1 Samuel 3
3
1And the youth Samuel is serving Jehovah before Eli, and the word of Jehovah hath been precious in those days — there is no vision broken forth.
2And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim — he is not able to see.
3And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God [is],
4and Jehovah calleth unto Samuel, and he saith, ‘Here [am] I.’
5And he runneth unto Eli, and saith, ‘Here [am] I, for thou hast called for me;’ and he saith, ‘I called not; turn back, lie down;’ and he goeth and lieth down.
6And Jehovah addeth to call again Samuel, and Samuel riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, ‘Here [am] I, for thou hast called for me;’ and he saith, ‘I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.’
7And Samuel hath not yet known Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah is not yet revealed unto him.
8And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, ‘Here [am] I, for thou hast called for me;’ and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth.
9And 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.
10And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, ‘Samuel, Samuel;’ and Samuel saith, ‘Speak, for Thy servant if hearing.’
11And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, ‘Lo, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one hearing it do tingle.
12In that day I establish unto Eli all that I have spoken unto his house, beginning and completing;
13and I have declared to him that I am judging his house — to the age, for the iniquity which he hath known, for his sons are making themselves vile, and he hath not restrained them,
14and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli is not atoned for, by sacrifice, and by offering — unto the age.’
15And Samuel lieth till the morning, and openeth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and Samuel is afraid of declaring the vision unto Eli.
16And Eli calleth Samuel, and saith, ‘Samuel, my son;’ and he saith, ‘Here [am] I.’
17And he saith, ‘What [is] the word which He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me; so doth God do to thee, and so doth He add, if thou hidest from me a word of all the words that He hath spoken unto thee.’
18And Samuel declareth to him the whole of the words, and hath not hid from him; and he saith, ‘It [is] Jehovah; that which is good in His eyes He doth.’
19And Samuel groweth up, and Jehovah hath been with him, and hath not let fall any of his words to the earth;
20and all Israel know, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to Jehovah.
21And Jehovah addeth to appear in Shiloh, for Jehovah hath been revealed unto Samuel, in Shiloh, by the word of Jehovah.
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1 Samuel 3: YLT98
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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 of God 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 forever. 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!”
“Yes, sir!” Samuel answered.
17Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I'll ask God to 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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