The Lord Calls Samuel

1 Samuel 3

1 f Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. g And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 At that time Eli, h whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 i The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down j in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.

6 And the Lord called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant hears." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel k at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli l all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 l And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, m because his sons were blaspheming God, 1 n and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli o that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."

15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." 17 And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. p May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, q "It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him."

19 r And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him s and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel t from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel u at Shiloh v by the word of the Lord.

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:11
    Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy ministered to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
    1 Samuel 2:18
    Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:21
    And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
    Psalms 74:9
    We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.
    Amos 8:11
    Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord God, "when I will send a famine on the land - not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 4:15
    Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see.
    Genesis 27:1
    When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am.
    Genesis 48:10
    Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them.
    Deuteronomy 34:7
    Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 27:20 - 21
    You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn.
    Leviticus 24:2 - 3
    Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning regularly.
    2 Chronicles 13:11
    They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 1:9
    After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.
  6. Cross References
    2 Kings 21:12
    Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.
    Jeremiah 19:3
    You shall say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:30 - 36
    Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the Lord declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:12
    On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:12
    Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.
    1 Samuel 2:17
    Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
    1 Samuel 2:22
    Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
  10. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:23 - 25
    And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.
  11. Cross References
    Isaiah 22:14
    The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: "Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die," says the Lord God of hosts.
  12. Cross References
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
  13. Cross References
    2 Samuel 10:12
    Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.
    Job 1:21
    And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
    Job 2:10
    But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
    Psalms 39:9
    I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it.
    Isaiah 39:8
    Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good." For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my days.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 2:21
    Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
  15. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:6
    But he said to him, "Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.
  16. Cross References
    2 Samuel 3:10
    To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.
  17. Cross References
    Joshua 18:1
    Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 3:1
    Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
    1 Samuel 3:4
    Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, "Here I am!
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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