English / ERV
1 Samuel 3
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1The boy Samuel was Eli’s helper and served the LORD with him. At that time the LORD did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions.
- 2Eli’s eyes were getting so weak that he was almost blind. One night he went to his room to go to bed.
- 3The special lamp in the LORD’s temple[1] was still burning, so Samuel lay down in the temple near where the Holy Box was.
- 4The LORD called Samuel, and Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
- 5Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back to bed.
- 6Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” Again Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”
- 7Samuel did not yet know the LORD because the LORD had not spoken directly to him before.[2]
- 8The LORD called Samuel the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” Finally, Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy.
- 9Eli told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, LORD. I am your servant, and I am listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.
- 10The LORD came and stood there. He called as he did before, saying, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel said, “Speak. I am your servant, and I am listening.”
- 11The LORD said to Samuel, “I will soon do things in Israel that will shock anyone who hears about them.
- 12I will do everything I said I would do against Eli and his family, everything from the beginning to the end.
- 13I told Eli I would punish his family forever. I will do this because Eli knew his sons were saying and doing bad things against God. But he failed to control them.