In the beginning of the passage, it talks about how God called Samuel while he was lying down in the middle of the night, and how he thought it was his father Eli who was calling him. After several times, Eli then told him that it was God who was calling him, and that the next time he was called to respond with “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” God then continues to tell Samuel how He will punish Eli for doing nothing when his sons sinned. Samuel hesitates in telling this to Eli, because he is afraid that Eli will get upset. But Eli responds wisely by saying, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to Him.” The passage then tells of how in Samuel’s adulthood he made his sons judges over Israel and Saul king of Israel. God kept
