1 Samuel 3:4–14

⁴Then the Lord called Samuel, ^band he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵He 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.

⁶Once 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.”

⁷Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸Once 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. ⁹He 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.

¹⁰The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”

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

¹¹The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder. ^c12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end. ^d13I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are defiling the sanctuary, ^eand he has not stopped them. ^f14Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.” ^g