1 Samuel 3:1-11

The boy Samuel served before the Lord under Eli's supervision. At that time messages from the Lord were rare—visions were not common. One evening, Eli had gone to bed in his room. His eyes were now so weak that he couldn't see. The lamp of God hadn't yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Lord's Temple where the Ark of God was. Then the Lord called, “Samuel!” He answered, “I'm here.” He ran to Eli, and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed. Then the Lord called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” “I didn't call you, my son,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” (Samuel hadn't yet come to know the Lord and had not received any message from him.) The Lord called again for the third time, “Samuel!” He got up went to Eli and said, “I'm here—you called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the Lord calling the boy. Eli told Samuel, “Go back to bed, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, because your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to his bed. The Lord came and stood there, calling just as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, because your servant is listening.” The Lord told Samuel: “Pay attention, because I'm going to do something in Israel that will surprise everyone who hears it.