1 Samuel 3:1-10

Easy-to-Read Version

God Calls Samuel

3 The boy Samuel was Eli’s helper and served the Lord with him. At that time the Lord did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions.

² Eli’s eyes were getting so weak that he was almost blind. One night he went to his room to go to bed. ³ The special lamp in the Lord’s temple^[a] was still burning, so Samuel lay down in the temple near where the Holy Box was. ⁴ The Lord called Samuel, and Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”

So Samuel went back to bed. ⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” Again Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”

⁷ Samuel did not yet know the Lord because the Lord had not spoken directly to him before.^[b]

⁸ The Lord called Samuel the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

Finally, Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ Eli told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.’”

So Samuel went back to bed. ¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there. He called as he did before, saying, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel said, “Speak. I am your servant, and I am listening.”