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First Samuel

1 Now there was a certain man of Ra-math-a-im--zo-phim, of the hill-country of E-phra-im, and his name was El-ka-nah, the son of Jeroham, the son of E-li-hu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an E-phra-imite: ²and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Pe-nin-nah: and Pe-nin-nah had children, but Hannah had no children. ³And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, priests unto Jehovah, were there. ⁴And when the day came that El-ka-nah sacrificed, he gave to Pe-nin-nah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: ⁵but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁶And her rival provoked her greatly, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁷And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ⁸And El-ka-nah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why do you weep? and why do you not eat? and why is your heart grieved? am I not better to you than ten sons?

⁹So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah. ¹⁰And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Jehovah, and wept greatly. ¹¹And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. ¹²And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth. ¹³Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. ¹⁴And Eli said unto her, How long will you be drunken? put away your wine from you. ¹⁵And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Jehovah. ¹⁶Count not your handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto. ¹⁷Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him. ¹⁸And she said, Let your handmaid find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat; and her countenance was no more sad.

¹⁹And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before Jehovah, and returned, and came to their house in Ra-mah: and El-ka-nah knew Hannah his wife; and Jehovah remembered her. ²⁰And it came to pass, when the time was come, that Hannah conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Jehovah. ²¹And the man El-ka-nah, and all his house, went up to offer unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. ²²But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned; and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and there abide for ever. ²³And El-ka-nah her husband said unto her, Do what seems good to you; tarry until you have weaned him; only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him. ²⁴And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one E-phah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh: and the child was young. ²⁵And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. ²⁶And she said, Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying unto Jehovah. ²⁷For this child I prayed; and Jehovah has given me my petition which I asked of him: ²⁸therefore also I have given him to Jehovah; as long as he lives he is given to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.

2 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exults in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over my enemies; Because I rejoice in your salvation. ²There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides you, Neither is there any rock like our God. ³Talk no more so exceedingly proudly; Let not arrogance come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, And by him actions are weighed. ⁴The bows of the mighty men are broken; And they that stumbled are girded with strength. ⁵They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: yes, the barren has borne seven; And she that has many children languishes. ⁶Jehovah kills, and makes alive: He brings down to Sheol, and brings up. ⁷Jehovah makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, he also lifts up. ⁸He raised up the poor out of the dust, He lifts up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s, And he has set the world upon them. ⁹He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail. ¹⁰They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven: Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; And he will give strength unto his king, And exalt the horn of his anointed.

¹¹And El-ka-nah went to Ra-mah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest. ¹²Now the sons of Eli were base men; they knew not Jehovah. ¹³And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; ¹⁴and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came there. ¹⁵Yes, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of you, but raw. ¹⁶And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as your soul desires; then he would say, No, but you shall give it to me now: and if not, I will take it by force. ¹⁷And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah. ¹⁸But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁹Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰And Eli blessed El-ka-nah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give you seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah. And they went unto their own home. ²¹And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah. ²²Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. ²³And he said unto them, Why do you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. ²⁴No, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: you make Jehovah’s people to transgress. ²⁵If one man sin against another, God shall judge him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they listened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them. ²⁶And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Jehovah, and also with men.

3 And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision. ²And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see), ³and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was; ⁴that Jehovah called Samuel; and he said, Here am I. ⁵And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. ⁶And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. *** ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. ⁸And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for you called me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. ⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call you, that you shall say, Speak, Jehovah; for your servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. ¹⁰And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for your servant hears.

¹¹And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that hears it shall tingle. ¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. ¹³For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. ¹⁴And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever. ¹⁵And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. ¹⁶Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I. ¹⁷And he said, What is the thing that Jehovah has spoken unto you? I pray you, hide it not from me: God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke unto you. ¹⁸And Samuel told him every detail, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what seems him good.

¹⁹And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-She-ba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah. ²¹And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah.

4 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and camped beside Eb’en-E-zer: and the Philistines camped in A-phek. ²And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was crushed before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. ³And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, why has Jehovah crushed us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. ⁴So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of hosts, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ⁵And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. ⁶And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaning is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah was come into the camp. ⁷And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there has not been such a thing before. ⁸Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

¹⁰And the Philistines fought, and Israel was crushed, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. ¹¹And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, were slain.

¹²And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. ¹³And when he came, lo, Eli was sitting upon his seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. ¹⁴And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaning is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried, and came and told Eli. ¹⁵Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. ¹⁶And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my son? ¹⁷And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hoph-ni and Phin-e-has, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. ¹⁸And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹And his daughter-in-law, Phin-e-has’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came upon her. ²⁰And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for you have brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. ²¹And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. ²²And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.

5 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-E-zer unto Ashdod. ²And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. ³And when they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. ⁴And when they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. ⁵Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.

⁶But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof. ⁷And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is greatly upon us, and upon Dagon our god. ⁸They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there. ⁹And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors brake out upon them. ¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. ¹¹They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that is slay us not, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. ¹²And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

6 And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months. ²And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? show us wherewith we shall sent it to its place. ³And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but by all means return him a trespass-offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. ⁴Then they said, What shall be the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. ⁵Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory unto the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. ⁶why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? ⁷Now therefore take and prepare a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them; ⁸and take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass-offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go. ⁹And see; if it go up by the way of its own border to Beth-she-mesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us.

¹⁰And the men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home; ¹¹and they put the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. ¹²And the cows took the straight way by the way to Beth-she-mesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-she-mesh. ¹³And they of Beth-she-mesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. ¹⁴And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt-offering unto Jehovah. ¹⁵And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-she-mesh offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto Jehovah. ¹⁶And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. ¹⁷And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass-offering unto Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; ¹⁸and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of Jehovah, which stone remains unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

¹⁹And he struck of the men of Beth-she-mesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah, he struck of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people mourned, because Jehovah had smitten the people with a great slaughter. ²⁰And the men of Beth-she-mesh said, Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us? ²¹And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kir-jath-je’a-rim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah; come down, and bring it up to you.

7 And the men of Kir-jath-je’a-rim came, and brought up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of A-bin-a-dab in the hill, and sanctified El-e-a-zar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah. ²And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kir-jath-je’a-rim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah.

³And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ash-ta-roth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁴Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ash-ta-roth, and served Jehovah only. ⁵And Samuel said, gather all Israel to Miz-pah, and I will pray for you unto Jehovah. ⁶And they gathered together to Miz-pah, and drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Miz-pah.

⁷And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Miz-pah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto Jehovah our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁹And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering unto Jehovah: and Samuel cried unto Jehovah for Israel; and Jehovah answered him. ¹⁰And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but Jehovah thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and confused them; and they were crushed down before Israel. ¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Miz-pah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth-car. ¹²Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Miz-pah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-E-zer, saying, Hitherto has Jehovah helped us.

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel: and the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the border thereof did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Am-or-ites. ¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el and Gil-gal, and Miz-pah; and he judged Israel in all those places. ¹⁷And his return was to Ra-mah, for his house was there; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar unto Jehovah.

8 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. ²Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, A-bi-ah: they were judges in Beer-She-ba. ³And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ra-mah; ⁵and they said unto him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. ⁶But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. ⁷And Jehovah said unto Samuel, listen unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them. ⁸According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto you. ⁹Now therefore listen unto their voice: howbeit you shall protest solemnly unto them, and shall show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. ¹⁰And Samuel told all the words of Jehovah unto the people that asked of him a king. ¹¹And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots; ¹²and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots. ¹³And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. ¹⁴And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. ¹⁶And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your finest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. ¹⁷He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants. ¹⁸And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day. ¹⁹But the people refused to listen unto the voice of Samuel; and they said, no: but we will have a king over us, ²⁰that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. ²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Jehovah. ²²And Jehovah said to Samuel, listen unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go every man unto his city.

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of A-bi-el, the son of Ze-ror, the son of Be-cho-rath, the son of A-phi-ah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. ²And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young and a goodly man: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³And the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the asses. ⁴And he passed through the hill-country of E-phra-im, and passed through the land of Shal-i-sha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Sha-lim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. ⁵When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, unless my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us. ⁶And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he says comes surely to pass: now let us go there; perhaps he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go. ⁷Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? ⁸And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. ⁹(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) ¹⁰Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

¹¹As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? ¹²And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: hurry now, for he is come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place: ¹³as soon as you are come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he does bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore go up; for at this time you shall find him. ¹⁴And they went up to the city; and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place. ¹⁵Now Jehovah had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, ¹⁶To-morrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. ¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.

¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray you, where the seer’s house is. ¹⁹And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for you shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰And as for your asses that were lost three days ago, set not your mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father’s house? ²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? why then do you speak to me after this manner? ²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons. ²³And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said unto you, Set it aside. ²⁴And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold, that which has been reserved! set it before you and eat; because unto the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day. ²⁵And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop. ²⁶And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Arise, that I may send you away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. ²⁷As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but you stand still, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.

10 Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that Jehovah has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance? ²When you are departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre, in the border of Benjamin at Zel-zah; and they will say unto you, The asses which you went to seek are found; and, lo, your father has left off caring for the asses, and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? ³Then shall you go on forward from there, and you shall come to the oak of Ta-bor; and there you shall meet three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: ⁴and they will salute you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive of their hand. ⁵After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is: and it shall come to pass, when you are come to the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying: ⁶and the Spirit of Jehovah will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man. ⁷And let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as the occasion shall serve you; for God is with you. ⁸And you shall go down before me to Gil-gal; and, behold, I will come down unto you, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shall you tarry, till I come unto you, and show you what you shall do.

⁹And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. ¹⁰And when they came to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. ¹¹And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? ¹²And one of the same place answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? ¹³And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place. ¹⁴And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, where did you go? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel. ¹⁵And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray you, what Samuel said unto you. ¹⁶And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto Jehovah to Miz-pah; ¹⁸and he said unto the children of Israel, This says Jehovah, the God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you: ¹⁹but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said unto him, no, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands. ²⁰So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. ²¹And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Mat-rites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken: but when they sought him, he could not be found. ²²Therefore they asked of Jehovah further, Is there yet a man to come? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the baggage. ²³And they ran and brought him there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. ²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, You see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him along all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king. ²⁵Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. ²⁶And Saul also went to his house in Gib-e-ah; and there went with him the host, whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷But certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and camped against Ja-besh-gil-e-ad: and all the men of Ja-besh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you. ²And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel. ³And the elders of Ja-besh said unto him, Give us seven days’ relief, that we may send messengers unto all the borders of Israel; and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to you. ⁴Then came the messengers to Gib-e-ah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

⁵And, behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Ja-besh. ⁶And the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly. ⁷And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, whoeverever comes not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the dread of Jehovah fell on the people, and they came out as one man. ⁸And he numbered them in Be-zek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. ⁹And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall you say unto the men of Ja-besh-gil-e-ad, To-morrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Ja-besh; and they were glad. ¹⁰Therefore the men of Ja-besh said, To-morrow we will come out unto you, and you shall do with us all that seems good unto you. ¹¹And it was so on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they that remained were scattered, so that not two of them were left together.

¹²And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. ¹³And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today Jehovah has worked deliverance in Israel. ¹⁴Then said Samuel to the people, Come, and let us go to Gil-gal, and renew the kingdom there. ¹⁵And all the people went to Gil-gal; and there they made Saul king before Jehovah in Gil-gal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before Jehovah; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said unto me, and have made a king over you. ²And now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth unto this day. ³Here I am: witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? and I will restore it to you. ⁴And they said, you have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man’s hand. ⁵And he said unto them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness.

⁶And Samuel said unto the people, It is Jehovah that appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. ⁷Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers. ⁸When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place. ⁹But they forgot Jehovah their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sis-e-ra, captain of the host of Ha-zor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. ¹⁰And they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ash-ta-roth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you. ¹¹And Jehovah sent Jer-ub-ba-al, and Be-dan, and Jeph-thah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. ¹²And when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said unto me, no, but a king shall reign over us; when Jehovah your God was your king. ¹³Now therefore behold the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and, behold, Jehovah has set a king over you. ¹⁴If you will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and listen unto his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, and both you and also the king that reigns over you be followers of Jehovah your God, well: ¹⁵but if you will not listen unto the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then will the hand of Jehovah be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes. ¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking for a king. ¹⁸So Samuel called unto Jehovah; and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel. ¹⁹And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for your servants unto Jehovah your God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask for a king. ²⁰And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not; *** you have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart: ²¹and turn not aside; for then would you go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. ²²For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you a people unto himself. ²³Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way. ²⁴Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has done for you. ²⁵But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king.

13 Saul was forty years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, ²Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Mich-mash and in the mount of Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gib-e-ah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. ³And Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. ⁴And all Israel heard say that Saul had crushed the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gil-gal. ⁵And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude: and they came up, and camped in Mich-mash, eastward of Beth-aven. ⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits. ⁷Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gil-e-ad; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gil-gal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gil-gal; and the people were scattered from him. ⁹And Saul said, Bring the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering. ¹⁰And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. ¹¹And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you came not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Mich-mash; ¹²therefore I said, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gil-gal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. ¹³And Samuel said to Saul, you have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of Jehovah your God, which he commanded you: for now would Jehovah have established your kingdom upon Israel for ever. ¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you.

14 Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on yonder side. But he told not his father. ²And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gib-e-ah under the pomegranate-tree which is in Mig-ron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; ³and A-hi-ah, the son of A-hi-tub, I-cha-bod’s brother, the son of Phin-e-has, the son of Eli, the priest of Jehovah in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. ⁴And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bo-zez, and the name of the other Sen-eh. ⁵The one crag rose up on the north in front of Mich-mash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. ⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few. ⁷And his armor-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in your heart: turn, behold, I am with you according to your heart. ⁸Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them. ⁹If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. ¹⁰But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for Jehovah has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign unto us. ¹¹And both of them disclosed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. ¹²And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armor-bearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel. ¹³And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew them after him. ¹⁴And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. ¹⁵And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

¹⁶And the watchmen of Saul in Gib-e-ah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went hither and there. ¹⁷Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. ¹⁸And Saul said unto A-hi-ah, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel. ¹⁹And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw your hand. ²⁰And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. ²¹Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as beforetime, and that went up with them into the camp, from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. ²²Likewise all the men of Israel that had hid themselves in the hill-country of E-phra-im, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. ²³So Jehovah saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth-aven.

²⁴And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had charged the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. ²⁵And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground. ²⁶And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. ²⁷But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: why he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. ²⁸Then answered one of the people, and said, your father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats food this day. And the people were faint. ²⁹Then said Jonathan, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines. ³¹And they struck of the Philistines that day from Mich-mash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint; ³²and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood. ³³Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, you have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone unto me this day. ³⁴And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. ³⁵And Saul built an altar unto Jehovah: the same was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah.

³⁶And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seems good unto you. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. ³⁷And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day. ³⁸And Saul said, Draw near hither, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day. ³⁹For, as Jehovah lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. ⁴⁰Then said he unto all Israel, Be you on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seems good unto you. ⁴¹Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped. ⁴²And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die. ⁴⁴And Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan. ⁴⁵And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. ⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against E-dom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he put them to the worse. ⁴⁸And he did valiantly, and struck the A-mal-ek-ites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them. ⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: ⁵⁰and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of A-bi-el. ⁵²And there was greatly war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

15 And Samuel said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore listen you unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. ²Thus says Jehovah of hosts, I have marked that which Am-a-lek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt. ³Now go and strike Am-a-lek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. ⁴And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. ⁵And Saul came to the city of Am-a-lek, and laid wait in the valley. ⁶And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the A-mal-ek-ites, unless I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the A-mal-ek-ites. ⁷And Saul struck the A-mal-ek-ites, from Hav-i-lah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt. ⁸And he took Agag the king of the A-mal-ek-ites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, ¹¹It repents me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and have not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. ¹²And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gil-gal. ¹³And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, Blessed be you of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. ¹⁴And Samuel said, What then does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear mean? ¹⁵And Saul said, They have brought them from the A-mal-ek-ites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. ¹⁶Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell you what Jehovah has said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. ¹⁷And Samuel said, Though you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And Jehovah anointed you king over Israel; ¹⁸and Jehovah sent you on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the A-mal-ek-ites, and fight against them until they be consumed. ¹⁹why then did you not obey the voice of Jehovah, but did fly upon the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah? ²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, yes, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Am-a-lek, and have utterly destroyed the A-mal-ek-ites. ²¹But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah your God in Gil-gal. ²²And Samuel said, has Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. ²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and images. Because you have rejected the word of Jehovah, he has also rejected you from being king.

²⁴And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. ²⁵Now therefore, I pray you, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah. ²⁶And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah has rejected you from being king over Israel. ²⁷And as Samuel turned about to go away, Saul laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it rent. ²⁸And Samuel said unto him, Jehovah has rent the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of your, that is better than you. ²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent. ³⁰Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah your God. ³¹So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah.

³²Then said Samuel, Bring you hither to me Agag the king of the A-mal-ek-ites. And Agag came unto him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. ³³And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gil-gal. ³⁴Then Samuel went to Ra-mah; and Saul went up to his house to Gib-e-ah of Saul. ³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

16 And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. ²And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. ³And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint unto me him whom I name unto you. ⁴And Samuel did that which Jehovah spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, come you peaceably? ⁵And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah’s anointed is before him. ⁷But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. ⁸Then Jesse called A-bin-a-dab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this. ⁹Then Jesse made Sham-mah to pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this. ¹⁰And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Jehovah have not chosen these. ¹¹And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all your children? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and bring him; for we will not sit down till he come hither. ¹²And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. ¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ra-mah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. ¹⁵And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. ¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants, that are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well. ¹⁷And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. ¹⁸Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is with him. ¹⁹why Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. ²⁰And Jesse took an ass loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. ²¹And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer. ²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight. ²³And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

17 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle; and they were gathered together at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. ²And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and camped in the vale of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. ³And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. ⁴And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clad with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. ⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a javelin of brass between his shoulders. ⁷And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield-bearer went before him. ⁸And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are you come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and you servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. ⁹If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall you be our servants, and serve us. ¹⁰And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. ¹¹And when Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

¹²Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man was an old man in the days of Saul, stricken in years among men. ¹³And the three eldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the first-born, and next unto him A-bin-a-dab, and the third Sham-mah. ¹⁴And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul. ¹⁵Now David went to and fro from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem. ¹⁶And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. ¹⁷And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for your brethren an E-phah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brethren; ¹⁸and bring these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how your brethren fare, and take their pledge. ¹⁹Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the vale of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. ²⁰And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the place of the wagons, as the host which was going forth to the fight shouted for the battle. ²¹And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army. ²²And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the army, and came and saluted his brethren. ²³And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words: and David heard them. ²⁴And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly afraid. ²⁵And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. ²⁶And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? ²⁷And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him. ²⁸And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why are you come down? and with whom has you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride, and the naughtiness of your heart; for you are come down that you might see the battle. ²⁹And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ³⁰And he turned away from him toward another, and spoke after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.

³¹And when the words were heard which David spoke, they rehearsed them before Saul; and he sent for him. ³²And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. ³³And Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. ³⁴And David said unto Saul, your servant was keeping his father’s sheep; and when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth; and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and struck him, and slew him. ³⁶Thy servant struck both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷And David said, Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and Jehovah shall be with you. ³⁸And Saul clad David with his apparel, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clad him with a coat of mail. ³⁹And David girded his sword upon his apparel, and he appraiseed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

⁴⁰And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his wallet; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ⁴¹And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. ⁴²And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and withal of a fair countenance. ⁴³And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that you come to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the field. ⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, you come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin: but I come to you in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶This day will Jehovah deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from off you; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is Jehovah’s, and he will give you into our hand.

⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹And David put his hand i