16 But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”“Here I am,” Samuel answered.
17 Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”
18 Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord, and he will do what's right.”
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord helped him and made everything Samuel said come true.
20 From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the Lord's prophet.
21 The Lord often appeared to Samuel at Shiloh and told him what to say.