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1 The boy Samuel was serving the LORD under Eli. In those days a prophecy from the LORD was rare; visions were infrequent. 2 One night Eli was lying down in his room. His eyesight had begun to fail so that he couldn't see well. 3 The lamp in God's temple hadn't gone out yet, and Samuel was asleep in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was kept. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. |Here I am,| Samuel responded. 5 He ran to Eli and said, |Here I am. You called me.| |I didn't call [you],| Eli replied. |Go back to bed.| So Samuel went back and lay down. 6 The LORD called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, |Here I am. You called me.| |I didn't call [you], son,| he responded. |Go back to bed.| 7 Samuel had no experience with the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, |Here I am. You called me.| Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 |Go, lie down,| Eli told Samuel. |When he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD. I'm listening.' | So Samuel went and lay down in his room. 10 The LORD came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: |Samuel! Samuel!| And Samuel replied, |Speak. I'm listening.| 11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, |I am going to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it ring. 12 On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end. 13 I told him that I would hand down a permanent judgment against his household because he knew about his sons' sin-that they were cursing God-but he didn't try to stop them. 14 That is why I have taken an oath concerning Eli's family line: No offering or sacrifice will ever [be able to] make peace for the sins that Eli's family committed.| 15 Samuel remained in bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of the LORD's house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel. |Samuel, my son!| he said. |Here I am,| he responded. 17 |What did the LORD tell you?| he asked. |Please don't hide anything from me. May God strike you dead if you hide anything he told you from me.| 18 So Samuel told Eli everything. Eli replied, |He is the LORD. May he do what he thinks is right.| 1 Samuel 3:1-18, God's Word Translation. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations.
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