1. During the time young Samuel was minister to the Lord under Eli, the word of the Lord was scarce and vision infrequent.
2. One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
3. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was.
4. The Lord called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
5. He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep.
6. Again the Lord called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But he answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”