3In those days, when the boy Samuel was serving the LORD under the direction of Eli, there were very few messages from the LORD, and visions from him were quite rare.H5288H8050H8334H3068H6440H5941H1697H3068H3368H3117H6555H23772One night Eli, who was now almost blind, was sleeping in his own room;H3117H5941H7901H4725H5869H2490H3544H3201H72003Samuel was sleeping in the sanctuary, where the sacred Covenant Box was. Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning,H5216H430H3518H1964H3068H727H430H8050H79014the LORD called Samuel. He answered, "Yes, sir!"H3068H7121H8050H5595and ran to Eli and said, "You called me, and here I am." But Eli answered, "I didn't call you; go back to bed." So Samuel went back to bed.H7323H5941H559H2009H7121H559H7121H7901H7725H3212H79016The LORD called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the LORD, because the LORD had never spoken to him before.H3068H7121H3254H8050H8050H6965H3212H5941H559H7121H559H7121H1121H7901H77257So he got up, went to Eli, and said, "You called me, and here I am." But Eli answered, "My son, I didn't call you; go back to bed."H8050H2962H3045H3068H1697H3068H15408The LORD called Samuel a third time; he got up, went to Eli, and said, "You called me, and here I am." Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy,H3068H7121H8050H3254H7992H6965H3212H5941H559H7121H5941H995H3068H7121H52889so he said to him, "Go back to bed; and if he calls you again, say, 'Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went back to bed.H5941H559H8050H3212H7901H7121H559H1696H3068H5650H8085H8050H3212H7901H472510The LORD came and stood there, and called as he had before, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Speak; your servant is listening."H3068H935H3320H7121H6471H8050H8050H8050H559H1696H5650H808511The LORD said to him, "Some day I am going to do something to the people of Israel that is so terrible that everyone who hears about it will be stunned.H3068H559H8050H6213H1697H3478H8147H241H8085H675012On that day I will carry out all my threats against Eli's family, from beginning to end.H3117H6965H5941H1696H413H1004H2490H361513I have already told him that I am going to punish his family forever because his sons have spoken evil things against me. Eli knew they were doing this, but he did not stop them.H5046H8199H1004H5704H5769H5771H3045H1121H7043H354314So I solemnly declare to the family of Eli that no sacrifice or offering will ever be able to remove the consequences of this terrible sin."H7650H1004H5941H5771H5941H1004H3722H2077H4503H5704H576915Samuel stayed in bed until morning; then he got up and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.H8050H7901H1242H6605H1817H1004H3068H8050H3372H5046H5941H475916Eli called him, "Samuel, my boy!" "Yes, sir," answered Samuel.H5941H7121H8050H559H8050H1121H55917"What did the LORD tell you?" Eli asked. "Don't keep anything from me. God will punish you severely if you don't tell me everything he said."H559H1697H1696H3582H430H6213H3254H3582H1697H1697H169618So Samuel told him everything; he did not keep anything back. Eli said, "He is the LORD; he will do whatever seems best to him."H8050H5046H1697H3582H559H3068H6213H5869H289619As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him and made come true everything that Samuel said.H8050H1431H3068H1697H5307H77620So all the people of Israel, from one end of the country to the other, knew that Samuel was indeed a prophet of the LORD.H3478H1835H884H3045H8050H539H5030H306821The LORD continued to reveal himself at Shiloh, where he had appeared to Samuel and had spoken to him. And when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened.H3068H7200H3254H7887H3068H1540H8050H7887H1697H3068
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