Yahweh Calls Samuel

1And the boy Samuel ministered to YHWH before the face of Eli.

And the word of YHWH was rare in those days; there was no vision broken forth. 2And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place and his eyes had begun to be dim, that he could not see, 3and the lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of YHWH where there was the ark of God, 4that YHWH called to Samuel. And he answered, “Behold.”

5And he ran to Eli and said, “Behold, for you have called me.”

And he said, “I did not call. Turn back, lie down.”

And he went and lay down.

6And YHWH added to call again, “Samuel!”

And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Behold, for you called me.”

And He answered, “I did not call, my son. Turn back, lie down.”

7And Samuel did not know YHWH, and the word of YHWH was not yet revealed to him. 8And YHWH again called Samuel the third time, and he arose and went to Eli and said, “Behold, for you called me.”

And Eli perceived that YHWH had called the boy. 9And Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall come to pass, if He calls to you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, YHWH, for Your servant is listening.’”

And Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10And YHWH came and stationed Himself and called as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel.”

And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

11And YHWH said to Samuel, “Behold, I am doing a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12In that day I will establish against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13For I have told him that I will judge his house even to forever for the iniquity that he knows, because his sons blasphemed God,† and he did not restrain them. 14And now I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or by offering even to forever.’”

Samuel Shares the Vision

15And Samuel lay down until the morning, and he opened the doors of the house of YHWH. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16And Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son.”

And he answered, “Behold.”

17And he said, “What is the word that He has spoken to you? Please do not hide it from me. Thus may God do to you, and even more, if you hide from me anything of all the words that He has spoken to you.”

18And Samuel told to him all the words, and he hid nothing from him.

And he said, “It is YHWH. Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

19And Samuel grew, and YHWH was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground.

20And all Israel knew, from Dan and to Beersheba, that Samuel was established as a prophet of YHWH. 21And YHWH again appeared in Shiloh, for YHWH revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of YHWH.