Samuel’s Call
3Before the lamp of God had gone out,3:3 Ex 27:20–21 Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
4Then the Lord called Samuel,3:4 DSS, LXX read called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he answered, “Here I am.”
5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy.
9He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder.3:11 Lit about it, his two ears will tingle; Hb obscure3:11 2Kg 21:12; Jr 19:3
12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end.3:12 1Sm 2:27–36
15Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” answered Samuel.
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