Kings I 3

1 And the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli the priest: and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time that Heli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place — now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see—

3 And the lamp of God [was burning] before it was trimmed, and Samuel slept in the temple, where [was] the ark of God.

and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was,

4 And the Lord called, Samuel, Samuel; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

that the LORD called Samuel; and he said: 'Here am I.'

5 And he ran to Heli, and said, [Here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I did not call you; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.

And he ran unto Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And he said: 'I called not; lie down again.' And he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called again, Samuel, Samuel: and he went to Heli the second time, and said, Behold [here am] I, for you did call me: and he said, I called you not; return, go to sleep.

And the LORD called yet again Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And he answered: 'I called not, my son; lie down again.'

7 And [it was] before Samuel knew the Lord, and [before] the word of the Lord was revealed to him.

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Heli, and said, Behold, I [am here], for you did call me: and Heli perceived that the Lord [had] called the child.

And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said: 'Here am I; for thou didst call me.' And Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the child.

9 And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call you, that you shall say, Speak for your servant hears: and Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel: 'Go, lie down; and it shall be, if thou be called, that thou shalt say: Speak, LORD; for Thy servant heareth.' So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called him as before: and Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears.

And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times: 'Samuel, Samuel.' Then Samuel said: 'Speak; for Thy servant heareth.'

11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I execute my words in Israel; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.

And the LORD said to Samuel: 'Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12 In that day I will raise up against Heli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.

In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end.

13 And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against God, and he did not admonish them.

For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity, in that he knew that his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he rebuked them not.

14 And [it shall] not [go on] so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever.'

15 And Samuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord; and Samuel feared to tell [Heli] the vision.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to tell Eli the vision.

16 And Heli said to Samuel, Samuel, [my] son; and he said, Behold, [here am] I.

Then Eli called Samuel, and said: 'Samuel, my son.' And he said: 'Here am I.'

17 And he said, What [was] the word that was spoken to you? I pray you hide it not from me: may God do these things to you, and more also, if you hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to you in your ears.

And he said: 'What is the thing that He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me, God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that He spoke unto thee.'

18 And Samuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Heli said, He [is] the Lord, he shall do that which is good in his sight.

And Samuel told him all the words, and hid nothing from him. And he said: 'It is the LORD; let Him do what seemeth Him good.'

19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Samuel [was] faithful as a prophet to the Lord.

And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

21 And the Lord manifested himself again in Selom, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel; and Samuel was accredited to all Israel as a prophet to the Lord from one end of the land to the other: and Heli [was] very old, and his sons kept advancing [in wickedness], and their way [was] evil before the Lord.

And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh; for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.