1 Samuel 3

While he was still a boy, Samuel was working for God while Eli supervised him. At that time, God did not often speak messages to people, and God did not often give visions to people.

By that time Eli’s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. One night he was sleeping in his room.

Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent of God, where the sacred chest was. The lamp there was still burning.

Just then God called out to Samuel. Samuel replied, “I am ready to do whatever you ask!” \*

Then he got up and ran to Eli. He told him, “I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” But Eli replied, “No, I did not call you. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again.

Then God called out to Samuel again. So Samuel got up once more and went to Eli. He said, “I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” But Eli said, “No, dear boy, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.” \*

{Samuel did not realize that it was God who was speaking to him because} he had not yet become personally acquainted with God. That was because God had not previously spoken to him to reveal something to him.

After he lay down again, God called out to Samuel yet again. So Samuel got up yet again and went to Eli. He said, “I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” Then Eli realized that it was God who had been calling Samuel. \*

So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down again. If the same person calls you again, say, ‘I am ready to obey you, God, so please tell me what you want me to do.’” So Samuel went back to bed and lay down. \*

Then God came and stood and called as he had done the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Please tell me what you want me to do, because I am ready to obey you.”

Then God said to Samuel, “Listen carefully! I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it. \*

There will soon be a time when I punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said I would do.

Eli’s sons have been doing things that are so wicked that they deserve severe punishment. Eli knows they have been doing those things. But he has not disciplined them. So I told him that I would punish all future generations of his family.

That is why I solemnly told Eli’s family, ‘Even if you give me sacrifices or offerings, I will still consider you guilty of your sin and punish you for it.’” \*

Samuel stayed in bed until it became light. Then he got up and opened the doors of the building {as usual}. He was too afraid to tell Eli what God had said to him when he appeared to him.

But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my dear boy{, please come here.}” Samuel {came and} told him, “I am ready to do whatever you ask.” \*

Eli asked him, “What did God say to you? Please tell me honestly. If you do not tell me everything that he said to you, may God do those things and even worse things to you!”

So Samuel told him everything that God had said to him, without leaving anything out. Then Eli said, “{Since} it was God {who said this, I must accept it}. I am willing for him to do whatever he considers to be best.” \*

As Samuel grew up, God helped him. He told Samuel accurately what he was going to do, so that everything Samuel predicted happened.

As a result, all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was a prophet who truly spoke for God.

God kept appearing {to Samuel} in Shiloh. Samuel would see God speaking messages to him in visions. \*