| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Meanwhile, 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. | 1And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce. |
| 2One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. | 2And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room. |
| 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. | 3Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located. |
| 4Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” | 4Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” |
| 5He 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. | 5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. |
| 6Then 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.” | 6Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” |
| 7Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. | 7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. |
| 8So 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. | 8Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy. |
| 9So 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. | 9“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. |
| 10And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” | 10Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” |
| 11Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. | 11Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle. |
| 12I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. | 12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his family, from beginning to end. |
| 13I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. | 13I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them. |
| 14So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.” Samuel Speaks for the LORD | 14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ” |
| 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. | 15Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, |
| 16But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” Samuel replied. | 16but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel. |
| 17“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!” | 17“What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.” |
| 18So 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.” | 18So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.” |
| 19As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. | 19And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. |
| 20And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. | 20So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. |
| 21The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle. | 21And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word. |
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