Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

1 Samuel 3:9

So he told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord . I am your servant and I am listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in bed.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Call;   Minister, Christian;   Prophets;   Samuel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Samuel;   Stories for Children;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Prophets;   Visions;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Samuel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Vision;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Prophet, Prophetess, Prophecy;   Servant, Service;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Samuel, Books of;   Vision;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hophni;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Sam'uel;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Servant;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 6;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Hebrew Names Version
Therefore `Eli said to Shemu'el, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak, the LORD; for your servant hears. So Shemu'el went and lay down in his place.
King James Version
Therefore 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.
Lexham English Bible
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.
English Standard Version
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord , for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New English Translation
So Eli said to Samuel, "Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, "Speak, Lord , for your servant is listening." So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
Amplified Bible
So Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New American Standard Bible
And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore Eli saide vnto Samuel, Goe and sleepe: and if he call thee, then say, Speake Lorde, for thy seruant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh, for Your slave is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Contemporary English Version
So he said, "Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I'm listening, Lord . What do you want me to do?'" Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
Complete Jewish Bible
So ‘Eli said to Sh'mu'el, "Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Adonai ; your servant is listening.' Sh'mu'el went and lay down in his place.
Darby Translation
And Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Easy-to-Read Version
Eli told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord . I am your servant, and I am listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.
George Lamsa Translation
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go back and lie down; and it shall be, if he calls you, you shall say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant hears. So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
Good News Translation
so he said to him, "Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord , your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.
Literal Translation
And Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if One calls you, even you shall say, Speak, O Jehovah, for Your servant hears. And Samuel lay down in his place.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& he sayde vnto him: Go thy waye agayne, & laye the downe to slepe: and yf the LORDE call the eny more, then saye: Speake LORDE, for yi seruaunt heareth. Samuel wete his waye, and layed him downe in his place.
American Standard Version
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Bible in Basic English
So Eli said to Samuel, Go back: and if the voice comes again, let your answer be, Say on, Lord; for the ears of your servant are open. So Samuel went back to his bed.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therefore Eli sayde vnto Samuel: Go and sleepe, and yf he call thee, then say: Speake Lorde, for thy seruaunt heareth thee. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel: 'Go, lie down; and it shall be, if thou be called, that thou shalt say: Speak, LORD; for Thy servant heareth.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
King James Version (1611)
Therefore Eli said vnto Samuel, Go, lie downe, & it shal be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speake Lord, for thy seruant heareth. So Samuel went, and lay downe in his place.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak for thy servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.
English Revised Version
Therefore 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.
Berean Standard Bible
"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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. Therfor Heli vndirstood, that the Lord clepide the child; and Heli seide to Samuel, Go and slepe; and if he clepith thee aftirward, thou schalt seie, Speke thou, Lord, for thi seruaunt herith. Therfor Samuel yede and slepte in his place.
Young's Literal Translation
And Eli saith to Samuel, `Go, lie down, and it hath been, if He doth call unto thee, that thou hast said, Speak, Jehovah, for Thy servant is hearing;' and Samuel goeth and lieth down in his place.
Update Bible Version
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, Speak, Yahweh; for your slave hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he should call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
World English Bible
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New King James Version
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 hears."' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New Living Translation
So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord , your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went back to bed.
New Life Bible
Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New Revised Standard
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord , for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Eli said to Samuel - Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say - Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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.
Revised Standard Version
Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Contextual Overview

1 The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli. In those days the Lord did not speak directly to people very often; there were very few visions. 2 Eli's eyes were so weak he was almost blind. One night he was lying in bed. 3 Samuel was also in bed in the Lord 's house, where the Ark of the Agreement was. God's lamp was still burning. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel answered, "I am here!" 5 He ran to Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." So Samuel went back to bed. 6 The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel again went to Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." Again Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to bed." 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord , and the Lord had not spoken directly to him yet. 8 The Lord called Samuel for the third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "I am here. You called me." Then Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So he told Samuel, "Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord . I am your servant and I am listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in bed. 10 The Lord came and stood there and called as he had before, "Samuel, Samuel!" Samuel said, "Speak, Lord . I am your servant and I am listening."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Speak: Exodus 20:19, Psalms 85:8, Isaiah 6:8, Daniel 10:19, Acts 9:6

Reciprocal: Joshua 5:14 - What saith

Cross-References

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it."
Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."
Genesis 3:17
Then God said to the man, "You listened to what your wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat. "So I will put a curse on the ground, and you will have to work very hard for your food. In pain you will eat its food all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:19
You will sweat and work hard for your food. Later you will return to the ground, because you were taken from it. You are dust, and when you die, you will return to the dust."
Genesis 3:20
The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
Genesis 3:21
The Lord God made clothes from animal skins for the man and his wife and dressed them.
Genesis 4:9
Later, the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain answered, "I don't know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?"
Genesis 11:5
The Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built.
Genesis 16:8
The angel said, "Hagar, Sarai's slave girl, where have you come from? Where are you going?" Hagar answered, "I am running away from my mistress Sarai."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, go, lie down,.... Once more;

and it shall be, if he call thee; the voice, or the Lord by it:

that thou shalt say, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth; his meaning is, that he should not rise and come to him, as he had done, but continue on his bed, on hearing the voice again, but desire the Lord to speak to him what he had to say, to which he was ready to attend:

so Samuel went and lay down in his place; which, as commonly understood, was in the court of the Levites, :-.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 3:9. Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth — This was the usual way in which the prophets spoke, when they had intimations that the Lord was about to make some especial revelation.


 
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