New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
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Now the young Samuel was the servant of the Lord before Eli. In those days the Lord kept his word secret from men; there was no open vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room;
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And at that time, when Eli was resting in his place, (now his eyes were becoming clouded so that he was not able to see,)
3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
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And the light of God was still burning, while Samuel was sleeping in the Temple of the Lord where the ark of God was,
4 Then the Lord called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"
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The voice of the Lord said Samuel's name; and he said, Here am I.
5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.
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And running to Eli he said, Here am I, for you said my name. And Eli said, I did not say your name; go to your rest again. So he went back to his bed.
6 The Lord called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."
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And again the Lord said, Samuel. And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, Here am I; for you certainly said my name. But he said in answer, I said nothing, my son; go to your rest again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
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Now at that time Samuel had no knowledge of the Lord, and the revelation of the word of the Lord had not come to him.
8 The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.
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And for the third time the Lord said Samuel's name. And he got up and went to Eli and said, Here am I; for you certainly said my name. Then it was clear to Eli that the voice which had said the child's name was the Lord's.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
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So Eli said to Samuel, Go back: and if the voice comes again, let your answer be, Say on, Lord; for the ears of your servant are open. So Samuel went back to his bed.
10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
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Then the Lord came and said as before, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel made answer, Say on, Lord; for the ears of your servant are open.
11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle.
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And the Lord said to Samuel, See, I will do a thing in Israel at which the ears of everyone hearing of it will be burning.
12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.
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In that day I will do to Eli everything which I have said about his family, from first to last.
13 For I have told him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.
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And you are to say to him that I will send punishment on his family for ever, for the sin which he had knowledge of; because his sons have been cursing God and he had no control over them.
14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever."
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So I have made an oath to the family of Eli that no offering of meat or of meal which they may make will ever take away the sin of his family.
15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.
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And Samuel kept where he was, not moving till the time came for opening the doors of the house of God in the morning. And fear kept him from giving Eli an account of his vision.
16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." He said, "Here I am."
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Then Eli said, Samuel, my son. And Samuel answering said, Here am I.
17 Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you."
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And he said, What did the Lord say to you? Do not keep it from me: may God's punishment be on you if you keep from me anything he said to you.
18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him."
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Then Samuel gave him an account of everything, keeping nothing back. And he said, It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
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And Samuel became older, and the Lord was with him and let not one of his words be without effect.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.
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And it was clear to all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba that Samuel had been made a prophet of the Lord.
21 The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
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And the Lord was seen again in Shiloh; for the Lord gave to Samuel in Shiloh the revelation of his word.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.