Calling Twice, Even Three Times

(29) Truly, God does all these things two or three times to a person, (30) to bring them back from destruction, that they may bask in the light of life.

(10) And Abraham picked up the knife to slay his son. (11) Then an angel of the Eternal called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.”

(1) So Israel set out with all that was his, and he came to Beer-sheba, where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. (2) God called to Israel in a vision by night: “Jacob! Jacob!” He answered, “Here I am.” (3) And God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will make you there into a great nation. (4) I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I Myself will also bring you back; and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

(1) Now Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) An angel of the Eternal appeared to him in a blazing fire out of a bush. He gazed, and there was a bush all aflame, yet the bush was not consumed. (3) Moses said, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn up?” (4) When the Eternal saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush: “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” (5) And God said, “Do not come closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground. (6) I am,” God said, “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

(1) Young Samuel was in the service of the Eternal under Eli. In those days the word of the Eternal was rare; prophecy was not widespread. (2) One day, Eli was asleep in his usual place; his eyes had begun to fail and he could barely see. (3) The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Eternal where the Ark of God was. (4) The Eternal called out to Samuel, and he answered, “I’m coming.” (5) He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down. (6) Again the Eternal called, “Samuel!” Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call, my son; go back to sleep.”— (7) Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Eternal; the word of the Eternal had not yet been revealed to him.— (8) The Eternal called Samuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Eternal was calling the boy. (9) And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, Eternal, for Your servant is listening.’” And Samuel went to his place and lay down. (10) The Eternal came, and stood there, and God called as before: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” (11) The Eternal said to Samuel: “I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tingle.

(18) You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the Eternal your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. (19) You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. (20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Eternal your God is giving you.

(18) I note how they fare and will heal them: I will guide them and mete out solace to them, and to the mourners among them (19) heartening, comforting words: Peace, peace to those far and near —said the Eternal— and I will heal them.

(1) In the year that King Uzziah died, I beheld my Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; and the skirts of His robe filled the Temple. (2) Seraphs stood in attendance on Him. Each of them had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his legs, and with two he would fly. (3) And one would call to the other, “Holy, holy, holy! The Eternal of Multitudes! His presence fills all the earth!” (4) The doorposts would shake at the sound of the one who called, and the House kept filling with smoke. (5) I cried, “Woe is me; I am lost! For I am a person of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my own eyes have beheld the Eternal Ruler of Multitudes.” (6) Then one of the seraphs flew over to me with a live coal, which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. (7) He touched it to my lips and declared, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt shall depart and your sin be purged away.” (8) Then I heard the voice of my Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am; send me.”