1 Samuel 3

1 Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision.

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.

2 And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:

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.

3 Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

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

4 And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

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

5 And he ran to Heli and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.

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

6 And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep.

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

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him.

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

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli.

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

9 And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and slept in his place.

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

10 And the Lord came and stood: and he called, as he had called the other times: Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

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

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: Behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle.

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

12 In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end.

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.

13 For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise them.

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.

14 Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

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.

15 And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli.

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.

16 Then Heli called Samuel, and said: Samuel, my son. And he answered: Here am I.

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

17 And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee? I beseech thee hide it not from me. May God do so and so to thee, and add so and so, if thou hide from me one word of all that were said to thee.

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

18 So Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide them from him. And he answered: It is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight.

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.

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

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

20 And all Israel from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord.

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

21 And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel.

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.