Yahweh Calls Samuel

1Now the young boy Samuel was ministering to Yahweh before Eli. And word from Yahweh was rare in those days; [†]visions were infrequent.

2And it happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to fade, and he could not see well), 3and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh where the ark of God was, 4that Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” 5Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; go back, lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6Then Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he [†]answered, “I did not call, my son; go back, lie down.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, nor had the word of Yahweh yet been revealed to him. 8So Yahweh called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli discerned that Yahweh was calling the young boy. 9And 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.

10Then Yahweh came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your slave is listening.” 11And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12In that day I will establish against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13And I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew because his sons have been bringing a curse on themselves, but he did not rebuke them. 14Now therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17And he said, “What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you.” 18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is Yahweh; let Him do what seems good in His eyes.”

19Thus Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20So all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of Yahweh. 21And Yahweh appeared again at Shiloh, because Yahweh revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.