God calls Samuel
3
📚And the child Samuel ministered✭ to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare✭ in those days; visions✭ were not frequent. 2 📚And it came about at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place (and his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), 3 📚and before the lamp✭ of God had gone out in the sanctuary✭ of the LORD where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down to sleep, 4 📚✭that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am”. 5 ✭And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me”. And he said, “I did not call. Lie down again”. And he went and lay down.
6 📚And the LORD called yet again, “Samuel”. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me”. And he answered, “I did not call, my son. Lie down again”.
7 📚✭Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed✭ to him.
8 📚And the LORD called Samuel again the third time✭. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me”. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 📚✭Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be if he calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel✭”. Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening”.
11 📚✭And the LORD said to Samuel, “Look, I will do a thing in Israel which will cause both ears of everyone who hears it to tingle. 12 📚In that day I will perform against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin I will also make an end. 13 📚✭For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the sin which he knows; because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. 14 📚✭And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the sin of Eli’s house will never be purged with sacrifice or offering”.
15 📚And Samuel lay there until the morning, then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son”. And he answered, “Here I am”.
17 📚✭And he said, “What is the thing that the LORD said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God deal harshly with you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he said to you”. 18 📚And Samuel told him everything✭ and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him✭”.
19 📚And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him✭ and let none of his words fall to the ground✭. 20 📚✭And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 📚✭And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.