Bible in 90 Days
30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel saith: ‘I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before Me for ever.’ But now the Lord saith, ‘Be it far from Me; for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
32 And thou shalt see an enemy in My habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from Mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart; and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
35 And I will raise Me up a faithful priest who shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in My mind; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.
36 And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thine house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, “Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
3 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim so that he could not see,
3 and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down to sleep,
4 that the Lord called Samuel; and he answered, “Here am I.”
5 And he ran unto Eli and said, “Here am I, for thou called me.” And he said, “I called not; lie down again.” And he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called yet again, “Samuel.” And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here am I, for thou didst call me.” And he answered, “I called not, my son; lie down again.”
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here am I, for thou didst call me.” And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, “Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Thy servant heareth.”
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one who heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end;
13 for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering, for ever.”
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here am I.”
17 And he said, “What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any word from me of all the things that He said unto thee.”
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let Him do what seemeth to Him good.”
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.
21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
4 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched camp beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe unto us! For there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
8 Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Acquit yourselves like men, and fight!”
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin from the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What meaneth the noise of this tumult?” And the man came in hastily and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see.
16 And the man said unto Eli, “I am he that came from the army, and I fled today from the army.” And he said, “What is done there, my son?”
17 And the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people; and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.”
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, soon to be delivered. And when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said unto her, “Fear not, for thou hast borne a son.” But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod [that is, Where is the glory?], saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.”
5 And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.
3 And when those of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.
4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6 But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon those of Ashdod, and He destroyed them and smote them with hemorrhoids, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god.”
8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath.” And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.
9 And it was so that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had hemorrhoids in their secret parts.
10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people.”
11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12 And the men who died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
6 And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we shall send it to his place.”
3 And they said, “If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering. Then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”
4 Then said they, “What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all and on your lords.
5 Therefore ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your mice that mar the land, and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from you and from your gods and from your land.
6 Why then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home from them.
8 And take the ark of the Lord and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return to him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9 And see: If it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.”
10 And the men did so; and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.
12 And the cows took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.
13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they cleaved the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering unto the Lord.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel whereon they set down the ark of the Lord, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
19 And He smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; even He smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men. And the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall He go up from us?”
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord. Come ye down and fetch it up to you.”
7 And the men of Kirjathjearim came and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.
2 And it came to pass, while the ark remained in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
3 And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, “If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4 Then the children of Israel put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
5 And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.”
6 And they gathered together 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 children of Israel at Mizpah.
7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord; and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came under Bethcar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer [that is, The stone of help], saying, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the borders thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the Lord.
8 And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel at Ramah
5 and said unto him, “Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.
8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice. However, yet protest solemnly unto them and show them the ways of the king that shall reign over them.”
10 And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people who asked of him a king.
11 And he said, “This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to till his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.
13 And he will take your daughters to be confectioners and to be cooks and to be bakers.
14 And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants.
16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17 He will take a tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants.
18 And ye shall cry out on that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, “Nay; but we will have a king over us,
20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he recounted them in the ears of the Lord.
22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, “Go ye every man unto his city.”
9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, “Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.”
4 And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
5 And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses and take thought for us.”
6 And he said unto him, “Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he saith cometh surely to pass. Now let us go thither. Perhaps he can show us our way that we should go.”
7 Then said Saul to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What have we?”
8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have here at hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver. That will I give to the man of God to tell us our way.”
9 (Before this in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke: “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
10 Then said Saul to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
11 And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, “Is the seer here?”
12 And they answered them and said, “He is; behold, he is before you. Make haste now, for he came today to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.
13 As soon as ye have come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up, for about this time ye shall find him.”
14 And they went up into the city; and when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over My people Israel, that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come unto Me.”
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, “Behold the man whom I spoke to thee of! This same shall reign over My people.”
18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is.”
19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.
20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them, for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee and on all thy father’s house?”
21 And Saul answered and said, “Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then speakest thou so to me?”
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and made them sit in the chiefest place among those who were bidden, who were about thirty persons.
23 And Samuel said unto the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, ‘Set it by thee.’”
24 And the cook took up the shoulder and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Behold that which is left! Set it before thee and eat; for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 And when they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26 And they arose early. And it came to pass about the dawn of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, “Up, that I may send thee away.” And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Bid the servant pass on before us.” (And he passed on.) “But stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.”
10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him and said, “Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?
2 When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulcher in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, ‘The asses which thou wentest to seek are found. And lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses and sorroweth for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’
3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor; and there shall meet thee three men going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.
4 And they will salute thee and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou shalt receive from their hands.
5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a taboret and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.
6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs have come unto thee, that thou do as the occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down unto thee to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do.”
9 And it was so that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass when all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, “What is this that has come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 And one of the same place answered and said, “But who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, “Whither went ye?” And he said, “To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel.”
15 And Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.”
16 And Saul said unto his uncle, “He told us plainly that the asses were found.” But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.
17 And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord at Mizpah,
18 and said unto the children of Israel, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms and from them that oppressed you.’
19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, and ye have said unto Him, ‘Nay, but set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken; and when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they inquired of the Lord further if the man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, “Behold, he hath hid himself among the supplies.”
23 And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, “See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?” And all the people shouted and said, “God save the king!”
25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
27 But the children of Belial said, “How shall this man save us?” And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
11 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabeshgilead; and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.”
2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition will I make a covenant with you: that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.”
3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, “Give us seven days’ respite, that we may send messengers unto all the regions of Israel. And then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.”
4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul and told the tidings in the ears of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, “What aileth the people that they weep?” And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
7 And he took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the regions of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 And they said unto the messengers who came, “Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have help.’” And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.
10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.”
11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and it came to pass that those who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.
12 And the people said unto Samuel, “Who is he that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.”
13 And Saul said, “There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel.”
14 Then said Samuel to the people, “Come, and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”
15 And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. And there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
12 And Samuel said unto all Israel, “Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a king over you;
2 and now, behold, the king walketh before you. And I am old and grayheaded, and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.
3 Behold, here I am! Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it to you.”
4 And they said, “Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught from any man’s hand.”
5 And he said unto them, “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness.”
6 And Samuel said unto the people, “It is the Lord who advanced Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and to your fathers.
8 When Jacob had come into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.
9 And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.
10 And they cried unto the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baalim and Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve Thee.’
11 And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe.
12 And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, ‘Nay, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king.
13 Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired! And behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.
14 If ye will fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king who reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God.
15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
16 Now therefore stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes.
17 Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the Lord, and He shall send thunder and rain, that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.”
18 So Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
19 And all the people said unto Samuel, “Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not. For we have added unto all our sins this evil: to ask for us a king.”
20 And Samuel said unto the people, “Fear not. Ye have done all this wickedness; yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
21 And turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.
22 For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people.
23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He hath done for you.
25 But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.”
13 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and on Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was held in abomination by the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched camp in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said, “Bring hither a burnt offering to me and peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, “What hast thou done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,
12 therefore said I, ‘The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly. Thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which He commanded thee, for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”
15 And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
17 And the despoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual,
18 and another company turned the way to Bethhoron, and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.”
20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his plowshare and his coulter and his ax and his mattock.
21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks and for the coulters and for the forks and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.
22 So it came to pass on the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son were they found.
23 And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.
14 Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he told not his father.
2 And Saul tarried in the outermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men,
3 and Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Michmash and the other southward over against Gibeah.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”
7 And his armorbearer said unto him, “Do all that is in thine heart. Turn thee; behold, I am with thee, according to thy heart.”
8 Then said Jonathan, “Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them.
9 If they say thus unto us, ‘Tarry until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them.
10 But if they say thus, ‘Come up unto us,’ then we will go up; for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us.”
11 And both of them revealed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.”
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.”
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armorbearer slew after him.
14 And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within, as it were, a half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow.
15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the despoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked; so it was a very great trembling.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
17 Then said Saul unto the people who were with him, “Number now, and see who is gone from us.” And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
18 And Saul said unto Ahijah, “Bring hither the ark of God.” For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the priest, “Withdraw thine hand.”
20 And Saul and all the people who were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
21 Moreover 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.
22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves on Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.” So none of the people tasted any food.
25 And all they of the land came to a woods, and there was honey upon the ground.
26 And when the people had come into the woods, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath. Therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.
28 Then answered one of the people and said, “Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eateth any food this day.’” And the people were faint.
29 Then said Jonathan, “My father hath troubled the land. See, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would there not have been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people sin against the Lord in that they eat with the blood.” And he said, “Ye have transgressed! Roll a great stone unto me this day.”
34 And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say unto them, ‘Bring me hither every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood.’” And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the Lord; the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.
36 And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee.” Then said the priest, “Let us draw near hither unto God.”
37 And Saul asked counsel of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He answered him not that day.
38 And Saul said, “Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people, and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
39 For, as the Lord liveth who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.
40 Then said he unto all Israel, “Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said unto Saul, “Do what seemeth good unto thee.”
41 Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what thou hast done.” And Jonathan told him and said, “I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and lo, I must die.”
44 And Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.”
45 And the people said unto Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 So Saul took the kingship over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side: against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.
48 And he gathered a host and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.
49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishui and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn, Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal.
50 And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.
51 And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
15 Samuel also said unto Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.
2 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he lay in wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’”
4 And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, “Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, which is over against Egypt.
8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
10 Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,
11 “I repent that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following Me and hath not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night.
12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place, and has gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.”
13 And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, “Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”
14 And Samuel said, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”
15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, “Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night.” And he said unto him, “Say on.”
17 And Samuel said, “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?
18 And the Lord sent thee on a journey and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.’
19 Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst leap upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 And Saul said unto Samuel, “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.”
22 And Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great 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.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”
26 And Samuel said unto Saul, “I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.”
27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 And Samuel said unto him, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou.
29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.”
30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.”
31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 Then said Samuel, “Bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came unto him charily; and Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 And Samuel said, “As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.