¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.^(A)

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.”

⁹ There he went into a cave^(A) and spent the night.

The Lord Appears to Elijah

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”^(B)

¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous^(C) for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant,^(D) torn down your altars,^(E) and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left,^(F) and now they are trying to kill me too.”

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain^(G) in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”^(H)

Then a great and powerful wind^(I) tore the mountains apart and shattered^(J) the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire,^(K) but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.^{(L) 13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face^(M) and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”