In those days, when Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Heli’s care, a mes-sage from the Lord was a rare treasure; he would not openly reveal himself.

One night, Heli lay down to rest where he was wont to lie, his eyes dim now with age and sightless,

and Samuel was asleep, there in the divine presence, where God’s ark was, with the sacred lamp still burning.

And the Lord’s call came to Samuel. I am coming, he answered;

then ran to find Heli, and said, I am here at thy summons. Nay, said he, I never summoned thee; go back and lie down again. So back he went, and fell asleep.

Then the Lord called Samuel again, and again he rose up and went to Heli, to answer his summons. But still no summons had been given, and he must go back to sleep again.

Till then, Samuel was a stranger to the divine voice; the Lord had not made any revelation to him.

But when a third time the persistent call came, and Samuel went to Heli,

still ready at his command, Heli recognized at last whose voice it was the boy had heard. Go back to sleep, he told Samuel; and if the voice comes again, do thou answer, Speak on, Lord; thy servant is listening. And Samuel went back to his bed and fell asleep.

And the Lord came to his side, and stood there waiting. Then, as before, he called him twice by name; and Samuel answered, Speak on, Lord, thy servant is listening.

And this was the Lord’s message to Samuel: Here is doom I mean to bring on Israel that shall ring in the ears of all that hear of it.

For Heli it shall bring fulfilment of all the threats I have uttered against his clan; from first to last, they shall be accomplished.

Warning enough I gave him, I would pass eternal sentence on that clan of his, for his sons’ wickedness that went ever unchecked;

and now I have taken an oath against all his line, sacrifice nor offering shall ever atone for their sin.

Samuel slept on till morning, when it was time for him to open the doors of the Lord’s house; and fear withheld him from telling Heli of his vision.

Then he heard the voice of Heli calling, Samuel, my son Samuel! I am ready at thy command, said he.

And Heli asked him, What message is it the Lord has sent thee? May the Lord give thee thy due of punishment, and more than thy due, if thou hidest from me any word of the message that was given thee.

Thereupon Samuel told him all that was said, keeping nothing back from him. It is the Lord, answered he, that has spoken; let him do his will.

Samuel grew up, still enjoying the Lord’s favour, and no word he spoke went unfulfilled,

so that he became known all over Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, as the Lord’s true prophet.

After this revelation made to Samuel in Silo, the Lord continued to reveal himself there, as he had promised; and when Samuel spoke, all Israel listened.