1 Samuel 3 - Easy To Read Version

¹ The boy Samuel served the Lord under Eli. At that time, the Lord did not speak directly to people very often. There were very few visions. [34]

² Eli’s eyes were so weak he was almost blind. One night he lay down in bed.

³ Samuel lay in bed in the Lord’s Holy Building. [35] God’s Holy Box [36] was in that Holy Building. The Lord’s lamp was still burning.

⁴ The Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

⁵ {Samuel thought Eli was calling him. So} Samuel ran to Eli. Samuel said to Eli, “Here I am. You called me.”

⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” Again Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”

⁷ Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The Lord had not spoken directly to him yet. [37]

⁸ The Lord called Samuel the third time. Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. Samuel said, “Here I am. You called me.”

⁹ Eli told Samuel, “Go to bed. If he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I am your servant, and I am listening.’”

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there. He called as he did before. He said, “Samuel, Samuel!”

¹¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “I will soon do something in Israel. People who hear about it will be shocked.

¹² I will do everything I said I would do against Eli and his family. I will do everything from the beginning to the end.

¹³ I told Eli I would punish his family forever. I will do that because Eli knew that his sons were saying and doing bad things against God but Eli failed to control them.

¹⁴ That is why I swore (promised) that sacrifices and grain offerings will never take away the sins of the people in Eli’s family.”

¹⁵ Samuel lay down in bed until the morning came. He got up early and opened the doors of the Lord’s house. Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. [38]

¹⁶ But Eli said to Samuel, “Samuel, my son!”

¹⁷ Eli asked, “What did the Lord say to you? Don’t hide it from me. God will punish you if you hide anything from the message God spoke to you.”

¹⁸ So Samuel told Eli everything. Samuel did not hide anything from Eli.