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.
主呼召撒母耳
1小撒母耳跟着以利事奉耶和华。那时候，耶和华的话语稀少，异象也不多。 2一天晚上，老眼昏花的以利正睡在自己的房里。 3上帝的灯还没有熄灭，撒母耳睡在耶和华的殿内，即安放上帝约柜的地方。 4耶和华呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳答道：“我在这里！” 5他跑到以利跟前，说：“我来了，你叫我吗？”以利说：“我没有叫你，你去睡吧。”于是，他就回去睡觉。 6耶和华又呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳起来到以利跟前，说：“我来了，你叫我吗？”以利答道：“孩子，我没有叫你，回去睡吧。” 7那时，撒母耳还不认识耶和华，耶和华的话还没有向他显明。 8耶和华第三次呼唤他，撒母耳起来，到以利面前，说：“我来了，你叫我吗？”这时候，以利才明白原来是耶和华在呼唤这孩子。 9他就吩咐撒母耳说：“你回去睡吧，若再呼唤你，你就说，‘耶和华啊，请吩咐，仆人恭听。’”于是，撒母耳就回去睡下。 10耶和华来站在那里，再次像刚才一样呼唤：“撒母耳！撒母耳！”撒母耳答道：“请吩咐，仆人恭听。” 11耶和华对撒母耳说：“我要在以色列做一件令人震惊的事。 12到时候，我要应验我说的有关以利家的一切预言。 13我对以利说过我要永远惩罚他家，因为他知道自己的儿子亵渎我，却没有制止他们。 14所以，我向以利家起誓说，‘靠祭物或礼物绝不能赎去以利家的罪恶。’”
15撒母耳在床上躺到天亮，然后起来打开耶和华的殿门。他不敢把耶和华的话告诉以利。 16以利叫他：“撒母耳，我的孩子。”撒母耳答道：“我在这里。” 17以利说：“耶和华对你说了什么？你不要向我隐瞒。如果你隐瞒一句，愿上帝重重地惩罚你。”
18撒母耳就一五一十地告诉了他。以利说：“祂是耶和华，祂看怎样好，就怎样行吧。” 19撒母耳渐渐长大，耶和华与他同在，使他所说的话没有一句落空。 20从但到别示巴，全以色列的人都知道撒母耳被立为耶和华的先知。 21耶和华继续在示罗显现，用自己的话启示撒母耳。撒母耳把耶和华的话传遍了以色列。
