January 11, 2012, Reading

The First Book of Samuel   3: 1-10, 19-20

3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no manifest vision.
3:2 Then it happened that, on a certain day, Eli was lying in his place. And his eyes had dimmed, so that he was unable to see.
3:3 And so, to prevent the lamp of God from going out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
3:4 And the Lord called Samuel. And responding, he said, “Here I am.”
3:5 And he ran to Eli, and he said, “Here I am. For you called me.” And he said: “I did not call. Return and sleep.” And he went away, and he slept.
3:6 And again, the Lord continued to call to Samuel. And rising up, Samuel went to Eli, and he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” And he responded: “I did not call you, my son. Return and sleep.”
3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.
3:8 And the Lord continued, and he called to Samuel still a third time. And rising up, he went to Eli.
3:9 And he said: “Here I am. For you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord had called the boy. And he said to Samuel: “Go and sleep. And if he calls to you from now on, you will say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” Therefore, Samuel went away, and he slept in his place.
3:10 And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, just as he had called the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” And Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
3:19 And Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground.
3:20 And all of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, knew Samuel to be a faithful prophet of the Lord.

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