Yahweh Calls Samuel
1Now the boy Samuel was ministering to Yahweh under Eli. In those days the word of Yahweh was rare; visions were not widespread. 2One night, Eli — whose eyes had grown so weak that he could barely see — was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was. 4Then Yahweh called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call. Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” “I did not call, my son,” Eli said. “Go back and lie down.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him. 8Yahweh called Samuel a third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am — you called me.” Then Eli understood that Yahweh was calling the boy. 9So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Yahweh, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10Yahweh came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 11Yahweh said to Samuel, “Look, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it ring. 12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end. 13I told him that I would judge his house forever, because of the sin he knew about — his sons were bringing a curse on themselves, and he failed to restrain them. 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the guilt of his house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.” 15Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” he answered. 17“What did he say to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Eli said, “He is Yahweh; let him do what seems good to him.” 19Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of Yahweh. 21Yahweh continued to appear at Shiloh, for there Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
