that he got up and went to Eʹli and said: “Here I am, for you called me.”
Eʹli then realized that it was Jehovah who was calling the boy.
9 So Eʹli said to Samuel: “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you should say, ‘Speak, Jehovah, for your servant is listening.’” And Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Jehovah came and stood there, and he called as at the other times: “Samuel, Samuel!” At this Samuel said: “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11 Jehovah said to Samuel: “Look! I am doing something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears about it tingle.+
12 On that day I will carry out toward Eʹli all that I said about his house, from start to finish.+
13 You must tell him that I am bringing a lasting judgment on his house for the error that he has known about,+ for his sons are cursing God,+ but he has not rebuked them.+
14 That is why I have sworn to the house of Eʹli that the error of the house of Eʹli will never be atoned for by sacrifices or by offerings.”+
15 Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of Jehovah’s house. Samuel was afraid to tell Eʹli of the vision.
16 But Eʹli called for Samuel: “Samuel, my son!” At this he said: “Here I am.”
17 He asked: “What message did he speak to you? Please, do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and add to it if you hide from me a single word of all that he said to you.”
18 So Samuel told him everything, and he did not hide anything from him. Eʹli said: “It is Jehovah. Let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19 Samuel continued growing up, and Jehovah himself was with him+ and did not let any of all his words go unfulfilled.*
20 All Israel from Dan to Beʹer-sheʹba became aware that Samuel had been confirmed as Jehovah’s prophet.
21 And Jehovah continued to appear in Shiʹloh, for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiʹloh by the word of Jehovah.+
