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The LORD Calls Samuel

¹ And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce.² And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.³ Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.⁴ Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.⁶ Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.⁸ Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.⁹ “Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.¹⁰ Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

¹¹ Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.¹² On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end.^{13 (a)}I told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.¹⁴ Therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

Samuel Shares the Vision

¹⁹ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground.²⁰ So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.²¹ And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.