0 SAB 1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel

CHAPTER 3

God appears to the boy Samuel (to tell Eli the bad news)
3:1-21

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

When Samuel was still a child, he ministered unto the Lord for Eli.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

Eli's eyesight was beginning to fail.

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

Once, when the lamp went out in the temple and Samuel was asleep, God called to Samuel, and Samuel said,
Here I am.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. Why did you call me?"

Eli answered, "I didn't call you. Go back to sleep."

6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

God called again, saying, "Samuel".

Samuel ran back to Eli and said, "Here I am."

Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back to sleep."

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

(Samuel didn't yet know God or the word of God.)

8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

God called Samuel for the third time.

Samuel ran to Eli again, saying, "Here I am."

Then Eli figured out that it was God who was calling Samuel.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Eli said to Samuel,

Go lie down. If God calls, say, "Speak for your servant hears you."

So Samuel lay down again.

10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

This time God came and stood in front of Samuel and called out to him again, saying, "Samuel, Samuel."

Samuel answered, "Speak for your servant hears you."

11And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

God said,

I'll do something that will cause everyone's ears to tingle.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

I'll do the things to Eli that I promised to do to him. [1]

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

I'll judge his descendants for the things his sons did. [2]

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

No animal sacrifices will prevent me from carrying out my threat.

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the bad news from God.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

But Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son".

Eli answered, "I'm here."

17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

Eli said,
What did God say to you?

God will do even worse things to you if you don't tell me.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

Samuel told Eli what God said.

Eli said, "Okay, whatever God wants is fine with me."

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

After that, Samuel grew, God was with him, and he let none of God's words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

And everyone knew that Samuel was a prophet.

21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

Some time later in Shiloh, God revealed himself to Samuel.
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