1 Samuel 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 The boy Samuel continued to serve the Eternal One under the guidance of Eli. In those days, messages from the Eternal were rare, and sacred dreams or visions were given to very few.

2 Eli, who was very old, had become almost blind. He was lying in his room; 3 it was late at night but before dawn as the lamp of God still burned. Samuel was resting in the house of the Eternal One, where the covenant chest of the True God was located, and he heard a voice.

Eternal One: 4 Samuel! Samuel!

Samuel: Here I am! 5 (running to Eli) I heard you calling; here I am!

Eli: I did not call you, my son. Go back, and lie down.

So Samuel went back to bed. 6 But the Eternal called him again.

Eternal One: Samuel!

Samuel (running to Eli): I heard you calling; here I am!

Eli: No, I did not call you, my son. Go back, and lie down. I need my rest.

7 Samuel did not recognize the voice of the Eternal One, for the word of the Eternal had not been revealed to Samuel yet. So Samuel went back again to his bed. 8 And the Eternal One called him a third time.

Samuel (running to Eli): I know you called me; I am here!

Eli (realizing the Lord was calling Samuel): 9 Go back and lie down, my son. If the voice calls you again, I want you to say, “Speak, Eternal One. Your servant is listening.”

So Samuel went to his bed in his place and listened. 10 Then the Eternal One came into his presence as before.

Eternal One: Samuel! Samuel!

Samuel: Speak, Eternal One. Your servant is listening.

Eternal One: 11 Pay attention! I am about to do something so amazing in Israel that it will sting the ears of everyone who hears it. 12 The day is coming when I will carry out the vow I made to Eli about his family, every word of it. 13 I have told him that I will punish his house forever for the sins of his sons, bringing a curse on themselves that he knew about but did nothing to stop. 14 So I vow that the sins of the house of Eli may never be atoned for by sacrifice or by offering.

15 After hearing this message, Samuel lay there until morning and then opened the doors of the Eternal One’s house, but he was afraid to tell Eli what God had said to him.

Eli: 16 Samuel, my son.

Samuel: Here I am.

Eli: 17 What was it that He told you? Tell me everything. May the True God carry out His vengeance on you and worse, if you hold anything back from me that He said to you.

18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing.

Eli: This message is truly from the Eternal One. Let Him do what seems good to Him.

When Eli hears God’s message to Samuel, a message that surely breaks his heart, Eli knows his sons have dishonored God and deserve punishment. His willingness to honor God’s message is truly a measure of his faith. This is one of many places in the books of Samuel where we can recognize the justice of God’s plan and still share some sorrow with those who will suffer because of it.

19 As Samuel grew, the Eternal One guided him and none of His words were lost on Samuel. 20 And all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, learned that Samuel was a prophet of the Eternal One and that his words could be trusted.

21 From time to time, the Eternal continued to appear at Shiloh, where He had spoken to Samuel.

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1 Samuel 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 And the youth Samuel is serving Jehovah before Eli, and the word of Jehovah hath been precious in those days -- there is no vision broken forth. 2 And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim -- he is not able to see. 3 And the lamp of...
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1 Samuel 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 Forsooth the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was precious; in those days was none open revelation (for in those days there was no open revelation). 2 Therefore it was done in a day, Eli lay in his bed, and his eyes dimmed, and he might not see; (And so it w...
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1 Samuel 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. Yahweh’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then. 2 At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), 3 and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid...
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1 Samuel 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 The boy Samuel continued to serve the Eternal One under the guidance of Eli. In those days, messages from the Eternal were rare, and sacred dreams or visions were given to very few. 2 Eli, who was very old, had become almost blind. He was lying in his room; 3 it was late at night but before dawn ...
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1 Samuel 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Calling of Samuel3 Now the boy Samuel was in the service of Adonai under Eli. In those days the word of Adonai was rare—there were no visions breaking through. 2 One day, Eli was lying down in his place—now his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see, 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out...
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1 Samuel 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity3 [a]Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; 3...
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1 Samuel 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; 3 th...
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1 Samuel 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; 3 the lamp of G...
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1 Samuel 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity3 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.(A)2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room;(B)3 the lamp o...
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1 Samuel 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord Speaks to Samuel3 Meanwhile, 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. 2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleep...
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1 Samuel 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

Samuel’s Call3 Now the boy Samuel was working for the Lord with Eli. There were few words from the Lord given in those days, and there were not many special dreams. 2 At that time Eli was lying down in his own place. His eyes had become weak and he could not see well. 3 The lamp of God had not gon...
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1 Samuel 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Samuel’s First Prophecy3 Now (A)the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And (B)the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. 2 And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow (C)so dim that he ...
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1 Samuel 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The Lord calls Samuel3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. 2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out...
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1 Samuel 3 - New International Version (NIV)

The Lord Calls Samuel3 The boy Samuel ministered(A) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;(B) there were not many visions.(C) 2 One night Eli, whose eyes(D) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,(E) was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp(F) of God had...
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1 Samuel 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Lord Calls Out to Samuel3 The boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. In those days the Lord didn’t give many messages to his people. He didn’t give them many visions. 2 One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak he couldn’t see very well. 3 S...
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1 Samuel 3 - New English Translation (NET)

The Call of Samuel3 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision.[a] Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent. 2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, ...
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