1 Samuel 3
3
The LORD speaks to Samuel
1-2Samuel served the LORD by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the LORD hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, 3and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the LORD's house. They had not been asleep very long#3.3 They…long: The Hebrew text has “The lamp was still burning.” An olive oil lamp would go out after a few hours if the wick was not adjusted. 4when the LORD called out Samuel's name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered. 5Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn't call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6Again the LORD called out Samuel's name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn't call you. Go back to sleep.”
7The LORD had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. 8When the LORD called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was the LORD who was speaking to Samuel. 9So 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.
10The LORD then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I'm listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
11The LORD said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it! 12I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised. 13He knew that his sons refused to respect me,#3.13 refused…me: Or “were insulting everyone”. and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family for ever. 14I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.
15The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the LORD's house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said. 16But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”
“Here I am,” Samuel answered.
17Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”
18Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the LORD, and he will do what's right.”
The LORD helps Samuel
19As Samuel grew up, the LORD helped him and made everything Samuel said come true. 20From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the LORD's prophet. 21The LORD often appeared to Samuel at Shiloh and told him what to say.
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1 Samuel 3: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
1 Samuel 3
3
The Lord calls Samuel
1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’ 5And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
But Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down.
6Again the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
‘My son,’ Eli said, ‘I did not call; go back and lie down.’
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8A third time the Lord called, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am; you called me.’
Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. 9So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’
Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’
11And the Lord said to Samuel: ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family – from beginning to end. 13For I told him that I would judge his family for ever because of the sin he knew about; his sons uttered blasphemies against God,#3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them. 14Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, “The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” ’
15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’
Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.’
17‘What was it he said to you?’ Eli asked. ‘Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.’ 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, ‘He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.’
19The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognised that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
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