| Chapter
3 |
| 1 | And the
child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was
precious in those days; there was no open vision. |
|
2 | And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid
down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; |
| 3 | And ere the lamp of God
went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was
laid down to sleep; |
| 4 |
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. |
| 5 | And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am
I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went
and lay down. |
| 6 | And the
LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here
am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down
again. |
| 7 | Now Samuel did
not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto
him. |
| 8 | And the LORD
called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said,
Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called
the child. |
| 9 | Therefore
Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou
shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in
his place. |
| 10 | And the
LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel
answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. |
| 11 | And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing
in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall
tingle. |
| 12 | In that day I
will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house:
when I begin, I will also make an end. |
| 13 | For I have told him that I will judge his house for
ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile,
and he restrained them not. |
| 14
| And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of
Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. |
| 15 | And Samuel lay until the
morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to
show Eli the vision. |
| 16 |
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am
I. |
| 17 | And he said, What
is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from
me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the
things that he said unto thee. |
| 18
| And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said,
It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. |
|
19 | And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and
did let none of his words fall to the ground. |
| 20 | And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that
Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. |
|
21 | And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the
LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. |
