Add parallel Print Page Options

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel was serving the Lord under Eli. In those days a prophecy from the Lord was rare; visions were infrequent. One night Eli was lying down in his room. His eyesight had begun to fail so that he couldn’t see well. The lamp in God’s temple [a] hadn’t gone out yet, and Samuel was asleep in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was kept.

Then the Lord called Samuel. “Here I am,” Samuel responded. He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

“I didn’t call ⌞you⌟,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back and lay down.

The Lord called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

“I didn’t call ⌞you⌟, son,” he responded. “Go back to bed.” Samuel had no experience with the Lord, because the Lord’s word had not yet been revealed to him.

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

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. “Go, lie down,” Eli told Samuel. “When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his room.

10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.”

11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am going to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it ring. 12 On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end. 13 I told him that I would hand down a permanent judgment against his household because he knew about his sons’ sin—that they were cursing God [b]—but he didn’t try to stop them. 14 That is why I have taken an oath concerning Eli’s family line: No offering or sacrifice will ever ⌞be able to⌟ make peace for the sins that Eli’s family committed.”

15 Samuel remained in bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel. “Samuel, my son!” he said.

“Here I am,” he responded.

17 “What did the Lord tell you?” he asked. “Please don’t hide anything from me. May God strike you dead if you hide anything he told you from me.”

18 So Samuel told Eli everything.

Eli replied, “He is the Lord. May he do what he thinks is right.”

19 Samuel grew up. The Lord was with him and didn’t let any of his words go unfulfilled. 20 All Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew Samuel was the Lord’s appointed prophet. 21 The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, since the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the Lord’s word. And Samuel spoke to all Israel.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 According to Exodus 27:21, each night the priests were to light a lamp in the tent of meeting which was to burn from dusk to dawn.
  2. 3:13 Ancient scribal tradition, Greek, and Latin; Masoretic Text “cursing themselves.” At times some scribes would alter the text when they thought it was disrespectful to God.
  3. 3:21 This sentence is the first part of 1 Samuel 4:1 in the Hebrew Bible and most English Bibles.

Vocación de Samuel

El joven Samuel estaba al servicio del Señor bajo la custodia de Elí. Por aquel entonces los mensajes del Señor eran excepcionales y escaseaban las visiones. Cierto día Elí dormía en su habitación; sus ojos se estaban apagando y no podía ver. La lámpara divina aún no se había extinguido y Samuel dormía en el santuario del Señor, donde está el Arca de Dios. El Señor llamó a Samuel que respondió:

— ¡Aquí estoy!

Fue corriendo adonde estaba Elí y le dijo:

— Aquí estoy, presto a tu llamada.

Elí le contestó:

— Yo no te he llamado, hijo mío. Vuelve a acostarte.

Y Samuel fue a acostarse. El Señor volvió a llamar otra vez a Samuel y este se levantó y se presentó ante Elí, diciendo:

— Aquí estoy, presto a tu llamada.

Elí contestó:

— Yo no te he llamado, hijo mío. Vuelve a acostarte. Y es que Samuel todavía no conocía al Señor, ni se le había revelado su palabra. El Señor volvió a llamar a Samuel por tercera vez y él se levantó y se presentó ante Elí, diciendo:

— Aquí estoy, presto a tu llamada.

Entonces comprendió Elí que era el Señor quien llamaba al muchacho y le dijo:

— Vuelve a acostarte y si alguien te llama, respóndele: “Habla, Señor, que tu servidor escucha”.

Y Samuel se fue a acostar a su habitación. 10 El Señor volvió a insistir y lo llamó como antes:

— ¡Samuel! ¡Samuel!

Y él le respondió:

— Habla, que tu servidor escucha.

11 Y el Señor dijo a Samuel:

— Mira, voy a hacer una cosa en Israel que a los que la oigan les retumbarán los oídos. 12 En ese momento voy a cumplir todo lo que he anunciado contra Elí y su familia de principio a fin. 13 Ya le he comunicado que voy a condenar a su familia para siempre, porque él sabía que sus hijos ultrajaban a Dios, pero no los corrigió. 14 Por eso, juro a la familia de Elí que ni sacrificios ni ofrendas podrán reparar nunca su delito.

15 Samuel se acostó hasta la mañana siguiente. Luego abrió las puertas del santuario, pero no se atrevió a contarle a Elí la visión. 16 Elí lo llamó:

— Samuel, hijo mío.

Y él contestó:

— Aquí estoy.

17 Elí le preguntó:

— ¿Qué te ha dicho? No me lo ocultes. Que Dios te castigue si me ocultas una sola palabra de lo que te ha dicho.

18 Entonces Samuel se lo contó todo, sin omitir nada. Elí comentó:

— Él es el Señor, que haga lo que mejor le parezca.

19 Samuel seguía creciendo y el Señor lo protegía, sin dejar de cumplir ni una sola de sus palabras. 20 Así supo todo Israel, desde Dan hasta Berseba, que Samuel era un profeta acreditado ante Dios. 21 El Señor siguió manifestándose en Siló, donde revelaba su palabra a Samuel.

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.”

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.(N) 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything(O) 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(P) them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned(Q) 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(R) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,(S) 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.”(T)

19 The Lord was with(U) Samuel as he grew(V) up, and he let none(W) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba(X) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.(Y) 21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed(Z) himself to Samuel through his word.

Footnotes

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