1
Samuel Chapter 3:v1 - Chapter 4:v1
1 Samuel 3: v 1-21
The LORD Calls Samuel
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD
under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2 One
night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in
his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet
gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, "Here I am." 5 And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you
called me."
But Eli said, "I did not call; go back and lie
down." So he went and lay down.
6 Again
the LORD called, "Samuel!" And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said,
"Here I am; you called me."
"My son," Eli said, "I did not call; go
back and lie down."
7 Now
Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD
called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am;
you called me."
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he
calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and
lay down in his place.
10 The
LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!"
Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is
listening."
11 And the
LORD said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the
ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12 At
that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from
beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would
judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves
contemptible, and he failed to restrain them. 14
Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, 'The guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for
by sacrifice or offering.' "
15 Samuel
lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid
to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him
and said, "Samuel, my son."
Samuel answered, "Here I am."
17
"What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God
deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from
him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."
19 The
LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized
that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the LORD. 21
The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through
his word.
1 Samuel 4: v1
1 And Samuel's word came to all Israel.
