TheLord Speaks to Samuel
1-2Samuel served theLord by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, theLord hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room,3and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in theLord's house. They had not been asleep very long+4when theLord called out Samuel's name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered.5Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn't call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6Again theLord called out Samuel's name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn't call you. Go back to sleep.”
7TheLord had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice.8When theLord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was theLord who was speaking to Samuel.9So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I'm listening,Lord. What do you want me to do?’ ”
Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
10TheLord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I'm listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
11TheLord said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it!12I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised.13He knew that his sons refused to respect me,+ and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever.14I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.
15The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to theLord's house. He was afraid to tell Eli what theLord had said.16But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”
“Yes, sir!” Samuel answered.
17Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I'll ask God to punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”
18Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is theLord, and he will do what's right.”
TheLord Helps Samuel
19As Samuel grew up, theLord helped him and made everything Samuel said come true.20From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly theLord's prophet.21TheLord often appeared to Samuel at Shiloh and told him what to say.
Footnotes:
3.3They … long:The Hebrew text has “The lamp of God was still burning.” An olive oil lamp would go out after a few hours if the wick was not adjusted.
3.13refused … me:Or “were insulting everyone.”
