I Samuel 3

¹Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision.

²And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:

³Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

⁴And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

⁵And he ran to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.

⁶And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep.

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him.

⁸And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli,

⁹And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

¹⁰And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, as he had called the other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

¹¹And the Lord said to Samuel: Behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle.

¹²In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end.

¹³For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise them.

¹⁴Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

¹⁵And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli.

¹⁶Then Heli called Samuel, and said: Samuel, my son. And he answered: Here am I.

¹⁷And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee? I beseech thee hide it not from me. May God do so and so to thee, and add so and so, if thou hide from me one word of all that were said to thee.

¹⁸So Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide them from him. And he answered: It is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight.

¹⁹And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.

²⁰And all Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord.

²¹And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel.

I Samuel 3

¹And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

²And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

³And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

⁴That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

⁵And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

⁶And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.

⁸And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.

⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

¹¹And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

¹³For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

¹⁴And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

¹⁵And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

¹⁶Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

¹⁷And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

¹⁸And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

¹⁹And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beer–sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

²¹And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.