1 The child Samuel ministered to Yehovah before Eli. Yehovah’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then. 2 At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), 3 and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yehovah’s temple, where God’s ark was; 4 Yehovah called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.”
He went and lay down. 6 Yehovah called yet again, “Samuel!”
Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel didn’t yet know Yehovah, neither was Yehovah’s word yet revealed to him. 8 Yehovah called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
Eli perceived that Yehovah had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yehovah; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 Yehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
11 Yehovah said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house until a distant age, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering until a distant age.”
15 Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of Yehovah’s house. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He said, “Here I am.”
17 He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”
18 Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.
He said, “It is Yehovah. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19 Samuel grew, and Yehovah was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 All Israel from Dan even to Be’er-Sheva knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yehovah. 21 Yehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Yehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by Yehovah’s word.