The Lord Calls Samuel

3 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)

² One night Eli, whose eyes^(D) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,^(E) was lying down in his usual place. ³ 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. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.^(I)” ⁵ 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.

⁶ 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.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know^(J) the Lord: The word^(K) of the Lord had not yet been revealed^(L) to him.

⁸ 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. ⁹ 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 that is what some of you were.^(A) But you were washed,^(B) you were sanctified,^(C) you were justified^(D) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

¹² “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial.^(E) “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. ¹³ You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”^(F) The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord,^(G) and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴ By his power God raised the Lord from the dead,^(H) and he will raise us also.^{(I) 15} Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?^(J) Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶ Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^{[a](K) 17} But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.^[b](L)

¹⁸ Flee from sexual immorality.^(M) All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.^{(N) 19} Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(O) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^{(P) 20} you were bought at a price.^(Q) Therefore honor God with your bodies.^(R)

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,^(A) he said to him, “Follow me.”^(B)

⁴⁴ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.^{(C) 45} Philip found Nathanael^(D) and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,^(E) and about whom the prophets also wrote^(F)—Jesus of Nazareth,^(G) the son of Joseph.”^(H)

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”^(I) Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite^(J) in whom there is no deceit.”^(K)

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi,^(L) you are the Son of God;^(M) you are the king of Israel.”^(N)

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe^[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ He then added, “Very truly I tell you,^[b] you^[c] will see ‘heaven open,^(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending^(P) on’^[d] the Son of Man.”^(Q)