3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; [there was] no open vision:

3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see:

3:3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was], and Samuel was laid down:

3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I:

3:5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down:

3:6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again:

3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him:

3:8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child:

3:9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place:

3:10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth:

3:11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle:

3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all [things] which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end:

3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not:

3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli' s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever:

3:15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision:

3:16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here [am] I:

3:17 And he said, What [is] the thing that [the LORD] hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide [it] not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide [any] thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee:

3:18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It [is] the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good:

3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground:

3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer- sheba knew that Samuel [was] established [to be] a prophet of the LORD:

3:21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD: