1 Samuel 3
International Children’s Bible
God Calls Samuel
3 The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli. In those days the Lord did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions.
2 Eli’s eyes were so weak he was almost blind. One night he was lying in bed. 3 Samuel was also in bed in the Lord’s Holy Tent. The Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy Tent. God’s lamp was still burning.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “I am here!” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “I am here. You called me.”
But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.
6 The Lord called again, “Samuel!”
Samuel again went to Eli and said, “I am here. You called me.”
Again Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Lord had not spoken directly to him yet.
8 The Lord called Samuel for the third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “I am here. You called me.”
Then Eli realized the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So he told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in bed.
10 The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had before. He said, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel said, “Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.”
11 The Lord said to Samuel, “See, I am going to do something in Israel. It will shock those who hear about it. 12 At that time I will do to Eli and his family everything I promised. I will not stop until I have finished. 13 I told Eli I would punish his family forever. I will do it because Eli knew his sons were evil. They spoke against me, but he did not control them. 14 So here is what I promised Eli’s family: ‘Your guilt will never be removed by sacrifice or offering.’”
15 Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Tent of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 16 But Eli said to him, “Samuel, my son!”
Samuel answered, “I am here.”
17 Eli asked, “What did the Lord say to you? Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you terribly if you hide from me anything he said to you.” 18 So Samuel told Eli everything. He did not hide anything from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is best.”
19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up. He did not let any of Samuel’s messages fail to come true. 20 Then all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,[a] knew Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord continued to show himself to Samuel at Shiloh. He also showed himself to Samuel through his word.
Footnotes
- 3:20 Dan to Beersheba Dan was the city farthest north in Israel. Beersheba was the city farthest south. So this means all the people of Israel.
1 Samuel 3
New King James Version
Samuel’s First Prophecy
3 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. 2 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, 3 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, 4 that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!” 5 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.
6 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.” 7 (Now Samuel (E)did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.)
8 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. 9 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.”
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: “Behold, I will do something in Israel (G)at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli (H)all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 (I)For I have told him that I will (J)judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because (K)his sons made themselves vile, and he (L)did not [b]restrain them. 14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house (M)shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 So Samuel lay down until [c]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. (N)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, (O)“It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”
19 So Samuel (P)grew, and (Q)the Lord was with him (R)and let none of his words [d]fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel (S)from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been [e]established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by (T)the word of the Lord.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 3:3 palace or temple
- 1 Samuel 3:13 Lit. rebuke
- 1 Samuel 3:15 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX adds and he arose in the morning
- 1 Samuel 3:19 fail
- 1 Samuel 3:20 confirmed
1 Samuelsboken 3
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Herren uppenbarar sig för Samuel
3 (A) Pojken Samuel gjorde tjänst inför Herren hos Eli. På den tiden var Herrens ord sällsynt, profetsyner var inte vanliga. 2 (B) Då hände en gång detta medan Eli låg på sin plats. Hans ögon hade börjat bli skumma så att han inte kunde se. 3 (C) Guds lampa[a] hade ännu inte slocknat, och Samuel låg i Herrens tempel där Guds ark stod. 4 Då kallade Herren på Samuel. ”Här är jag”, svarade Samuel. 5 Sedan skyndade han bort till Eli och sade: ”Här är jag, du ropade på mig.” Men han svarade: ”Jag har inte ropat. Gå och lägg dig igen.” Och han gick och lade sig.
6 Herren kallade än en gång på Samuel, och Samuel steg upp och gick till Eli och sade: ”Här är jag, du ropade på mig.” Men han svarade: ”Jag har inte ropat, min son. Gå och lägg dig igen.” 7 Samuel kände inte Herren än, och Herrens ord hade ännu inte blivit uppenbarat för honom.
8 Herren kallade på Samuel för tredje gången, och han steg upp och gick till Eli och sade: ”Här är jag, du ropade på mig.” Då förstod Eli att det var Herren som kallade på den unge pojken. 9 Därför sade han till Samuel: ”Gå och lägg dig, och om han ropar på dig, så säg: Tala Herre, din tjänare hör.” Och Samuel gick och lade sig på sin plats.
10 Då kom Herren och ställde sig där och ropade som förut: ”Samuel! Samuel!” Och Samuel svarade: ”Tala, din tjänare hör.” 11 (D) Då sade Herren till Samuel: ”Se, jag kommer att göra något i Israel som ska ringa i båda öronen på var och en som hör det. 12 (E) Den dagen ska jag förverkliga över Eli allt som jag talat mot hans hus, från det första till det sista. 13 Jag har förklarat för honom att jag ska döma hans hus till evig tid för den synd som han kände till, nämligen att hans söner drog förbannelse över sig utan att han tillrättavisade dem. 14 (F) Därför har jag också betygat med ed för Elis hus att deras skuld aldrig någonsin ska försonas genom slaktoffer eller andra offergåvor.”
15 Samuel låg kvar till morgonen då han öppnade dörrarna till Herrens hus. Han var rädd för att berätta synen för Eli. 16 Men Eli ropade på Samuel: ”Samuel, min son!” Han svarade: ”Här är jag.” 17 Då sade Eli: ”Vad var det han sade till dig? Dölj det inte för mig! Må Gud straffa dig både nu och i framtiden om du döljer för mig ett enda ord av det han sade till dig.” 18 Då berättade Samuel allt för honom och dolde ingenting. Eli sade: ”Han är Herren. Han får göra det som är gott i hans ögon.”
19 (G) Och Samuel växte upp, och Herren var med honom och lät inget av allt han sagt falla till marken. 20 (H) Hela Israel från Dan till Beer-Sheba[b] förstod att Samuel var betrodd som Herrens profet. 21 Och Herren fortsatte att visa sig i Shilo, för Herren uppenbarade sig för Samuel i Shilo genom Herrens ord.
Footnotes
- 3:3 Guds lampa Den gyllene menoran skulle brinna hela natten inför Gud (3 Mos 24:3).
- 3:20 från Dan till Beer-Sheba Dvs hela Israel från norr till söder (jfr ”från Smygehuk till Treriksröset”).
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015, Copyright © 2015 by Svenska Folkbibeln Foundation