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 shew 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 Beer-sheba 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.