1 There was no manifest vision in the time of Eli. 4 The Lord calleth Samuel three times, 11 And showeth what shall come upon Eli and his house. 18 The same declareth Samuel to Eli.

Now the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord [a]before Eli: and the word of the Lord was [b]precious in those days: for there was no manifest vision.

And at that time, as Eli lay in his [c]place, his eyes began to wax dim that he could not see.

And yer the [d]light of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was.

Then the Lord [e]called Samuel: and he said, Here I am.

And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. But he said, I called thee not: go again and sleep. And he went and slept.

And the Lord called once again, Samuel. And Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called thee not my son: go again and sleep.

Thus did Samuel, before he knew [f]the Lord, and before the word of the Lord was revealed unto him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time: and he arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou hast called me. Then Eli [g]perceived that the Lord had called the child.

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go and sleep: and if he call thee, then say, Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

10 ¶ And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth.

11 ¶ Then the Lord said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, whereof whosoever shall hear, his two (A)ears shall [h]tingle.

12 In that day I will raise up against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13 And I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons ran into a slander, and he stayed them not.

14 Now therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the wickedness of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering [i]forever.

15 Afterward Samuel slept until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

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

17 Then he said, What is it, that the Lord said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me. God [j]do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me, of all that he said unto thee.

18 So Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. Then he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

19 ¶ And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words [k]fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew [l]that faithful Samuel was the Lord’s Prophet.

21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by [m]his word.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 3:1 The Chaldea text readeth, while Eli lived.
  2. 1 Samuel 3:1 Because there were very few Prophets to declare it.
  3. 1 Samuel 3:2 In the Court next to the Tabernacle.
  4. 1 Samuel 3:3 That is, the lamps which burnt in the night.
  5. 1 Samuel 3:4 Josephus writeth that Samuel was 12 years old, when the Lord appeared to him.
  6. 1 Samuel 3:7 By vision.
  7. 1 Samuel 3:8 Such was the corruption of those times that the chief Priest was become dull and negligent to understand the Lord’s appearing.
  8. 1 Samuel 3:11 God declareth what sudden fear shall come upon men, when they shall hear that the Ark is taken, and also see Eli’s house destroyed.
  9. 1 Samuel 3:14 Meaning that his posterity should never enjoy the chief Priest’s office.
  10. 1 Samuel 3:17 God punish thee after this and that sort, except thou tell me truth, Ruth 1:17.
  11. 1 Samuel 3:19 The Lord accomplished whatsoever he had said.
  12. 1 Samuel 3:20 Or, that Samuel was the faithful Prophet of the Lord.
  13. 1 Samuel 3:21 Hebrew, by the word of the Lord.

וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ׃ ס

וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקֹמ֑וֹ ׳וְעֵינָו׳ ״וְעֵינָיו֙״ הֵחֵ֣לּוּ כֵה֔וֹת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֽוֹת׃

וְנֵ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ טֶ֣רֶם יִכְבֶּ֔ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן אֱלֹהִֽים׃ פ

וַיִּקְרָ֧א יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃

וַיָּ֣רָץ אֶל־עֵלִ֗י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הִנְנִי֙ כִּֽי־קָרָ֣אתָ לִּ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹֽא־קָרָ֖אתִי שׁ֣וּב שְׁכָ֑ב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ ס

וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהוָ֗ה קְרֹ֣א עוֹד֮ שְׁמוּאֵל֒ וַיָּ֤קָם שְׁמוּאֵל֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִ֔י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנְנִ֔י כִּ֥י קָרָ֖אתָ לִ֑י וַיֹּ֛אמֶר לֹֽא־קָרָ֥אתִי בְנִ֖י שׁ֥וּב שְׁכָֽב׃

וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל טֶ֖רֶם יָדַ֣ע אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וְטֶ֛רֶם יִגָּלֶ֥ה אֵלָ֖יו דְּבַר־יְהוָֽה׃

וַיֹּ֨סֶף יְהוָ֥ה קְרֹא־שְׁמוּאֵל֮ בַּשְּׁלִשִׁית֒ וַיָּ֙קָם֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִ֔י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנְנִ֔י כִּ֥י קָרָ֖אתָ לִ֑י וַיָּ֣בֶן עֵלִ֔י כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה קֹרֵ֥א לַנָּֽעַר׃

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵלִ֣י לִשְׁמוּאֵל֮ לֵ֣ךְ שְׁכָב֒ וְהָיָה֙ אִם־יִקְרָ֣א אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ דַּבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בִּמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃

10 וַיָּבֹ֤א יְהוָה֙ וַיִּתְיַצַּ֔ב וַיִּקְרָ֥א כְפַֽעַם־בְּפַ֖עַם שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל׀ שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ דַּבֵּ֔ר כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ פ

11 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הִנֵּ֧ה אָנֹכִ֛י עֹשֶׂ֥ה דָבָ֖ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁר֙ כָּל־שֹׁ֣מְע֔וֹ תְּצִלֶּ֖ינָה שְׁתֵּ֥י אָזְנָֽיו׃

12 בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ אָקִ֣ים אֶל־עֵלִ֔י אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ הָחֵ֖ל וְכַלֵּֽה׃

13 וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־שֹׁפֵ֥ט אֲנִ֛י אֶת־בֵּית֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם בַּעֲוֺ֣ן אֲשֶׁר־יָדַ֗ע כִּֽי־מְקַֽלְלִ֤ים לָהֶם֙ בָּנָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א כִהָ֖ה בָּֽם׃

14 וְלָכֵ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְבֵ֣ית עֵלִ֑י אִֽם־יִתְכַּפֵּ֞ר עֲוֺ֧ן בֵּית־עֵלִ֛י בְּזֶ֥בַח וּבְמִנְחָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃

15 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב שְׁמוּאֵל֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־דַּלְת֣וֹת בֵּית־יְהוָ֑ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל יָרֵ֔א מֵהַגִּ֥יד אֶת־הַמַּרְאָ֖ה אֶל־עֵלִֽי׃

16 וַיִּקְרָ֤א עֵלִי֙ אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל בְּנִ֑י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃

17 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מָ֤ה הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תְכַחֵ֖ד מִמֶּ֑נִּי כֹּ֣ה יַעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֤ אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֔יף אִם־תְּכַחֵ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ דָּבָ֔ר מִכָּל־הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

18 וַיַּגֶּד־ל֤וֹ שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א כִחֵ֖ד מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר יְהוָ֣ה ה֔וּא הַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינָ֖ו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ פ

19 וַיִּגְדַּ֖ל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַֽיהוָה֙ הָיָ֣ה עִמּ֔וֹ וְלֹֽא־הִפִּ֥יל מִכָּל־דְּבָרָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה׃

20 וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֚י נֶאֱמָ֣ן שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל לְנָבִ֖יא לַיהוָֽה׃

21 וַיֹּ֥סֶף יְהוָ֖ה לְהֵרָאֹ֣ה בְשִׁלֹ֑ה כִּֽי־נִגְלָ֨ה יְהוָ֧ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל בְּשִׁל֖וֹ בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃ פ