1 Samuel 3:1–10

Yahweh Calls Samuel

¹Now ^athe young boy Samuel was ministering to Yahweh before Eli. And ^bword from Yahweh was rare in those days; ¹visions were infrequent.

²And it happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now ^ahis eyesight had begun to fade, and he could not see well),

³and ^athe lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of Yahweh where the ark of God was,

⁴that Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, “^aHere I am.”

⁵Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; go back, lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶Then Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he ¹answered, “I did not call, my son; go back, lie down.”

^7aNow Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, nor had the word of Yahweh yet been revealed to him.

⁸So Yahweh called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli discerned that Yahweh was calling the young boy.

⁹And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh, for Your slave is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰Then Yahweh came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your slave is listening.”