1Sa 3, 1Sa 29 | ESV | STEP | Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli . And the word of the Lord was rare in those days ; there was no frequent vision .

1 ^aNow the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. ^bAnd the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2 At that time Eli, ^cwhose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 ^dThe lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down ^ein the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 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.

6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose 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.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel ^fat which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli ^gall that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 ^hAnd I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, ⁱbecause his sons were blaspheming God, ^{▼▼Or blaspheming for themselves} ^kand he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli ^lthat the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. ^mMay God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, ⁿ“It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”

19 ^oAnd Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him ^pand let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel ^qfrom Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel ^rat Shiloh ^sby the word of the Lord.

1 Samuel 29

The Philistines Reject David

1 ^tNow the Philistines had gathered all their forces at ^uAphek. And the Israelites were encamped by ^vthe spring that is in ^wJezreel. 2 As ^xthe lords of the Philistines were passing on by hundreds and by thousands, and David and his men were passing on in the rear ^ywith Achish, 3 the commanders of the Philistines said, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish said to the commanders of the Philistines, “Is this not David, the servant of Saul, king of Israel, who has been with me ^znow for days and years, and since he deserted to me ^aaI have found no fault in him to this day.” 4 But ^abthe commanders of the Philistines were angry with him. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man back, that he may return ^acto the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, ^adlest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 5 Is not this David, of whom they sing to one another in dances,

^ae‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
6 Then Achish called David and said to him, ^af“As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that ^agyou should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. 7 So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” 9 And Achish answered David and said, “I know that you are as blameless in my sight ^ahas an angel of God. Nevertheless, ^aithe commanders of the Philistines have said, ‘He shall not go up with us to the battle.’ 10 Now then rise early in the morning ^ajwith the servants of your lord who came with you, and start early in the morning, and depart as soon as you have light.” 11 So David set out with his men early in the morning to return to the land of the Philistines. But the Philistines went up to ^akJezreel.