Chapter 3

  And the child Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.  

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  And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to grow dim, that he could not see;  

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  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 to sleep;  

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  That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.  

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  And he ran to 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.  

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  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.  

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  Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.  

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  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.  

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

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

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  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.  

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  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.  

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  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.  

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

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

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  Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.  

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

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  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.  

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  And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.  

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  And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.  

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

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