3:1 And the lad Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. And the word of Yahweh was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.
3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see),
3:3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was laying down [to sleep], in the temple of Yahweh, where the ark of God was;
3:4 that Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, Here I am.
3:5 And he ran to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And he said, I didn't call; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
3:6 And Yahweh called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And he answered, I didn't call, my son; lie down again.
3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know Yahweh, neither was the word of Yahweh yet revealed to him.
3:8 And Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am; for you called me. And Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the lad.
3:9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down: and it will be, if he calls you, that you will say, Speak, Yahweh; for your slave hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
3:10 And Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for your slave hears.
3:11 And Yahweh said to Samuel, Look, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.
3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons cursed God, and he did not restrain them.
3:14 And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house will not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering forever.
3:15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
3:16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here I am.
3:17 And he said, What is the thing that [Yahweh] has spoken to you? I pray you, don't hide it from me: God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.
3:18 And Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Yahweh: he will do what seems good to him.
3:19 And Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and did not let any of his words fall to the ground.
3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh.
3:21 And Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Yahweh.