5. He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”“I didn’t call ⌊you⌋,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So Samuel went back and lay down.
6. The Lord called Samuel again. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”“I didn’t call ⌊you⌋, son,” he responded. “Go back to bed.”
7. Samuel had no experience with the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8. The Lord called Samuel a third time. Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am. You called me.”Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.
9. “Go, lie down,” Eli told Samuel. “When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his room.
10. The Lord came and stood there. He called as he had called the other times: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak. I’m listening.”
11. Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am going to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it ring.
12. On that day I am going to do to Eli and his family everything I said from beginning to end.
13. I told him that I would hand down a permanent judgment against his household because he knew about his sons’ sin—that they were cursing God —but he didn’t try to stop them.
14. That is why I have taken an oath concerning Eli’s family line: No offering or sacrifice will ever ⌊be able to⌋ make peace for the sins that Eli’s family committed.”
15. Samuel remained in bed until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.