2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed.
3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.
4 Suddenly the lord called out, “Samuel!”“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?”
5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.
6 Then the lord called out again, “Samuel!”Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”
7 Samuel did not yet know the lord because he had never had a message from the lord before.
8 So the lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”Then Eli realized it was the lord who was calling the boy.