1 Samuel 3:1-21, NLT
1 Samuel 3
The Lord Speaks to Samuel
1Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
2One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed.
“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”
Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”
“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.
10And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
11Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.
Samuel Speaks for the Lord
15Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle*3:15 Hebrew the house of the Lord. as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him.
“Here I am,” Samuel replied.
17“What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!”
19As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.