1Samuel 3

The Lord Speaks to Samuel

3Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.H5288H8050H8334H3068H6440H5941H1697H3068H3368H3117H6555H23772One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed.H3117H5941H7901H4725H5869H2490H3544H3201H72003The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle

near the Ark of God.H5216H430H3518H1964H3068H727H430H8050H79014Suddenly the LORD called out, "Samuel!" "Yes?" Samuel replied. "What is it?"H3068H7121H8050H5595He got up and ran to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" "I didn't call you," Eli replied. "Go back to bed." So he did.H7323H5941H559H2009H7121H559H7121H7901H7725H3212H79016Then the LORD called out again, "Samuel!" Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" "I didn't call you, my son," Eli said. "Go back to bed."H3068H7121H3254H8050H8050H6965H3212H5941H559H7121H559H7121H1121H7901H77257Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before.H8050H2962H3045H3068H1697H3068H15408So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am. Did you call me?" Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy.H3068H7121H8050H3254H7992H6965H3212H5941H559H7121H5941H995H3068H7121H52889So 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.H5941H559H8050H3212H7901H7121H559H1696H3068H5650H8085H8050H3212H7901H472510And the LORD came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel replied, "Speak, your servant is listening."H3068H935H3320H7121H6471H8050H8050H8050H559H1696H5650H808511Then the LORD said to Samuel, "I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.H3068H559H8050H6213H1697H3478H8147H241H8085H675012I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.H3117H6965H5941H1696H413H1004H2490H361513I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God

and he hasn't disciplined them.H5046H8199H1004H5704H5769H5771H3045H1121H7043H354314So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings."H7650H1004H5941H5771H5941H1004H3722H2077H4503H5704H5769

Samuel Speaks for the Lord

15Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle

as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said to him.H8050H7901H1242H6605H1817H1004H3068H8050H3372H5046H5941H475916But Eli called out to him, "Samuel, my son." "Here I am," Samuel replied.H5941H7121H8050H559H8050H1121H55917"What did the LORD say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!"H559H1697H1696H3582H430H6213H3254H3582H1697H1697H169618So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn't hold anything back. "It is the LORD's will," Eli replied. "Let him do what he thinks best."H8050H5046H1697H3582H559H3068H6213H5869H289619As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.H8050H1431H3068H1697H5307H77620And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.H3478H1835H884H3045H8050H539H5030H306821The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.H3068H7200H3254H7887H3068H1540H8050H7887H1697H3068