1 Samuel 3

¹ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORDThe Chaldee text reads «while Eli lived».before Eli. And the word of the LORD wasBecause there were very few prophets to declare it.precious in those days; [there was] no open vision.

² And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in hisIn the court next to the tabernacle.place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see;

³ And ere theThat is, the lamps which burnt in the night.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 LORDJosephus writes that Samuel was 12 years old when the Lord appeared to him.called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I.

⁵ And he ranne vnto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. But he said, I called thee not: goe againe and sleepe; he went and slept.

⁶ And the Lorde called once againe, Samuel; Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, I am here: for thou diddest call me; he answered, I called thee not, my sonne: go againe and sleepe.

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

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 EliSuch was the corruption of those times that the chief priest had become dull and negligent to understand the Lord's appearing.perceived that the LORD had called the child.

⁹ Therefore Eli saide vnto Samuel, Goe and sleepe: and if he call thee, then say, Speake Lorde, for thy seruant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.

¹⁰ And the Lord came, and stoode, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speake, for thy seruant heareth.

¹¹ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shallGod declares that sudden fear will come on men when they hear that the ark is taken, and see Eli's house destroyed.tingle.

¹² In that day I will raise vp against Eli all things which I haue spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an ende.

¹³ And I haue tolde him that I will iudge his house for euer, for the iniquitie which hee knoweth, because his sonnes ranne into a slaunder, and he stayed them not.

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 forMeaning that his posterity would never enjoy the chief priests office.ever.

¹⁵ Afterward Samuel slept vntil the morning, and opened the doores of the house of the Lord, and Samuel feared to shewe Eli the vision.

¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel my sonne; he answered, Here I am.

¹⁷ And he said, What [is] the thing that [the LORD] hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide [it] not from me: GodGod punish you after this and that sort, unless you tell me the truth, (Rth_1:17).do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide [any] thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

¹⁸ So Samuel tolde him euery whit, and hid nothing from him. Then hee said, It is the Lorde: let him do what seemeth him good.

¹⁹ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his wordsThe Lord accomplished whatever he had said.fall to the ground.

²⁰ And all Israel fro Dan to Beer-sheba knew that faithfull Samuel was the Lordes Prophet.

²¹ And the Lorde appeared againe in Shiloh: for the Lorde reueiled himselfe to Samuel in Shiloh by his word.