Judges 4:1-5

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

4 But after Ehud died the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord.

²So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth-hagoiim [fortress or city of the nations].

³Then the Israelites cried to the Lord, for [Jabin] had 900 chariots of iron and had severely oppressed the Israelites for twenty years.

⁴Now Deborah, a ^[a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, judged Israel at that time.

⁵She sat under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came up to her for judgment.

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Footnotes

Judges 4:4 According to Num. 11:25, the prophetic gift has its source in the “Spirit of the Lord.” The prophet is a spokesman of God and for God. Miriam was the first prophetess who praised God before all the people (Exod. 15:20). Deborah was not like Miriam, the sister of such men as Moses and Aaron. The objective Spirit of her God elevates her above her people, above heroes before and after her. Not only the ecstasy of enthusiasm, but also the calm wisdom of that Spirit Who informs the law dwells in her. Of no judge until Samuel [the last of the major judges] is it expressly said that he was a “prophet.” Of none until him can it be said that he was possessed of the popular authority necessary for the office of judge. The position of Deborah in Israel is therefore a twofold testimony: it proves the relaxation of spiritual and manly energy, and, secondly, the undying might of divine truth, as delivered by Moses, comes brilliantly to view. History shows many instances where in times of distress, when men despaired, women arose and saved their nation; but in all such cases there must be an unextinguished spark of the old fire in the people themselves. Israel, formerly encouraged by the great exploit of a left-handed man—Ehud (Judg. 3:15), is now quickened by the glowing word of a noble woman (J.P. Lange, A Commentary).

Judges 4:1-5

New International Version

Deborah

4 Again the Israelites did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord,^(B) now that Ehud^(C) was dead. ²So the Lord sold them^(D) into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor.^(E) Sisera,^(F) the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. ³Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron^(G) and had cruelly oppressed^(H) the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

⁴Now Deborah,^(I) a prophet,^(J) the wife of Lappidoth, was leading^[a] Israel at that time. ⁵She held court^(K) under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah^(L) and Bethel^(M) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.

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Footnotes

Judges 4:4 Traditionally judging

Judges 6:1-8

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

6 But the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.

²And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made themselves the dens which are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds.

³For whenever Israel had sown their seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east came up against them.

⁴They would encamp against them and destroy the crops as far as Gaza and leave no nourishment for Israel, and no ox or sheep or donkey.

⁵For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came like locusts for multitude; both they and their camels could not be counted. So they wasted the land as they entered it.

⁶And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried to the Lord.

⁷And when they cried to the Lord because of Midian,

⁸The Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites, who said to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt and brought you forth out of the house of bondage.

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Judges 6:1-8

New International Version

Gideon

6 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(A) and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.^(B) ²Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,^(C) the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves^(D) and strongholds.^(E) ³Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites^(F) and other eastern peoples^(G) invaded the country. ⁴They camped on the land and ruined the crops^(H) all the way to Gaza^(I) and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. ⁵They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts.^(J) It was impossible to count them or their camels;^(K) they invaded the land to ravage it. ⁶Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out^(L) to the Lord for help.

⁷When the Israelites cried out^(M) to the Lord because of Midian, ⁸he sent them a prophet,^(N) who said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt,^(O) out of the land of slavery.^(P)

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Judges 6:35

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

³⁵And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and the Manassites were called to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, to Zebulun, and to Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

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Judges 6:35

New International Version

³⁵He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher,^(A) Zebulun and Naphtali,^(B) so that they too went up to meet them.^(C)

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Judges 11:1-12

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was Jephthah’s father.

²And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when his wife’s sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.

³Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went on raids with him.

⁴And after a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel.

⁵And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob;

⁶And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites.

⁷But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?

⁸And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites and be our head over all the citizens of Gilead.

⁹Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, [understand that] I will be your head.

¹⁰And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The Lord is witness between us, if we do not do as you have said.

¹¹So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated all he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah.

¹²And Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites, saying, What have you to do with me, that you have come against me to fight in my land?

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Judges 11:1-12

New International Version

11 Jephthah^(A) the Gileadite was a mighty warrior.^(B) His father was Gilead;^(C) his mother was a prostitute.^(D) ²Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” ³So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob,^(E) where a gang of scoundrels^(F) gathered around him and followed him.

⁴Some time later, when the Ammonites^(G) were fighting against Israel, ⁵the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. ⁶“Come,” they said, “be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites.”

⁷Jephthah said to them, “Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?^(H) Why do you come to me now, when you’re in trouble?”

⁸The elders of Gilead said to him, “Nevertheless, we are turning to you now; come with us to fight the Ammonites, and you will be head^(I) over all of us who live in Gilead.”

⁹Jephthah answered, “Suppose you take me back to fight the Ammonites and the Lord gives them to me—will I really be your head?”

¹⁰The elders of Gilead replied, “The Lord is our witness;^(J) we will certainly do as you say.” ¹¹So Jephthah went with the elders^(K) of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them. And he repeated^(L) all his words before the Lord in Mizpah.^(M)

¹²Then Jephthah sent messengers to the Ammonite king with the question: “What do you have against me that you have attacked my country?”

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Judges 11:15

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

¹⁵And said to him, Thus says Jephthah, Israel did not take the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites.

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Judges 11:15

New International Version

¹⁵saying:

“This is what Jephthah says: Israel did not take the land of Moab^(A) or the land of the Ammonites.^(B)

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Judges 13:1-16

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

13 And the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

²And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.

³And the ^[a]Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, Behold, you are barren and have no children, but you shall become pregnant and bear a son.

⁴Therefore beware and drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean.

⁵For behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.

⁶Then the woman went and told her husband, saying, A ^[b]Man of God came to me and his face was like the face of the Angel of God, to be greatly and reverently feared. I did not ask him from where he came, and he did not tell me his name.

⁷But he said to me, Behold, you shall become pregnant and bear a son, and now drink no wine or strong drink and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from birth to the day of his death.

⁸Then Manoah entreated the Lord and said, O Lord, let the Man of God whom You sent come again to us and teach us what we shall do with the child that shall be born.

⁹And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.

¹⁰And the woman ran in haste and told her husband and said to him, Behold, the Man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.

¹¹And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the Man and said to him, Are you the Man who spoke to this woman? And he said, I am.

¹²And Manoah said, Now when your words come true, how shall we manage the child, and what is he to do?

¹³And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Let the mother beware of all that I told her.

¹⁴She may not eat of anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink wine or strong drink nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.

¹⁵And Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, Pray, let us detain you that we may prepare a kid for you.

¹⁶And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, Though you detain me, I will not eat of your food, but if you make ready a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord. For Manoah did not know that he was the Angel of the Lord.

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Footnotes

Judges 13:3 See footnote on Gen. 16:7. Note that in Judg. 13:22 the Angel of the Lord is identified with God.
Judges 13:6 It is clear from Judg. 13:3, 21 that this messenger was the Angel of the Lord.

Judges 13:1-16

New International Version

The Birth of Samson

13 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines^(A) for forty years.^(B)

²A certain man of Zorah,^(C) named Manoah,^(D) from the clan of the Danites,^(E) had a wife who was childless,^(F) unable to give birth. ³The angel of the Lord^(G) appeared to her^(H) and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.^(I) ⁴Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink^(J) and that you do not eat anything unclean.^(K) ⁵You will become pregnant and have a son^(L) whose head is never to be touched by a razor^(M) because the boy is to be a Nazirite,^(N) dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead^(O) in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

⁶Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God^(P) came to me. He looked like an angel of God,^(Q) very awesome.^(R) I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. ⁷But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine^(S) or other fermented drink^(T) and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.^(U)’”

⁸Then Manoah^(V) prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God^(W) you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.”

⁹God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. ¹⁰The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me^(X) the other day!”

¹¹Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”

“I am,” he said.

¹²So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”

¹³The angel of the Lord answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. ¹⁴She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink^(Y) nor eat anything unclean.^(Z) She must do everything I have commanded her.”

¹⁵Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat^(AA) for you.”

¹⁶The angel of the Lord replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering,^(AB) offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize^(AC) that it was the angel of the Lord.)

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1 Samuel 1-17

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³This man went from his city year by year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were the Lord’s priests.

⁴When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters portions [of the sacrificial meat].

⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children.

⁶[This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.

⁷So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat.

⁸Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

⁹So Hannah rose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside a post of the temple (tent) of the Lord.

¹⁰And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly.

¹¹She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; no razor shall touch his head.

¹²And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth.

¹³Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

¹⁴Eli said to her, How long will you be intoxicated? Put wine away from you.

¹⁵But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord.^(A)

¹⁶Regard not your handmaid as a wicked woman; for out of my great complaint and bitter provocation I have been speaking.

¹⁷Then Eli said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.

¹⁸Hannah said, Let your handmaid find grace in your sight. So [she] went her way and ate, her countenance no longer sad.

¹⁹The family rose early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.

²⁰Hannah became pregnant and in due time bore a son and named him Samuel [heard of God], Because, she said, I have asked him of the Lord.

²¹And Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.

²²But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives.

²³Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish His word. So Hannah remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

²⁴When she had ^[a]weaned him, she took him with her, with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet odor], and brought Samuel to the Lord’s house in Shiloh. The child was growing.

²⁵Then they slew the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

²⁶Hannah said, Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here praying to the Lord.

²⁷For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him.

²⁸Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there.

2 Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exults and triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.

²There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God.

³Talk no more so very proudly; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

⁴The bows of the mighty are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength.

⁵Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children languishes and is forlorn.

⁶The Lord slays and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

⁷The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and He lifts up.

⁸He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with nobles and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them.

⁹He will guard the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked shall be silenced and perish in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

¹⁰The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them will He thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge [all peoples] to the ends of the earth; and He will give strength to ^[b]His king (King) and exalt the power of His anointed (Anointed ^[c]His Christ).^(B)

¹¹Elkanah and his wife Hannah returned to Ramah to his house. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

¹²The sons of Eli were base and worthless; they did not know or regard the Lord.

¹³And the custom of the priests with the people was this: when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was boiling with a fleshhook of three prongs in his hand;

¹⁴And he thrust it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh with all the Israelites who came there.

¹⁵Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, Give the priest meat to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.

¹⁶And if the man said to him, Let them burn the fat first, and then you may take as much as you want, the priest’s servant would say, No! Give it to me now or I will take it by force.

¹⁷So the sin of the [two] young men was very great before the Lord, for they despised the offering of the Lord.

¹⁸But Samuel ministered before the Lord, 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 would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the gift she asked for and gave to the Lord. Then they would go to their own home.

²¹And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

²²Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel and how they lay with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

²³And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.

²⁴No, my sons; it is no good report which I hear the Lord’s people spreading abroad.

²⁵If one man wrongs another, God will mediate for him; but if a man wrongs the Lord, who shall intercede for him? Yet they did not listen to their father, for it was the Lord’s will to slay them.

²⁶Now the boy Samuel grew and was in favor both with the Lord and with men.

²⁷A man of God came to Eli and said to him, Thus has the Lord said: I plainly revealed Myself to the house of your father [forefather Aaron] when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house.

²⁸Moreover, I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer on My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And I gave [from then on] to the house of your father [forefather] all the offerings of the Israelites made by fire.

²⁹Why then do you kick [trample upon, treat with contempt] My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded, and honor your sons above Me by fattening yourselves upon the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?

³⁰Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, I did promise that your house and that of your father [forefather Aaron] should go in and out before Me forever. But now the Lord says, Be it far from Me. For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

³¹Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your own father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.

³²And you shall behold the distress of My house, even in all the prosperity which God will give Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

³³Yet I will not cut off from My altar every man of yours; some shall survive to weep and mourn [over the family’s ruin], but all the increase of your house shall die in their best years.^(C)

³⁴And what befalls your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be a sign to you—in one day they both shall die. [Fulfilled in I Sam. 4:17, 18.]

³⁵And I will raise up for Myself a ^[d]faithful priest (Priest), who shall do according to what is in My heart and mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed (Anointed) forever.^(D)

³⁶Everyone who is left in your house shall come crouching to him for a piece of silver and a bit of bread and say, Put me, I pray you, into a priest’s office so I may have a piece of bread.

3 Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; there was no frequent or widely spread vision.

²At that time Eli, whose eyesight had dimmed so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place.

³The lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down

⁴When the Lord called, Samuel! And he answered, Here I am.

⁵He ran to Eli and said, Here I am, for you called me. Eli said, I did not call you; lie down again. So he went and lay down.

⁶And the Lord called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I; you did call me. Eli answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed to him.

⁸And the Lord called Samuel the third time. And he went to Eli and said, Here I am, for you did call me. Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy.

⁹So Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down. And if He calls you, you shall say, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.

¹¹The Lord told Samuel, Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of all who hear it shall tingle.

¹²On that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

¹³And I [now] announce to him that I will judge and punish his house forever for the iniquity of which he knew, for his sons were bringing a curse upon themselves [blaspheming God], and he did not restrain them.

¹⁴Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for or purged with sacrifice or offering forever.

¹⁵Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. And [he] was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

¹⁶But Eli called Samuel and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here I am.

¹⁷Eli said, What is it He told you? Pray do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you.

¹⁸And Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing. And Eli said, It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.

¹⁹Samuel grew; the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.^(E)

²⁰And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

²¹And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord.

4 And the word of [the Lord through] Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines and encamped beside Ebenezer; the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

²The Philistines drew up against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was smitten by the Philistines, who slew about 4,000 men on the battlefield.

³When the troops had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.

⁴So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, Who dwells above the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

⁶And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? When they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,

⁷The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has not happened before.

⁸Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness.

⁹Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; behave yourselves like men, and fight!

¹⁰And the Philistines fought; Israel was smitten and they fled every man to his own home. There was a very great slaughter; for 30,000 foot soldiers of Israel fell.

¹¹And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. [Foretold in I Sam. 2:34.]

¹²Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that day, with his clothes torn and earth on his head.

¹³When he arrived, Eli was sitting by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man told the news in the city, all the city [people] cried out.

¹⁴When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is this uproar? And the man came hastily and told Eli.

¹⁵Now Eli was 98 years old; his eyes were dim so that he could not see.

¹⁶The man said to Eli, I have come from the battle; I fled from the battle today. Eli said, How did it go, my son?

¹⁷The messenger replied, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is captured.

¹⁸And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, about to be delivered. And when she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.

²⁰And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, Fear not, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer or notice.

²¹And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel!—because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

²²She said, The glory is gone from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.

5 The Philistines brought the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

²They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and set it beside Dagon [their idol].

³When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

⁴But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and [his] head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him.

⁵This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

⁶But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He caused [mice to spring up and there was] very deadly destruction and He smote the people with [very painful] tumors or boils, both Ashdod and its territory.

⁷When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.

⁸So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let [it] be carried around to Gath. So they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

⁹But after they had carried it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing an exceedingly great panic [at the deaths from the plague], for He afflicted the people of the city, both small and great, and tumors or boils broke out on them.

¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as [it] came, the people of Ekron cried out, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people!

¹¹So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

¹²The men who had not died were stricken with very painful tumors or boils, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

6 The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

²And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.

³And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but at least return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed [and healing granted you].

⁴Then they said, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him? They answered, Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the Philistine lords, for one plague was on you all, even on your lords.

⁵Therefore you must make images of your tumors and of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you and your gods and your land.

⁶Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had done wonders and made a mock of them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

⁷Now then, make and prepare a new cart and two milch cows on which no yoke has ever come; and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them.

⁸And take the ark of the Lord and place it upon the cart, and put in a box at its side the figures of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering. Then send it away and let it be gone.

⁹And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own land to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.

¹⁰And the men did so, and took two milch cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home.

¹¹And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.

¹²And the cows went straight toward Beth-shemesh along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right or the left. And the Philistine lords followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.

¹³Now the men of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

¹⁴The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there; and the men split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

¹⁵The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box beside it in which were the figures of gold and put them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices that day to the Lord.

¹⁶When the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

¹⁷And these are the tumors of gold which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the Lord: one each for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron;

¹⁸Also the mice of gold was according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages. The great stone, on which they set the ark of the Lord, remains as a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

¹⁹And the Lord slew some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; He slew ^[e]seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the Lord had made a great slaughter among them.

²⁰And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go away from us?

²¹And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.

7 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to have charge of the ark of the Lord.

²And the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim a very long time [nearly 100 years, through Samuel’s entire judgeship, Saul’s reign, and well into David’s, when it was brought to Jerusalem]. For it was twenty years before all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.^(F)

³Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth [female deities] from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁴So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.

⁵Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you.

⁶So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

⁷Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸And the Israelites said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.

⁹So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.

¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them as far as below Beth-car.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he called the name of it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, Heretofore the Lord has helped us.

¹³So the Philistines were subdued and came no more into Israelite territory. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴The cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel rescued [the cities’] territory from the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all his days.

¹⁶And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and was judge for Israel in all those places.

¹⁷Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there; there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

8 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

²Now the name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

³His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah

⁵And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint us a king to rule over us like all the other nations.

⁶But it displeased Samuel when they said, Give us a king to govern us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

⁷And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all they say to 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 I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they also do to you.

⁹So listen now to their voice; only solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.

¹⁰So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.

¹¹And he said, These will be the ways of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.

¹²He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.

¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

¹⁴He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

¹⁵He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

¹⁶He will take your men and women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys and put them to his work.

¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his slaves.

¹⁸In that day you will cry out because of your king you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not hear you then.

¹⁹Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, No! We will have a king over us,

²⁰That we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.

²¹Samuel heard all the people’s words and repeated them in the Lord’s ears.

²²And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice and appoint them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go every man to his city.

9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of wealth and valor.

²Kish had a son named Saul, a choice young man and handsome; among all the Israelites there was not a man more handsome than he. He was a head taller than any of the people.

³The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul, Take a servant with you and go, look for the donkeys.

⁴And they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they went through the land of Shaalim and the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

⁵And when they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, Come, let us return, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and become concerned about us.

⁶The servant said to him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, a man held in honor; all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can show us where we should go.

⁷Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift for the man of God. What have we?

⁸The servant replied, I have here a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God to tell us our way—

⁹(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, Come, let us go to the seer, for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)

¹⁰Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹As they went up the hill to the city, they met young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?

¹²They answered, He is; behold, he is just beyond you. Hurry, for he came today to the city because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place.

¹³As you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes to ask the blessing on the sacrifice. Afterward, those who are invited eat. So go on up, for about now you will find him.

¹⁴So they went up to the city, and as they were entering, behold, Samuel came toward them, going up to the high place.

¹⁵Now a day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel in his ear,

¹⁶Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be leader over My people Israel; and he shall save them out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon the distress of My people, because their cry has come to Me.

¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, There is the man of whom I told you. He shall have authority over My people.

¹⁸Then Saul came near to Samuel in the gate and said, Tell me where is the seer’s house?

¹⁹Samuel answered Saul, I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind.

²⁰As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be thinking about them, for they are found. And for whom are all the desirable things of Israel? Are they not for you and for all your father’s house?

²¹And Saul said, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not my family the least of all the families of the clans of Benjamin? Why then do you speak this way to me?

²²Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the guest room [at the high place] and had them sit in the chief place among the persons—about thirty of them—who were invited. [The other people feasted outside.]

²³And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it aside.

²⁴And the cook lifted high the shoulder and what was on it [indicating that it was the priest’s honored portion] and set it before Saul. [Samuel] said, See what was reserved for you. Eat, for until the hour appointed it was kept for you, ever since I invited the people. So Saul ate that day with Samuel.

²⁵When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel conversed with Saul on the top of the house.

²⁶They arose early and about dawn Samuel called Saul [who was sleeping] on the top of the house, saying, Get up, that I may send you on your way. Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out on the street.

²⁷And as they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us—and he passed on—but you stand still, first, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.

10 Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said, Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over His heritage Israel?

²When you have left me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The donkeys you sought are found. And your father has quit caring about them and is anxious for you, asking, What shall I do about my son?

³Then you will go on from there and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin bottle of wine.

⁴They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.

⁵After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.

⁶Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man.

⁷When these signs meet you, do whatever you find to be done, for God is with you.

⁸You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do.

⁹And when [Saul] had turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.

¹⁰When they came to the hill [Gibeah], behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he spoke under divine inspiration among them.

¹¹And when all who knew Saul before saw that he spoke by inspiration among the [schooled] prophets, the people said one to another, What has come over [him, who is nobody but] the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

¹²One from that same place answered, But who is the father of the others? So it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

¹³When [Saul] had ended his inspired speaking, he went to the high place.

¹⁴Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And Saul said, To look for the donkeys, and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel.

¹⁵Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, what did Samuel say to you?

¹⁶And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel spoke he told him nothing.

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah

¹⁸And said to the Israelites, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: It was I Who brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

¹⁹But you have this day rejected your God, Who Himself saves you from all your calamities and distresses; and you have said to Him, No! Set a king over us. So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.

²⁰And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken [probably by lot].

²¹When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken. And Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.

²²Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man would yet come back. And the Lord answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.^(G)

²³They ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of them.

²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that none like him is among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king!

²⁵Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom [defining the position of the king in relation to God and to the people], and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.

²⁶Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf.

11 And Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.

²But Nahash the Ammonite told them, On this condition I will make a treaty with you, that I thrust out all your right eyes and thus lay disgrace on all Israel.

³The elders of Jabesh said to Nahash, Give us seven days’ time, that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.

⁴Then messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the ears of the people; and all the people wept aloud.

⁵Now Saul came out of the field after the oxen, and [he] said, What ails the people that they are weeping? And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

⁶The Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was greatly kindled.

⁷And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen! And terror from the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

⁸And he numbered them at Bezek, and the Israelites were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.

⁹The messengers who came were told, Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have help. The messengers came and reported to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

¹⁰So the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to us all that seems good to you.

¹¹The next day Saul put the men in three companies; and they came into the midst of the enemy’s camp in the [darkness of the] morning watch and slew the Ammonites until midday; and the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them remained together.

¹²The people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men, that we may put them to death.

¹³But Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the Lord has brought deliverance to Israel.

¹⁴Samuel said to the people, Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.

¹⁵All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king before the Lord. And there they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12 And Samuel said to all Israel, I have listened to you in all that you have said to me and have made a king over you.

²And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray, and behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.

³Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and Saul His anointed. Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? Tell me and I will restore it to you.

⁴And they said, You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.

⁵And Samuel said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

⁶And Samuel said to the people, It is the Lord Who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of Egypt.

⁷Now present yourselves, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and for your fathers.

⁸When Jacob and his sons had come into Egypt [and the Egyptians oppressed them], and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

⁹But when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor’s army, and into the hands of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought those foes.

¹⁰And they cried to the Lord, saying, We have sinned because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.

¹¹And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel, and He delivered you out of the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt safely.

¹²But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, No! A king shall reign over us—when the Lord your God was your King!

¹³Now see the king whom you have chosen and for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

¹⁴If you will revere and fear the Lord and serve Him and hearken to His voice and not rebel against His commandment, and if both you and your king will follow the Lord your God, it will be good!

¹⁵But if you will not hearken to the Lord’s voice, but rebel against His commandment, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶So stand still and see this great thing the Lord will do before your eyes now.

¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain; then you shall know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking for a king for yourselves.

¹⁸So Samuel called to the Lord, and He sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

¹⁹And [they] all said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil—to ask for a king.

²⁰And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. You have indeed done all this evil; yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve Him with all your heart.

²¹And turn not aside after vain and worthless things which cannot profit or deliver you, for they are empty and futile.

²²The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, for it has pleased Him to make you a people for Himself.

²³Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

²⁴Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; for consider how great are the things He has done for you.

²⁵But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king shall be swept away.

13 Saul was ^[f][forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

²Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel; 2,000 were with [him] in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, and 1,000 with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent away, each one to his home.

³Jonathan smote the Philistine garrison at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear!

⁴All Israel heard that Saul had defeated the Philistine garrison and also that Israel had become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops like sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a tight situation—for their troops were hard pressed—they hid in caves, holes, rocks, tombs, and pits or cisterns.

⁷Some Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸Saul waited seven days, according to the set time Samuel had appointed. But Samuel had not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from Saul.

⁹So Saul said, Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering [which he was forbidden to do].

¹⁰And just as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came! Saul went out to meet and greet him.

¹¹Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash,

¹²I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering.

¹³And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever;

¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own ^[g]heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.

¹⁵And Samuel went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were left with him, [only] about 600.

¹⁶Saul and Jonathan his son and the people with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped at Michmash.

¹⁷And raiders came out of the Philistine camp in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

¹⁸Another turned toward Beth-horon, and another toward the border overlooking the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹Now there was no metal worker to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.

²⁰But each of the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to get his plowshare, mattock, axe, or sickle sharpened.

²¹And the price for plowshares and mattocks was a pim, and a third of a shekel for axes and for setting goads [with resulting blunt edges on the sickles, mattocks, forks, axes, and goads.]

²²So on the day of battle neither sword nor spear was found in the hand of any of the men who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

²³And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

²Saul was remaining in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron; and with him were about 600 men,

³And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

⁴Between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; one was named Bozez, and the other Seneh.

⁵The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

⁶And Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For there is nothing to prevent the Lord from saving by many or by few.

⁷And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your mind; I am with you in whatever you think [best].

⁸Jonathan said, We will pass over to these men and we will let them see us.

⁹If they say to us, Wait until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.

¹⁰But if they say, Come up to us, we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and this will be our sign.

¹¹So both of them let the Philistine garrison see them. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.

¹²The garrison men said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, Come up to us and we will show you a thing. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into Israel’s hand.

¹³Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor-bearer after him; and the enemy fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him.

¹⁴And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made was about twenty men within about a half acre of land [which a yoke of oxen might plow].

¹⁵And there was trembling and panic in the [Philistine] camp, in the field, and among all the men; the garrison, and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God.

¹⁶Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away and went hither and thither.

¹⁷Then Saul said to the men with him, Number and see who is gone from us. When they numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing.

¹⁸Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God—for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel.

¹⁹While Saul talked to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp kept increasing. Then Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand.

²⁰Then Saul and all the people with him rallied and went into the battle, and behold, every [Philistine’s] sword was against his fellow in wild confusion.

²¹Moreover, the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²Likewise, all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also went after them in hot pursuit in the battle.

²³So the Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle passed beyond Beth-aven.

²⁴But the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had caused them to take an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food before evening and until I have taken vengeance on my enemies. So none of the men tasted any food.

²⁵And all the people of the land came to a wood, and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶When the men entered the wood, behold, the honey was dripping, but no man tasted it, for the men feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people with the oath. So he dipped the end of the rod in his hand into a honeycomb and put it to his mouth, and his [weary] eyes brightened.

²⁸Then one of the men told him, Your father strictly charged the men with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food today. And the people were exhausted and faint.

²⁹Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much better if the men had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter of the Philistines has not been great.

³¹They smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint.

³²[When night came and the oath expired] the men flew upon the spoil. They took sheep, oxen, and calves, slew them on the ground, and ate them [raw] with the blood.

³³Then Saul was told, Behold, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed; roll a great stone to me here.

³⁴Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and tell them, Bring me every man his ox or his sheep, and butcher them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord by eating the blood. So all the men brought each one his ox that night and butchered it there.

³⁵And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar he built to the Lord.

³⁶Then Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and seize and plunder them until daylight, and let us not leave a man of them. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to 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 did not answer him that day.

³⁸Then Saul said, Draw near, all the chiefs of the people, and let us see how this sin [causing God’s silence] arose today.

³⁹For as the Lord lives, Who delivers Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But not a man among all the people answered him.

⁴⁰Then he said to all Israel, You be on one side; and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. The people said to Saul, Do what seems good to you.

⁴¹Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot and show the right. And Saul and Jonathan were taken [by lot], but the other men went free.

⁴²Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan said, I tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And behold, I must die.

⁴⁴Saul answered, May God do so, and more also, for you shall surely die, Jonathan.

⁴⁵But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan, who has wrought this great deliverance to Israel, die? God forbid! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head perish, for he has wrought this great deliverance with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

⁴⁶Then Saul ceased pursuing the Philistines, and they went to their own place.

⁴⁷When Saul took over the kingdom of Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he made it worse for them.

⁴⁸He did valiantly and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

⁴⁹Now Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were, of the firstborn, Merab; and of the younger, Michal.

⁵⁰The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

⁵¹Kish the father of Saul and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel.

⁵²There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and whenever Saul saw any mighty or [outstandingly] courageous man, he attached him to himself.

15 Samuel told Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now listen and heed the words of the Lord.

²Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have considered and will punish what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when [Israel] came out of Egypt.

³Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have; do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.

⁴So Saul assembled the men and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 men on foot and 10,000 men of Judah.

⁵And Saul came to the city of Amalek and laid wait in the valley.

⁶Saul warned the Kenites, Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt.

⁸And he took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, though he utterly destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.

⁹Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but all that was undesirable or worthless they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,

¹¹I regret making Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not performed My commands. And Samuel was grieved and angry [with Saul], and he cried to the Lord all night.

¹²When Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, he was told, Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up for himself a monument or trophy [of his victory] and passed on and went down to Gilgal.

¹³And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, Blessed are you of the Lord. I have performed what the Lord ordered.

¹⁴And Samuel said, What then means this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

¹⁵Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but the rest we have utterly destroyed.

¹⁶Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight. Saul said to him, Say on.

¹⁷Samuel said, When you were small in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel?

¹⁸And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go, utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites; and fight against them until they are consumed.

¹⁹Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil in the Lord’s sight?

²⁰Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag king of Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹But the people took from the spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things to be utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.

²²Samuel said, Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.

²⁴And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

²⁵Now, I pray you, pardon my sin and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord.

²⁶And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.

²⁷And as Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of Samuel’s mantle, and it tore.

²⁸And Samuel said to him, The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie or repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.

³⁰Saul said, I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray you, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.

³¹So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³²Then Samuel said, Bring here to me Agag king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

³³Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, though Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.

16 The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.

²Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

³And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.

⁴And Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably?

⁵And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one.

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. Samuel said, Nor has the Lord chosen him.

¹⁰Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these.

¹¹Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here.

¹²Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

¹⁴But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him.

¹⁵Saul’s servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you.

¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.

¹⁷Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.

¹⁸One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.

¹⁹So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.

²⁰And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul.

²¹And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer.

²²Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me.

²³And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.

17 Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle and were assembled at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.

²Saul and the men of Israel were encamped in the Valley of Elah and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.

³And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.

⁴And a champion went out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [almost ten feet].

⁵And he had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of mail, and the coat weighed 5,000 shekels of bronze.

⁶He had bronze shin armor on his legs and a bronze javelin across his shoulders.

⁷And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; his spear’s head weighed 600 shekels of iron. And a shield bearer went before him.

⁸Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.

⁹If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.

¹⁰And the Philistine said, I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

¹¹When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

¹²David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah named Jesse, who had eight sons. [Jesse] in the days of Saul was old, advanced in years.

¹³[His] three eldest sons had followed Saul into battle. Their names were Eliab the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah.

¹⁴David was the youngest. The three eldest followed Saul,

¹⁵But David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶The Philistine came out morning and evening, presenting himself for forty days.

¹⁷And Jesse said to David his son, Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves and carry them quickly to your brothers at the camp.

¹⁸Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare and bring some token from them.

¹⁹Now Saul and the brothers and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰So David rose up early next morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went, as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the encampment as the host going forth to the battleground shouted the battle cry.

²¹And Israel and the Philistines put the battle in array, army against army.

²²David left his packages in the care of the baggage keeper and ran into the ranks and came and greeted his brothers.

²³As they talked, behold, Goliath, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, came forth from the Philistine ranks and spoke the same words as before, and David heard him.

²⁴And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, terrified.

²⁵And the Israelites said, Have you seen this man who has come out? Surely he has come out to defy Israel; and the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter and make his father’s house free [from taxes and service] in Israel.

²⁶And David said to the men standing by him, What shall be done for the man who 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 [men] told him, Thus shall it be done for the man who kills him.

²⁸Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David and he said, Why did you come here? With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.

²⁹And David said, What have I done now? Was it not a harmless question?

³⁰And David turned away from Eliab to another and he asked the same question, and again the men gave him the same answer.

³¹When David’s words were heard, they were repeated to Saul, and he sent for him.

³²David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of this Philistine; your servant will go out and fight with him.

³³And Saul said to David, You are not able to go to fight against this Philistine. You are only an adolescent, and he has been a warrior from his youth.

³⁴And David said to Saul, Your servant kept his father’s sheep. And when there came a lion or again a bear and took a lamb out of the flock,

³⁵I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it.

³⁶Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!

³⁷David said, The Lord Who 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 to David, Go, and the Lord be with you!

³⁸Then Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail.

³⁹And David girded his sword over his armor. Then he tried to go, but could not, for he was not used to it. And David said to Saul, I cannot go with these, for I am not used to them. And David took them off.

⁴⁰Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in his shepherd’s [lunch] bag [a whole kid’s skin slung from his shoulder], in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand, and he drew near the Philistine.

⁴¹The Philistine came on and drew near to David, the man who bore the shield going before him.

⁴²And when the Philistine looked around and saw David, he scorned and despised him, for he was but an adolescent, with a healthy reddish color and a fair face.

⁴³And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴The Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.

⁴⁶This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.

⁴⁸When the Philistine came forward to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹David put his hand into his bag and took out a stone and slung it, and it struck the Philistine, sinking into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck down the Philistine and slew him. But no sword was in David’s hand.

⁵¹So he ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their mighty champion was dead, they fled.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 1:24 He would then be two or three years old. There were women engaged in tabernacle service to whose care he might have been committed. It was important that he should be dedicated as soon as possible. The earliest impressions of his boyhood were to be those of the house of God (The Cambridge Bible).
1 Samuel 2:10 Hannah’s prophetic prayer was but partially fulfilled in the king soon to be anointed by her son as the deliverer of Israel; it reaches forward to... the King Messiah, in Whom alone the lofty anticipations of the prophetess are to be completely realized (The Cambridge Bible).
1 Samuel 2:10 Both The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) and The Latin Vulgate read “His Christ” (Luke 2:26).
1 Samuel 2:35 This person is not identified, but this prophecy found its fulfillment from the standpoint of historical exposition in Samuel (J.P. Lange, A Commentary). Christian writers usually adopt also the Messianic interpretation. The text does not allow an exclusive reference to Christ, since it does look plainly to the then existing order of things; however, it also points to Christ as the consummation of the blessedness which it promises.
1 Samuel 6:19 Most Hebrew manuscripts read 50,070.
1 Samuel 13:1 The complete numbers in this verse are missing in the Hebrew. The word “forty” is supplied by the best available estimate.
1 Samuel 13:14 See footnote on I Sam. 27:10.

1 Samuel 1-10

New International Version

The Birth of Samuel

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim,^(A) a Zuphite^[a]^(B) from the hill country^(C) of Ephraim,^(D) whose name was Elkanah^(E) son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ²He had two wives;^(F) one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³Year after year^(G) this man went up from his town to worship^(H) and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh,^(I) where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli,^(J) were priests of the Lord. ⁴Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice,^(K) he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.^(L) ⁵But to Hannah he gave a double portion^(M) because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.^(N) ⁶Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.^(O) ⁷This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.^(P) ⁸Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?^(Q)”

⁹Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.^(R) ¹⁰In her deep anguish^(S) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹And she made a vow,^(T) saying, “Lord Almighty^(U), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(V) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,^(W) and no razor^(X) will ever be used on his head.”

¹²As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

¹⁵“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled.^(Y) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^(Z) out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”^(AA)

¹⁷Eli answered, “Go in peace,^(AB) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.^(AC)”

¹⁸She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.^(AD)” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.^(AE)

¹⁹Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.^(AF) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered^(AG) her. ²⁰So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(AH) She named^(AI) him Samuel,^[b]^(AJ) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

²¹When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual^(AK) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,^(AL) ²²Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present^(AM) him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”^[c]

²³“Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good^(AN) his^[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned^(AO) him.

²⁴After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[e]^(AP) an ephah^[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. ²⁵When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, ²⁶and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷I prayed^(AQ) for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life^(AR) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:^(AS)

“My heart rejoices^(AT) in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn^[g]^(AU) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts^(AV) over my enemies,^(AW)
for I delight in your deliverance.

²“There is no one holy^(AX) like^(AY) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock^(AZ) like our God.

³“Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,^(BA)
for the Lord is a God who knows,^(BB)
and by him deeds^(BC) are weighed.^(BD)

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken,^(BE)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.^(BF)
⁵Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry^(BG) are hungry no more.
She who was barren^(BH) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive;^(BI)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.^(BJ)
⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth;^(BK)
    he humbles and he exalts.^(BL)
⁸He raises^(BM) the poor^(BN) from the dust^(BO)
    and lifts the needy^(BP) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.^(BQ)

“For the foundations^(BR) of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
⁹He will guard the feet^(BS) of his faithful servants,^(BT)
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.^(BU)

“It is not by strength^(BV) that one prevails;
¹⁰ those who oppose the Lord will be broken.^(BW)
The Most High will thunder^(BX) from heaven;
the Lord will judge^(BY) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength^(BZ) to his king
and exalt the horn^(CA) of his anointed.”

¹¹Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,^(CB) but the boy ministered^(CC) before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹²Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(CD) for the Lord. ¹³Now it was the practice^(CE) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat^(CF) was being boiled ¹⁴and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. ¹⁵But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

¹⁶If the person said to him, “Let the fat^(CG) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

¹⁷This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they^[h] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.^(CH)

¹⁸But Samuel was ministering^(CI) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.^(CJ) ¹⁹Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual^(CK) sacrifice. ²⁰Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed^(CL) for and gave to^[i] the Lord.” Then they would go home. ²¹And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;^(CM) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew^(CN) up in the presence of the Lord.

²²Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything^(CO) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women^(CP) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ²³So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. ²⁴No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. ²⁵If one person sins against another, God^[j] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will^(CQ) intercede^(CR) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

²⁶And the boy Samuel continued to grow^(CS) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.^(CT)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

²⁷Now a man of God^(CU) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? ²⁸I chose^(CV) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,^(CW) and to wear an ephod^(CX) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings^(CY) presented by the Israelites. ²⁹Why do you^[k] scorn my sacrifice and offering^(CZ) that I prescribed for my dwelling?^(DA) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

³⁰“Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.^(DB)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(DC) but those who despise^(DD) me will be disdained.^(DE) ³¹The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,^(DF) ³²and you will see distress^(DG) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.^(DH) ³³Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants^(DI) will die in the prime of life.

³⁴“‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign^(DJ) to you—they will both die^(DK) on the same day.^(DL) ³⁵I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,^(DM) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed^(DN) one always. ³⁶Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,^(DO) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.^(DP)”’”

The Lord Calls Samuel

3 The boy Samuel ministered^(DQ) before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare;^(DR) there were not many visions.^(DS)

²One night Eli, whose eyes^(DT) were becoming so weak that he could barely see,^(DU) was lying down in his usual place. ³The lamp^(DV) of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house^(DW) of the Lord, where the ark^(DX) of God was. ⁴Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.^(DY)” ⁵And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know^(DZ) the Lord: The word^(EA) of the Lord had not yet been revealed^(EB) to him.

⁸A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!^(EC)”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.^(ED) ¹²At that time I will carry out against Eli everything^(EE) I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. ¹³For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God,^[l] and he failed to restrain^(EF) them. ¹⁴Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned^(EG) for by sacrifice or offering.’”

¹⁵Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, ¹⁶but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

¹⁷“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide^(EH) it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely,^(EI) if you hide from me anything he told you.” ¹⁸So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”^(EJ)

¹⁹The Lord was with^(EK) Samuel as he grew^(EL) up, and he let none^(EM) of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. ²⁰And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba^(EN) recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.^(EO) ²¹The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed^(EP) himself to Samuel through his word.

4 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer,^(EQ) and the Philistines at Aphek.^(ER) ²The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. ³When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why^(ES) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark^(ET) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,^(EU) so that he may go with us^(EV) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.^(EW) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout^(EX) that the ground shook. ⁶Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew^(EY) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, ⁷the Philistines were afraid.^(EZ) “A god has^[m] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck^(FA) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues^(FB) in the wilderness. ⁹Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they^(FC) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated^(FD) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.^(FE)

Death of Eli

¹²That same day a Benjamite^(FF) ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust^(FG) on his head. ¹³When he arrived, there was Eli^(FH) sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

¹⁴Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, ¹⁵who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes^(FI) had failed so that he could not see. ¹⁶He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead,^(FJ) and the ark of God has been captured.”^(FK)

¹⁸When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led^[n]^(FL) Israel forty years.^(FM)

¹⁹His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains. ²⁰As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

²¹She named the boy Ichabod,^[o]^(FN) saying, “The Glory^(FO) has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. ²²She said, “The Glory^(FP) has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”^(FQ)

The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron

5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer^(FR) to Ashdod.^(FS) ²Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.^(FT) ³When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen^(FU) on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. ⁴But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken^(FV) off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. ⁵That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.^(FW)

⁶The Lord’s hand^(FX) was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation^(FY) on them and afflicted them with tumors.^[p]^(FZ) ⁷When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” ⁸So they called together all the rulers^(GA) of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”

They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.^(GB)” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

⁹But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic.^(GC) He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.^[q] ¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.^(GD)

As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” ¹¹So they called together all the rulers^(GE) of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it^[r] will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. ¹²Those who did not die^(GF) were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

6 When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, ²the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners^(GG) and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

³They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift;^(GH) by all means send a guilt offering^(GI) to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand^(GJ) has not been lifted from you.”

⁴The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”

They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number^(GK) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague^(GL) has struck both you and your rulers. ⁵Make models of the tumors^(GM) and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory^(GN) to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. ⁶Why do you harden^(GO) your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them,^(GP) did they^(GQ) not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

⁷“Now then, get a new cart^(GR) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked.^(GS) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. ⁸Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, ⁹but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh,^(GT) then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”

¹⁰So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. ¹¹They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. ¹²Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.

¹³Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat^(GU) in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. ¹⁴The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering^(GV) to the Lord. ¹⁵The Levites^(GW) took down the ark of the Lord, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock.^(GX) On that day the people of Beth Shemesh^(GY) offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. ¹⁶The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

¹⁷These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord—one each^(GZ) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. ¹⁸And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

¹⁹But God struck down^(HA) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy^[s] of them to death because they looked^(HB) into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them. ²⁰And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand^(HC) in the presence of the Lord, this holy^(HD) God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

²¹Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim,^(HE) saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your town.” 7 ¹So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark^(HF) of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s^(HG) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. ²The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim^(HH) a long time—twenty years in all.

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.^(HI) ³So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning^(HJ) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid^(HK) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths^(HL) and commit^(HM) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,^(HN) and he will deliver^(HO) you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

⁵Then Samuel^(HP) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,^(HQ) and I will intercede^(HR) with the Lord for you.” ⁶When they had assembled at Mizpah,^(HS) they drew water and poured^(HT) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader^[t]^(HU) of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid^(HV) because of the Philistines. ⁸They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying^(HW) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹Then Samuel^(HX) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(HY)

¹⁰While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(HZ) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(IA) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone^(IB) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[u]^(IC) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹³So the Philistines were subdued^(ID) and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. ¹⁴The towns from Ekron^(IE) to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.^(IF)

¹⁵Samuel^(IG) continued as Israel’s leader^(IH) all^(II) the days of his life. ¹⁶From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel^(IJ) to Gilgal^(IK) to Mizpah, judging^(IL) Israel in all those places. ¹⁷But he always went back to Ramah,^(IM) where his home was, and there he also held court^(IN) for Israel. And he built an altar^(IO) there to the Lord.

Israel Asks for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed^(IP) his sons as Israel’s leaders.^[v] ²The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,^(IQ) and they served at Beersheba.^(IR) ³But his sons^(IS) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(IT) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(IU) and perverted^(IV) justice.

⁴So all the elders^(IW) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^(IX) ⁵They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(IY) to lead^[w]^(IZ) us, such as all the other nations^(JA) have.”

⁶But when they said, “Give us a king^(JB) to lead us,” this displeased^(JC) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷And the Lord told him: “Listen^(JD) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(JE) but they have rejected me as their king.^(JF) ⁸As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(JG) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(JH) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰Samuel told^(JI) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(JJ) your sons and make them serve^(JK) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^(JL) ¹²Some he will assign to be commanders^(JM) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your^(JN) fields and vineyards^(JO) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.^(JP) ¹⁵He will take a tenth^(JQ) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[x] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer^(JR) you in that day.^(JS)”

¹⁹But the people refused^(JT) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want^(JU) a king^(JV) over us. ²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations,^(JW) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated^(JX) it before the Lord. ²²The Lord answered, “Listen^(JY) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Samuel Anoints Saul

9 There was a Benjamite,^(JZ) a man of standing,^(KA) whose name was Kish^(KB) son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. ²Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome^(KC) a young man as could be found^(KD) anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller^(KE) than anyone else.

³Now the donkeys^(KF) belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” ⁴So he passed through the hill^(KG) country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha,^(KH) but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys^(KI) were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

⁵When they reached the district of Zuph,^(KJ) Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying^(KK) about us.”

⁶But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God;^(KL) he is highly respected, and everything^(KM) he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift^(KN) to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel^[y] of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” ⁹(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire^(KO) of God, they would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)^(KP)

¹⁰“Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

¹¹As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw^(KQ) water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”

¹²“He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice^(KR) at the high place.^(KS) ¹³As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless^(KT) the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”

¹⁴They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

¹⁵Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: ¹⁶“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint^(KU) him ruler^(KV) over my people Israel; he will deliver^(KW) them from the hand of the Philistines.^(KX) I have looked on my people, for their cry^(KY) has reached me.”

¹⁷When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This^(KZ) is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

¹⁸Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹“I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰As for the donkeys^(LA) you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire^(LB) of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

²¹Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe^(LC) of Israel, and is not my clan the least^(LD) of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?^(LE) Why do you say such a thing to me?”

²²Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. ²³Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

²⁴So the cook took up the thigh^(LF) with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

²⁵After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof^(LG) of his house. ²⁶They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. ²⁷As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

10 Then Samuel took a flask^(LH) of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed^(LI) you ruler over his inheritance?^[z]^(LJ)

Footnotes

1 Samuel 1:1 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 6:26-27,33-35; or from Ramathaim Zuphim.
1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard by God.
1 Samuel 1:22 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls always. I have dedicated him as a Nazirite—all the days of his life.”
1 Samuel 1:23 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac your
1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; Masoretic Text with three bulls
1 Samuel 1:24 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms
1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.
1 Samuel 3:13 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text sons made themselves contemptible
1 Samuel 4:7 Or “Gods have (see Septuagint)
1 Samuel 4:18 Traditionally judged
1 Samuel 4:21 Ichabod means no glory.
1 Samuel 5:6 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate tumors. And rats appeared in their land, and there was death and destruction throughout the city
1 Samuel 5:9 Or with tumors in the groin (see Septuagint)
1 Samuel 5:11 Or he
1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint 50,070
1 Samuel 7:6 Traditionally judge; also in verse 15
1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help.
1 Samuel 8:1 Traditionally judges
1 Samuel 8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20
1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men
1 Samuel 9:8 That is, about 1/10 ounce or about 3 grams
1 Samuel 10:1 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate over his people Israel? You will reign over the Lord’s people and save them from the power of their enemies round about. And this will be a sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his inheritance:

Judges 4:1-5 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Footnotes

Judges 4:1-5 New International Version

Deborah

Footnotes

Cross references

Judges 6:1-8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Judges 6:1-8 New International Version

Gideon

Cross references

Judges 6:35 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Judges 6:35 New International Version

Cross references

Judges 11:1-12 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Judges 11:1-12 New International Version

Cross references

Judges 11:15 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Judges 11:15 New International Version

Cross references

Judges 13:1-16 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Footnotes

Judges 13:1-16 New International Version

The Birth of Samson

Cross references

1 Samuel 1-17 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Footnotes

Cross references

1 Samuel 1-10 New International Version

The Birth of Samuel

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

Hannah’s Prayer

Eli’s Wicked Sons

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

The Lord Calls Samuel

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Death of Eli

The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron

The Ark Returned to Israel

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Israel Asks for a King

Samuel Anoints Saul

Footnotes

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