One day, when Samuel was a young boy still in the temple, he heard someone calling. He thought it was Eli, but Eli told him that God was talking to him. So Samuel went back and listened, and when he heard God calling, "Samuel! Samuel!" he said, "Speak (talk), for your servant is listening." Then the Lord told Samuel that he would destroy Eli's family because of Eli's sinful sons. Samuel told everything to Eli, and "...all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized (realized) that Samuel was...a prophet of the Lord. The Lord...revealed himself to Samuel through his word." 