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boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare, and prophetic visions were uncommon.
2 One night Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the Temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And he answered, “Here I am!” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 And again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he replied, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The Lord called Samuel again for the third time. He got up, went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go and lie down; and if He calls you, you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening’.” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do something in Israel that will make the ears of anyone who hears it tingle. 12 On that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am going to judge his family for ever because of the iniquity that he knows about; his sons are making themselves contemptible, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house will not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever’.”
15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the House of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 But Eli summoned Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17 Then Eli asked, “What did He say to you? Do not hide it from me. May God do to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh; for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.