New International Version (NIV)
I. SAMUEL’S CALL FROM GOD (I Samuel 3:1-9, 19-20)
1. The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
2. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.
3. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
5. And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.
9. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
19. The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.
20. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
II. SAMUEL’S MINISTRY TO ISRAEL (I Samuel 7:3-5, 10, 12
3. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4. So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5. Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpeh, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.”
10. While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.
12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”