Samuel’s First Prophecy

Now (A)the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And (B)the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow (C)so dim that he could not see, and before (D)the lamp of God went out in the [a]tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” So he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

And he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.

Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!”

So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel (E)did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.”

Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, (F)‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 3:3 palace or temple

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered(A) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;(B) there were not many visions.(C)

One night Eli, whose eyes(D) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,(E) was lying down in his usual place. The lamp(F) of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house(G) of the Lord, where the ark(H) of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.(I) And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

Now Samuel did not yet know(J) the Lord: The word(K) of the Lord had not yet been revealed(L) to him.

A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!(M)

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

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11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel (A)at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli (B)all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 (C)For I have told him that I will (D)judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because (E)his sons made themselves vile, and he (F)did not [a]restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house (G)shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 So Samuel lay down until [b]morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”

He answered, “Here I am.”

17 And he said, “What is the word that the Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. (H)God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.” 18 Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, (I)“It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

19 So Samuel (J)grew, and (K)the Lord was with him (L)and let none of his words [c]fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel (M)from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been [d]established as a prophet of the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 3:13 Lit. rebuke
  2. 1 Samuel 3:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX adds and he arose in the morning
  3. 1 Samuel 3:19 fail
  4. 1 Samuel 3:20 confirmed

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.(A) 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything(B) I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,[a] and he failed to restrain(C) them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned(D) for by sacrifice or offering.’”

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide(E) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,(F) if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”(G)

19 The Lord was with(H) Samuel as he grew(I) up, and he let none(J) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba(K) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible

God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, (A)You have searched me and known me.
(B)You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You (C)understand my thought afar off.
(D)You [a]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, (E)You know it altogether.
You have [b]hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
(F)Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:3 Lit. winnow
  2. Psalm 139:5 enclosed

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(A) Lord,
    and you know(B) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(C)
    you perceive my thoughts(D) from afar.
You discern my going out(E) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(F)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(G)
You hem me in(H) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(I)
    too lofty(J) for me to attain.

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13 For You formed my inward parts;
You [a]covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for [b]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 (A)My [c]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 (B)How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:13 wove
  2. Psalm 139:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. You are fearfully wonderful
  3. Psalm 139:15 Lit. bones were

13 For you created my inmost being;(A)
    you knit me together(B) in my mother’s womb.(C)
14 I praise you(D) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(E)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(F) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(G) in the depths of the earth.(H)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(I) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a](J) God!(K)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(L)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(M)
    when I awake,(N) I am still with you.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

12 (A)All things are lawful for me, but all things are not [a]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of [b]any. 13 (B)Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for (C)sexual immorality but (D)for the Lord, (E)and the Lord for the body. 14 And (F)God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up (G)by His power.

15 Do you not know that (H)your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For (I)“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 (J)But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 (K)Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins (L)against his own body. 19 Or (M)do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, (N)and you are not your own? 20 For (O)you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [c]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:12 profitable
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Or anything
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:20 NU omits the rest of v. 20.

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.(A) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”(B) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,(C) and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,(D) and he will raise us also.(E) 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?(F) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[a](G) 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[b](H)

18 Flee from sexual immorality.(I) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.(J) 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples(K) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;(L) 20 you were bought at a price.(M) Therefore honor God with your bodies.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit

Philip and Nathanael

43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found (A)Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now (B)Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found (C)Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom (D)Moses in the law, and also the (E)prophets, wrote—Jesus (F)of Nazareth, the (G)son of Joseph.”

46 And Nathanael said to him, (H)“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, (I)an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, (J)You are the Son of God! You are (K)the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, (L)hereafter[a] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:51 NU omits hereafter

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, “Follow me.”(B)

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.(C) 45 Philip found Nathanael(D) and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,(E) and about whom the prophets also wrote(F)—Jesus of Nazareth,(G) the son of Joseph.”(H)

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”(I) Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite(J) in whom there is no deceit.”(K)

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi,(L) you are the Son of God;(M) you are the king of Israel.”(N)

50 Jesus said, “You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see ‘heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on’[d] the Son of Man.”(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:50 Or Do you believe … ?
  2. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.
  3. John 1:51 The Greek is plural.
  4. John 1:51 Gen. 28:12