LEB - I Samuel - 3

3:1  Now the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh ⌞in the presence⌟ of Eli. The word of Yahweh was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

3:2  ⌞And then⌟ one day when Eli was lying in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow weak so that he was not able to see)

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

3:4  Then Yahweh called out to Samuel and he said, “Here I am!”

3:5  And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” But he said, “I did not call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

3:6  And Yahweh called Samuel again, so Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” And he said, “I did not call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

3:7  Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him.

3:8  Again Yahweh called Samuel a third time, so he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, because you called me.” Then Eli realized that Yahweh was calling the boy.

3:9  So Eli said to Samuel “Go lie down. ⌞If he calls⌟ to you, then you must say, ‘Speak Yahweh, because your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

3:10  Then Yahweh came and stood there and called out ⌞as before⌟, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, because your servant is listening.”

3:11  So Yahweh said to Samuel, “Look, I am doing something in Israel ⌞which will cause⌟ the two ears of everyone who hears it to tingle.

3:12  On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken against his household, ⌞from beginning to end⌟.

3:13  I will make him know that I am about to judge his household forever because of the iniquity that he knew, for his sons were bringing curses on themselves, but he did not rebuke them.

3:14  Therefore I swore to the house of Eli that the iniquity of the house of Eli would not be atoned for by sacrifice or by offering forever.”

3:15  So Samuel lay down until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh, but Samuel was afraid of telling the vision to Eli.

3:16  Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” And he said, “Here I am.”

3:17  And he said, “What is the message that he spoke to you? Please do not conceal it from me. May God ⌞punish you severely⌟ if you conceal anything from me of all the words that he told you.”

3:18  So Samuel told him all the words and did not conceal anything from him. And he said, “He is Yahweh, he will do ⌞what is⌟ good in his ⌞sight⌟.”

3:19  And Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him. ⌞He did not allow any of his prophecies to go unfulfilled⌟.

3:20  All Israel from Dan to Beersheba realized that Samuel was faithful as a prophet to Yahweh.

3:21  And Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh, for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of Yahweh.