1 Samuel 3

1 The boy Samuel was serving the Lord, in the presence of Eli the priest. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no vision that marked anything out. [a] 2 And it happened on that day that Eli was asleep in his own place, and his eyes had begun to grow heavy, and he could not see; 3 and the lamp of God had not yet been tended, and Samuel was asleep in the temple, where the ark of God was. [b]

4 And the Lord called, “Samuel, Samuel.” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you. Go back and sleep.” And he went back and slept. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel, Samuel.” And he went to Eli a second time and said, “Here I am — you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you. Go back and sleep.” 7 And this was before Samuel knew God, and before the word of the Lord had been uncovered to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” And Eli saw what it was: that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 And he said, “Go back and sleep, my child; and if he calls you, then you are to say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your slave is listening.’” And Samuel went and lay down in his place. [c] 10 And the Lord came and stood there and called him as he had before, and Samuel said, “Speak, for your slave is listening.”

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Look — I am carrying out my words in Israel, and both ears of everyone who hears them will ring. 12 In that day I will raise up against Eli everything I have spoken against his house. I will begin, and I will finish it. 13 And I have told him that I am bringing punishment on his house forever for the wrongs of his sons, because his sons were speaking evil of God, and he did not correct them — and not even so. [d] 14 I have sworn to the house of Eli: the wrong of the house of Eli will never be atoned for, not with incense and not with sacrifices, forever.” [e]

15 And Samuel slept until morning, and he rose early in the morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 And Eli said to Samuel, “Samuel, my child.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And he said, “What was the word that was spoken to you? Do not hide it from me. May God do these things to you, and more besides, if you hide from me one word out of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.” 18 And Samuel reported all the words and hid nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord himself. He will do what is good in his sight.”

19 And Samuel grew great, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground. 20 And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was faithful as a prophet to the Lord. 21 And the Lord showed himself again in Shiloh, because the Lord had been uncovered to Samuel; and Samuel was trusted to be a prophet to the Lord for all Israel, from one end of the land to the other. And Eli was very old, and his sons went on and on in their way, and their way was evil before the Lord. [f]