1 Samuel 3

3 ¹ The boy Samuel served our Father under Eli. In those days our Father's word was rare; visions were uncommon. ² One day Eli lay in his usual place. His eyes had grown so weak he could not see. ³ The lamp of our Father had not yet gone out; Samuel lay in the temple of our Father, where his ark was. ⁴ Then our Father called to Samuel, and Samuel said, "Here I am."

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

⁶ Again our Father called, "Samuel!" Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; you called me." "I didn't call, my son," Eli said. "Go back and lie down."

⁷ Samuel did not yet know our Father; the word of our Father had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ So our Father called Samuel again, a third time. He got up, went to Eli, and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized our Father was calling the boy.

⁹ Eli told Samuel, "Go lie down. If he calls, say, 'Speak, my Father, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Then our Father came, stood there, and called as before: "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

¹¹ Then our Father said to Samuel, "Watch—I'm about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of everyone who hears it ring." ¹² "That day I will carry out against Eli all I said about his family, start to finish." ¹³ I told him I will judge his house forever for the sin he knew of: his sons blasphemed me, and he never stopped them. ¹⁴ So I have sworn to Eli's house: the guilt of Eli's house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.

¹⁵ Samuel lay down until morning, then opened the doors of our Father's house. But he was afraid to tell Eli the vision. ¹⁶ But Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my son." "Here I am," Samuel replied.

¹⁷ "What did he say to you?" Eli asked. "Don't hide it from me. May our Father punish you severely if you hide from me anything he told you."

¹⁸ Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Eli said, "It is our Father; let him do what he thinks right."

¹⁹ Samuel grew up; our Father was with him, letting none of Samuel's words fall to the ground. ²⁰ All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of our Father. ^a a v20 Dan was Israel's northernmost city and Beersheba its southernmost — "from Dan to Beersheba" means throughout the whole land. ²¹ Our Father continued to appear at Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.