The Lantern

I Samuel3

The LORD Calls Samuel

And the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no vision breaking through.

And it was at that time, when Eli was lying in his place — and his eyes had begun to grow dim; he could not see —

and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was,

that the LORD called to Samuel. And he said, “Here I am.”

And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call. Go back; lie down.” And he went and lay down.

And the LORD called yet again, “Samuel!” And Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” And he said, “I did not call, my son. Go back; lie down.”

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

And the LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy.

And Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. And it shall be, if he calls to you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” And Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And the LORD came and stood, and called as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

And the LORD said to Samuel: “Look — I am doing a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will ring.

On that day I will bring about against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

And I have told him that I am judging his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew — for his sons were bringing a curse on themselves, and he did not restrain them.

And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering, forever.”

Samuel Shares the Vision

And Samuel lay until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

And Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.”

And he said: “What is the word that he spoke to you? Do not hide it from me, please. Thus may God do to you, and thus may he add, if you hide from me a word of all the word that he spoke to you.”

And Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide anything from him. And he said, “He is the LORD. Let him do what is good in his eyes.”

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.

And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet to the LORD.

And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh — for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.