| New Living Translation | King James 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 child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. |
| 2One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. | 2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; |
| 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. | 3And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; |
| 4Suddenly the LORD called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” | 4That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. |
| 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. | 5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And 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.” | 6And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. |
| 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, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto 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. | 8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. |
| 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. | 9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. 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.” | 10And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. |
| 11Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. | 11And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. |
| 12I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. | 12In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an 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. | 13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. |
| 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 | 14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. |
| 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. | 15And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. |
| 16But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” Samuel replied. | 16Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. |
| 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!” | 17And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. |
| 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.” | 18And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. |
| 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 did let none of his 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. | 20And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. |
| 21The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle. | 21And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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