The Lord Speaks to Samuel
1 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served theLordby assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from theLordwere very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernaclenear the Ark of God.
4 Suddenly theLordcalled out, “Samuel!”
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?”
5 He 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.
6 Then theLordcalled 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.”
7 Samuel did not yet know theLordbecause he had never had a message from theLordbefore.
8 So theLordcalled 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 theLordwho was calling the boy.
9 So 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.
10 And theLordcame and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
11 Then theLordsaid to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.
12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.
13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming Godand he hasn’t disciplined them.
14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”
Samuel Speaks for the Lord
15 Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacleas usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what theLordhad said to him.
16 But Eli called out to him, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” Samuel replied.
17 “What did theLordsay to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!”
18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is theLord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”
19 As Samuel grew up, theLordwas with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.
20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of theLord.
21 TheLordcontinued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.
4:1 And Samuel’s words went out to all the people of Israel.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/1SA/3-582dfd95d648f864dcde2b1329776ca1.mp3?version_id=116—