⁶³ In the early evening Isaac went out to walk^[a] in the field, and looking up he saw camels coming.

Samuel’s Call

3 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence.^(A) In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.^(B)

² One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing,^(C) was lying in his usual place. ³ Before the lamp of God had gone out,^(D) Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.

⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel,^[a] and he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶ Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”

Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸ Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. 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, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder.^{[b](E) 12} On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end.^{(F) 13} I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God,^[c] and he has not stopped them.^{(G) 14} Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.”^(H)

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

“Here I am,” answered Samuel.

¹⁷ “What was the message he gave you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.”^{(I) 18} So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is good.”^(J)

⁹ He entered a cave^(A) there and spent the night.

Elijah’s Encounter with the Lord

Suddenly, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ^(B)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(C) for the Lord God of Armies, but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant,^(D) torn down your altars,^(E) and killed your prophets^(F) with the sword. I alone am left,^(G) and they are looking for me to take my life.”^(H)

¹¹ Then he said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the Lord’s presence.”^(I)

At that moment, the Lord passed by.^(J) A great and mighty wind^(K) was tearing at the mountains and was shattering cliffs before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake,^(L) but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake there was a fire,^(M) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was a voice, a soft whisper.^{(N) 13} When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle^(O) and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

¹⁴ “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Armies,” he replied, “but the Israelites have abandoned your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they’re looking for me to take my life.”^(P)

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Go and return by the way you came to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you are to anoint Hazael^(Q) as king over Aram. ¹⁶ You are to anoint Jehu^(R) son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha^(S) son of Shaphat from Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. ¹⁷ Then Jehu will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Hazael,^(T) and Elisha will put to death whoever escapes the sword of Jehu.^{(U) 18} But I will leave seven thousand in Israel^(V)—every knee that has not bowed to Baal^(W) and every mouth that has not kissed him.”^(X)

Feeding of the Five Thousand

¹³ When Jesus heard about it,^(A) he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns.