1 Samuel, 3

1. Now, the boy Samuel was serving Yahweh in the presence of Eli; in those days it was rare for Yahweh to speak; visions were uncommon.

1. Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2. One day, it happened that Eli was lying down in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see.

2. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place;

3. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in Yahweh's sanctuary, where the ark of God was,

3. the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

4. when Yahweh called, 'Samuel! Samuel!' He answered, 'Here I am,'

4. Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"

5. and, running to Eli, he said, 'Here I am, as you called me.' Eli said, 'I did not call. Go back and lie down.' So he went and lay down.

5. and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.

6. And again Yahweh called, 'Samuel! Samuel!' He got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, as you called me.' He replied, 'I did not call, my son; go back and lie down.'

6. And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."

7. As yet, Samuel had no knowledge of Yahweh and the word of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him.

7. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

8. Again Yahweh called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, as you called me.' Eli then understood that Yahweh was calling the child,

8. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.

9. and he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, "Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening." ' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

9. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10. Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' Samuel answered, 'Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening.'

10. And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears."

11. Yahweh then said to Samuel, 'I am going to do something in Israel which will make the ears of all who hear of it ring.

11. Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle.

12. I shall carry out that day against Eli everything that I have said about his family, from beginning to end.

12. On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

13. You are to tell him that I condemn his family for ever, since he is aware that his sons have been cursing God and yet has not corrected them.

13. And I tell him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.

14. Therefore -- I swear it to the family of Eli -- no sacrifice or offering shall ever expiate the guilt of Eli's family.'

14. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever."

15. Samuel lay where he was until morning and then opened the doors of Yahweh's temple. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision,

15. Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

16. but Eli called Samuel and said, 'Samuel, my son.' 'Here I am,' he replied.

16. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am."

17. Eli asked, 'What message did he give you? Please do not hide it from me. May God bring unnameable ills on you and worse ones, too, if you hide from me anything of what he said to you.'

17. And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you."

18. Samuel then told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Eli said, 'He is Yahweh; let him do what he thinks good.'

18. So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him."

19. Samuel grew up. Yahweh was with him and did not let a single word fall to the ground of all that he had told him.

19. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

20. All Israel knew, from Dan to Beersheba, that Samuel was attested as a prophet of Yahweh.

20. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.

21. Yahweh continued to manifest himself at Shiloh, revealing himself to Samuel there,

21. And the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.