The LORD Calls Samuel 1 UST While he was still a boy, Samuel was working for Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time, Yahweh did not often speak messages to people, and Yahweh did not often give visions to people. BSB BSB: And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce.
2 UST By that time Eli’ s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. One night he was sleeping in his room. BSB BSB: And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.
3 UST Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent of Yahweh, where the sacred chest was. The lamp there was still burning. BSB BSB: Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
4 UST Just then Yahweh called out to Samuel. Samuel replied,“I am ready to do whatever you ask!” BSB BSB: Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
5 UST Then he got up and ran to Eli. He told him,“I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” But Eli replied,“No, I did not call you. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again. BSB BSB: He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6 UST Then Yahweh called out to Samuel again. So Samuel got up once more and went to Eli. He said,“I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” But Eli said,“No, dear boy, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.” BSB BSB: Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7 UST { Samuel did not realize that it was Yahweh who was speaking to him because} he had not yet become personally acquainted with Yahweh. That was because Yahweh had not previously spoken to him to reveal something to him. BSB BSB: Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 UST After he lay down again, Yahweh called out to Samuel yet again. So Samuel got up yet again and went to Eli. He said,“I have come because you called me. I am ready to do whatever you ask.” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh who had been calling Samuel. BSB BSB: Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
9 UST So Eli told Samuel,“Go and lie down again. If the same person calls you again, say,‘I am ready to obey you, Yahweh, so please tell me what you want me to do.’” So Samuel went back to bed and lay down. BSB BSB: “Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 UST Then Yahweh came and stood and called as he had done the other times,“Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said,“Please tell me what you want me to do, because I am ready to obey you.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11 UST Then Yahweh said to Samuel,“Listen carefully! I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
12 UST There will soon be a time when I punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said I would do. BSB BSB: On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end.
13 UST Eli’ s sons have been doing things that are so wicked that they deserve severe punishment. Eli knows they have been doing those things. But he has not disciplined them. So I told him that I would punish all future generations of his family. BSB BSB: I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
14 UST That is why I solemnly told Eli’ s family,‘Even if you give me sacrifices or offerings, I will still consider you guilty of your sin and punish you for it.’” BSB BSB: Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
Samuel Shares the Vision 15 UST Samuel stayed in bed until it became light. Then he got up and opened the doors of the building{ as usual}. He was too afraid to tell Eli what Yahweh had said to him when he appeared to him. BSB BSB: Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,
16 UST But Eli called him and said,“Samuel, my dear boy{, please come here.}” Samuel{ came and} told him,“I am ready to do whatever you ask.” BSB BSB: but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17 UST Eli asked him,“What did Yahweh say to you? Please tell me honestly. If you do not tell me everything that he said to you, may God do those things and even worse things to you!” BSB BSB: “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.”
18 UST So Samuel told him everything that Yahweh had said to him, without leaving anything out. Then Eli said,“{ Since} it was Yahweh{ who said this, I must accept it}. I am willing for him to do whatever he considers to be best.” BSB BSB: So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”
19 UST As Samuel grew up, Yahweh helped him. He told Samuel accurately what he was going to do, so that everything Samuel predicted happened. BSB BSB: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
20 UST As a result, all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was a prophet who truly spoke for Yahweh. BSB BSB: So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.
21 UST Yahweh kept appearing{ to Samuel} in Shiloh. Samuel would see Yahweh speaking messages to him in visions. BSB BSB: And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.