主呼召撒母耳
1小撒母耳跟著以利事奉耶和華。那時候，耶和華的話語稀少，異象也不多。 2一天晚上，老眼昏花的以利正睡在自己的房裡。 3上帝的燈還沒有熄滅，撒母耳睡在耶和華的殿內，即安放上帝約櫃的地方。 4耶和華呼喚撒母耳，撒母耳答道：「我在這裡！」 5他跑到以利跟前，說：「我來了，你叫我嗎？」以利說：「我沒有叫你，你去睡吧。」於是，他就回去睡覺。 6耶和華又呼喚撒母耳，撒母耳起來到以利跟前，說：「我來了，你叫我嗎？」以利答道：「孩子，我沒有叫你，回去睡吧。」 7那時，撒母耳還不認識耶和華，耶和華的話還沒有向他顯明。 8耶和華第三次呼喚他，撒母耳起來，到以利面前，說：「我來了，你叫我嗎？」這時候，以利才明白原來是耶和華在呼喚這孩子。 9他就吩咐撒母耳說：「你回去睡吧，若再呼喚你，你就說，『耶和華啊，請吩咐，僕人恭聽。』」於是，撒母耳就回去睡下。 10耶和華來站在那裡，再次像剛才一樣呼喚：「撒母耳！撒母耳！」撒母耳答道：「請吩咐，僕人恭聽。」 11耶和華對撒母耳說：「我要在以色列做一件令人震驚的事。 12到時候，我要應驗我說的有關以利家的一切預言。 13我對以利說過我要永遠懲罰他家，因為他知道自己的兒子褻瀆我，卻沒有制止他們。 14所以，我向以利家起誓說，『靠祭物或禮物絕不能贖去以利家的罪惡。』」
15撒母耳在床上躺到天亮，然後起來打開耶和華的殿門。他不敢把耶和華的話告訴以利。 16以利叫他：「撒母耳，我的孩子。」撒母耳答道：「我在這裡。」 17以利說：「耶和華對你說了什麼？你不要向我隱瞞。如果你隱瞞一句，願上帝重重地懲罰你。」
18撒母耳就一五一十地告訴了他。以利說：「祂是耶和華，祂看怎樣好，就怎樣行吧。」 19撒母耳漸漸長大，耶和華與他同在，使他所說的話沒有一句落空。 20從但到別示巴，全以色列的人都知道撒母耳被立為耶和華的先知。 21耶和華繼續在示羅顯現，用自己的話啟示撒母耳。撒母耳把耶和華的話傳遍了以色列。
The Lord Calls Samuel
1The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible and he failed to restrain them. 14Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’ ”
15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. 21The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.
