Old Testament · History
1 Samuel chapter 3
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The boy Samuel was Yahweh under Eli’s guidance. In those days, was rare — were not common.One night, Eli was lying down in . His eyesight had gotten so bad he could barely see.The had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in , where the was kept.Then Yahweh , “Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “!”He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down.Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am — you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you, . Go back and lie down.”Now Samuel didn’t yet — Yahweh’s word had never come directly to him before.Yahweh called Samuel a third time. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am — you called me.” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh calling the boy.So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Yahweh — your is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.Then Yahweh , calling just as before, “” And Samuel said, “Speak — your servant is listening.”Yahweh said to Samuel, “Pay attention — I’m about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring.”On that day, I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family — start to finish.I told him that I would his family permanently, because he knew his sons were and he did nothing to stop them.And so I’ve sworn to Eli’s family: the of Eli’s household will never be by sacrifice or offering — ever.Samuel lay there until morning, then opened the doors of Yahweh’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli about the .But Eli called to him, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel answered, “I’m here.”Eli said, “What did he say to you? Don’t hide anything from me. — if you hide a single word of what he said to you.”So Samuel told him everything and didn’t hide a single thing. Eli said, “. Let him do .”Samuel grew up, and Yahweh was with him. He .All of Israel, , recognized that Samuel had been confirmed as Yahweh’s .And Yahweh continued to at , because there Yahweh to Samuel .