KJV ORIGINAL
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
So Eli told Samuel, 'Go back to bed, and if he calls you again, say this: Speak, LORD, because your servant is listening.' So Samuel went back and lay down where he had been sleeping.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Eli is teaching young Samuel how to properly respond when God speaks to him by showing reverence and readiness to listen.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during Samuel's childhood while he was serving in the tabernacle under the elderly priest Eli. God had been calling to Samuel during the night, but Samuel didn't recognize it was God's voice at first. This was during a time when direct communication from God was rare in Israel.
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