Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.”

For I have told him that I am going to judge his house forever for the wrongdoing that he knew, because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. And so he judged Israel for forty years.

So they gathered to 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 sons of Israel at Mizpah.

Samuel’s Ministry

Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

And he used to go annually on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

Then he would make his return to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel; and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Israel Demands a King

Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

But the matter was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

May the Lord judge between you and me, and may the Lord take vengeance on you for me; but my hand shall not be against you.

May the Lord therefore be judge and decide between you and me; and may He see and plead my cause and save me from your hand.”