Bible in 90 Days
30 “ ‘Therefore,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Even though I declared that you and your father’s house would minister before me forever, now, far be it from me,’ says the Lord. ‘I will honor those who honor me, and those who despise me will be despised. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that not a single old man remains in your house. 32 You will see the distress of my dwelling in spite of all that I have given Israel. In your house there will never again be an old man. 33 Everyone of you whom I do not cut off from my altar will be spared so that you can cry out your eyes and grieve your heart. All the descendants of your house will die in the prime of their life.
34 “ ‘This will be a sign for you of what will come upon your two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas. They will both die on the same day. 35 But I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do what is my in heart and my mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will walk before my anointed forever. 36 Whoever is left in your house will bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread. He will say, “Please place me in one of the priest’s offices so that I might have a piece of bread to eat.” ’ ”
Chapter 3
Samuel’s Call.[a] 1 Young Samuel ministered to the Lord under Eli. Now the word of the Lord was rare in those days, there were not many visions. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow so weak so that he could not see well anymore, was lying down in his place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the Ark of God was kept.[b] 4 The Lord called out, “Samuel.” He answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, you called me.” He said, “I did not call you, go back and lie down.” He went and lay down.
6 The Lord called again, “Samuel.” Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, you called me.” He said, “I did not call you, my son, lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The Lord called Samuel a third time. He got up and went to Samuel and said, “Here I am, you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord had called him. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” So he went and lay down in his place.
10 Then the Lord came and stood and called out as he had the other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am going to do something in Israel that will cause the ears of everyone who hears it to ring. 12 On that day I will bring against Eli all of the things that I have proclaimed against his house, from beginning to end. 13 I have told him that I would judge his household forever because of the sin about which he knew, because his sons brought a curse upon themselves and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore, I have sworn to the house of Eli that the guilt will never be atoned from Eli’s house by either sacrifice or offering.”
15 Samuel lay down until the morning, and then he opened the doors to the house of the Lord. However, he was afraid to reveal the vision to Eli, 16 but Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son,” and he answered, “Here I am.” 17 He said, “What is it that the Lord said to you? Please, do not hide it from me. May the Lord do it to you[c] and even more if you hide anything from me of all those things that he said to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. He then said, “He is the Lord, let him do what seems best to him.”
19 Samuel the Prophet. Samuel grew up, and the Lord was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground. 20 All of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba,[d] knew that Samuel had been confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh through the word of the Lord.
Chapter 4[e]
The Defeat of the Israelites.[f] 1 Samuel’s word came to all of Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. They were camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines were encamped in Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in battle line against the Israelites, and when they joined up in battle, the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.
3 When the soldiers came back into camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the Lord brought defeat upon us today at the hands of the Philistines? Let us go get the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh so that it can go out before us and save us from the hands of our enemies.”
The Ark Is Captured. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned between the cherubim.[g] The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark of the Covenant of God. 5 When the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all of the Israelites raised such a loud shout that it shook the earth.
6 When the Philistines heard the uproar, they asked, “What is this great uproar in the Hebrew camp?” When they found out that the Ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7 the Philistines became frightened. They said, “A god has come into the camp!” They said, “Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. 9 Be strong. Act manfully, O Philistines, or you will end up as slaves to the Hebrews, just like they were to you. Act manfully and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated, and each man fled to his own tent. The slaughter was great, for Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The Ark of God was captured and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.[h]
12 The Death of Eli. That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and there was dust on his head. 13 He came upon Eli who was sitting by the side of the road. He was watching, concerned about the Ark of God. When the man entered the city and told them what had happened, the entire city raised up a cry.
14 When Eli heard the uproar, he said, “What is the meaning of this outcry?” The man hurried over and explained it to Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyesight was so poor that he could barely see. 16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle. I escaped from the battle today.” He asked, “How did things go, my son?” 17 The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.” 18 At the mention of the Ark of God, he fell over backwards off his seat beside the gate, and he broke his neck and died, for he was a very old man and quite heavy. He had been a judge[i] of Israel for forty years.
19 [j]His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant. 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 sunk to her knees and gave birth, for she was overcome by her labor pains. 20 As she was dying, the women who were standing around her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she gave no response, nor did she even look at it. 21 Then she named the child Ichabod, for she said, “The glory of God has departed from Israel,” for the Ark of God had been captured and also because of what had happened to her father-in-law and her husband. 22 For this she said, “The glory of God has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
Chapter 5
Devastation Follows the Ark. 1 The Philistines then took the Ark of God, transporting it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the Ark of God, they brought it into the temple of Dagon[k] and set it alongside of Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod got up the next morning, they found Dagon fallen down, with his face pressed to the earth, in front of the Ark of the Lord. So they picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.
4 When they rose again the next morning, they found him fallen down again, with his face pressed to the earth, in front of the Ark of the Lord. His head and both of his hands were cut off and lying in the threshold; all that was left of Dagon was his torso. 5 This is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod steps upon its threshold. 6 The hand of the Lord bore down upon Ashdod. He brought devastation to Ashdod and its environs, striking the people with tumors.[l]
7 [m]When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “We must not keep the Ark of the God of Israel here with us, for his hand bears down upon us and our god Dagon.” 8 They summoned the lords of the Philistines and said to them, “What are we to do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the Ark of God be taken to Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel.
9 But after they moved it, the hand of the Lord rose against that city, causing great confusion there. He struck the people of that city, both the young and the old, with tumors. 10 They, therefore, sent the Ark of God to Ekron. When the Ark of God was approaching Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!”
11 So they summoned all of the lords of the Philistines and told them, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its home, lest it kill all of us. There is death and panic all throughout the city, and the hand of God is bearing down upon us heavily.” 12 The men who did not die were stricken with tumors, and a cry rose up from the city to the heavens.
Chapter 6
The Return of the Ark of God. 1 When the Ark of the Lord had been held in Philistine territory for seven months, 2 the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners and said, “What should we do with the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to send it back home.”
3 They answered, “If you return the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty-handed. Rather, send a guilt offering to him. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why he continued to afflict you.”[n] 4 They then asked, “What sort of guilt offering should be made to him?” They answered, “Send five golden tumors and five golden mice, as many as the lords of the Philistines, for the plague was on you all, lords included. 5 You should make offerings in the likeness of tumors and in the likeness of the mice that have been ravaging the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will ease up on you, your gods, and your land.
6 “Why would you harden your hearts, like the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he dealt harshly with them, did they not let them go, and they went their way?
7 [o]“Prepare a cart drawn by two milk cows that have calves but have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take the calves away, leading them home. 8 Take the Ark of the Lord and place it upon the cart, and put the figures of gold that you are sending back as a guilt offering in a box at its side. Then send it off, and let it go its way. 9 Watch it, and if it goes up the road to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is clear that he has brought this great woe upon us. But if it does not, then we shall know that it was not he who punished us, that it happened by chance.”
10 The Ark at Beth-shemesh. The men did this. They took two milk cows and tied them to a cart, shutting up their calves at home. 11 They then put the Ark of the Lord upon the cart along with the box containing the golden mice and the statues of the tumors. 12 The cows went straight up to Beth-shemesh, sticking to the road and lowing as they went along. They did not waver in their course to the right nor the left. The lords of the Philistines followed them as far as the border with Beth-shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley when they looked up and saw the Ark. They rejoiced at what they saw. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh, and it stopped there by a large rock. The people chopped up the wood from the cart and offered up the milk cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 The Levites lowered the Ark down along with the box that contained the objects made of gold and placed them on the large rock. On that day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and performed sacrifices to the Lord.
16 The five lords of the Philistines saw all of this and returned to Ekron that same day. 17 The golden tumors that the Philistines sent back as a guilt offering to the Lord were for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron: one tumor for each city. 18 There were as many golden mice as there were cities under the rule of the five lords of the Philistines, both the fortified cities and the country villages. The large rock upon which they set the Ark of the Lord is in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh to this day.
19 Punishment for Irreverence. He slew some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord. He slew seventy of them.[p] The people raised up a lamentation because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 The men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? To whom should we send it?” 21 They sent messengers to the people of Kiriath-jearim saying, “The Philistines have sent back the Ark of the Lord. Come down and fetch it for yourselves.”
Chapter 7
1 Some men from Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord away. They brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated Eleazar, his son, to take care of the Ark of the Lord.
Samuel the Judge.[q] 2 The Ark remained at Kiriath-jearim for a long time, for twenty years. All of the people of Israel lamented after the Lord.
3 Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you intend to return to the Lord with your whole heart, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods you have among you, the Astartes, and commit your hearts to serve the Lord alone, then he will deliver you out of the hands of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites threw away their Baals and Astartes,[r] and served the Lord alone.
5 Samuel then said, “Assemble all of the Israelites at Mizpah,[s] and I will intercede to the Lord for you.” 6 When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it[t] before the Lord. They fasted that day and confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now, Samuel was the judge of the Israelites at Mizpah.
Defeat of the Philistines. 7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up to attack them. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Intercede for us unceasingly with the Lord, our God, that he might deliver us from the power of the Philistines.”
9 So Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord for the sake of Israel, and the Lord heard him.
10 While Samuel was performing the sacrifice, the Philistines drew near to engage the Israelites in combat. The Lord boomed with a loud thunder that day, and the Philistines panicked and they were defeated by the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines. They slaughtered them all the way to Beth-car. 12 Samuel then took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He called it “Ebenezer,” saying “the Lord helped us here.”[u]
13 Thus the Philistines were defeated and they no longer raided the territory of Israel. The hand of the Lord was raised against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 The towns that lay between Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to the Israelites, and Israel was able to deliver its borderlands from the hands of the Philistines. There was even peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel continued to serve as the judge of Israel throughout his entire lifetime. 16 Each year he made a circuit among Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, judging Israel in all of those places, 17 but he always returned to Ramah, for that was his home, and he judged Israel there, too. He built an altar to Yahweh there.
The Inauguration of the Monarchy[v]
Chapter 8
The People Request a King. 1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of the older was Joel, and the name of the younger was Abijah, and they were judges at Beer-sheba. 3 The sons did not walk in his ways. They sought dishonest gains, took bribes, and perverted justice.
4 All of the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are now old, and your sons are not following in your path. Appoint a king over us, just like all the other nations have.”
6 It displeased Samuel when they said to him, “Appoint a king over us,” so Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to him, “Listen to everything that the people have requested of you. It is not you whom the people have rejected, they have rejected me as their king. 8 They have done this from the day that I brought them up out of Egypt to this very day. They have rejected me and served other gods, just as they have rejected you. 9 So grant their request, but warn them solemnly and inform them what the king who reigns over them will do.”
10 The Rule of a King. Samuel told the people who were asking for a king everything that the Lord had said. 11 He said, “This is what the king who reigns over you will do. He will take away your sons to serve him on his chariots and his horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.[w] 12 He will appoint some as commanders of groups of thousands, and others as commanders of groups of fifty. He will set some to plowing his fields and reaping his harvests. Others will make weapons and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves and he will give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain harvest and the harvest of your vineyards and give it to his officials and his attendants. 16 He will take your menservants and your maidservants, the best of your cattle and donkeys, and use them for his own work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you, yourselves, will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for help because of the king that you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not listen to you.”[x]
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No! We want a king over us! 20 Then we will be like every other nation, with a king to lead us and to go out before us to fight in our battles.”
21 When Samuel heard everything that the people had said, he repeated it to the Lord. 22 So the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to them and appoint a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Let each man go back to his own town.”
Chapter 9
Saul and the Lost Donkeys. 1 There was a certain man from Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah. He was a man of high standing in Benjamin. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul. He was a handsome young man, and there was no one in Israel who was more handsome than he. He was also a head taller than anyone else. 3 Now the donkeys belonging to Kish, the father of Saul, were lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the servants with you and go up and look for the donkeys.”[y]
4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, in the area around Shalishah, but he could not find them. Then he went into the area around Shaalim, but they were not there. He next passed into the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come on, let us go back, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” 6 But the servant replied, “There is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected, and everything that he says comes true. Let us now go to him, perhaps he can tell us where to go.”
7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what are we going to bring the man? We have used up all of the food in our sacks. We have nothing to give the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul, saying, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he can tell us which way to go.” 9 (In former days in Israel, if someone wanted to ask something of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for in those days prophets were called seers.) 10 So Saul said to his servant, “Good! Let us go.” They went into the town where the man of God was living.
11 As they were going up the hill on the way to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is. Hurry now, for he has just arrived in the town today because the people are offering a sacrifice on the heights.[z] 13 Find him as soon as you enter the town before he goes up to the heights to eat. The people will not start to eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now, for right around now you should find him.”
14 Saul Meets Samuel. They went into the town, and as they were entering the town, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the heights. 15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. You will anoint him as leader over my people Israel. He will deliver my people out of the hands of the Philistines. I have regarded my people, for their cry has risen up to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man of whom I have spoken to you. He is to rule over my people.”
18 [aa]Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and said to him, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19 But Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the heights, for you will eat with me today. I will let you go on your way tomorrow, and I will make known to you all that is on your mind. 20 As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. Is not all the desire of Israel placed upon you and all your father’s family?” 21 But Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, the smallest of the tribes in Israel? Is not my family the least important of the clans in the tribe of Benjamin? Why are you saying this to me?”
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and he sat them down at the head of those who had been invited; there were about thirty in all. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring me the piece of meat that I brought you, the portion I told you to set aside.” 24 The cook brought up the leg and what was on it and set it in front of Saul. He said, “Here is what I saved for you. Eat it, because I set it aside for this moment from when I first invited the guests.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 After they came down from the heights into the town, he spoke to Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called up to Saul on the rooftop, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were coming to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us,” and he went on ahead. He continued, “You stay here for a while, so that I can reveal the word of God to you.”
Chapter 10
Saul Is Anointed. 1 Samuel took a flask of oil, and he poured it upon his head. He kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you as leader over his inheritance?[ab] 2 When you leave me today, you will encounter two men near the Tomb of Rachel on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you were looking for have been found. Your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and has begun to worry about you saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’
3 “From there you are to continue on until you arrive at the Terebinth of Tabor. Three men who are on their way to God in Bethel will meet you there. One will be bringing three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and the third a bottle of wine. 4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread. Take them from them.
Signs and Prophecies. 5 “After that go to Gibeath-elohim where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high places with lyres, tambourines, flutes, and harps being played before them. They will be prophesying.[ac] 6 The Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, for you will be changed into another person. 7 Once these signs occur, do whatever comes to hand, for God is with you. 8 Precede me to Gilgal, and I will come down to be with you and to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You are to wait for seven days until I come to you and show you what to do.”
The Signs Fulfilled. 9 When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed his heart. All those signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When they arrived at Gibeah, they were met by a band of prophets. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him and he prophesied among them. 11 When all of those who had known him saw him prophesying among the prophets, they said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?” 12 A man who lived there asked, “Who is their father?” This is why it became a saying, “Is Saul also one of the prophets?”
13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went up to the high places. 14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?” He answered, “Looking for the donkeys. When we realized that we could not find them, we went to Samuel.” 15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 Saul said to his uncle, “He informed us that the donkeys had been found.” He did not tell him about what Samuel had said concerning the kingdom.
17 Saul Is Chosen King.[ad] Samuel summoned the people of Israel to Mizpah. 18 He said to the Israelites, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians and all of the nations that oppressed you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God who himself delivers you from all of your adversities and difficulties. You have said to him, ‘Appoint a king over us.’ Now present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and by clans.”
20 When Samuel had all of the tribes of Israel approach him, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin approach him clan by clan, and the clan of Matri was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when they looked for him, he could not be found. 22 They then asked the Lord, “Has the man arrived yet?” The Lord answered, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 They ran and brought him back from there. When he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of them. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see whom the Lord has chosen? There is no one else like him among the people.” All the people cried out, “Long live the king.”
25 Samuel instructed the people concerning the ordinances of the kingdom. He wrote this in a book and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed all of the people, each to his own home. 26 Saul also went home to Gibeah, and he was accompanied by a group of brave men whose hearts God had touched.[ae] 27 But some sons of Belial said, “How can this one save us?” They held him in contempt and brought him no gifts, but he held his peace.
Chapter 11[af]
Victory over the Ammonites. 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and camped outside of Jabesh-gilead. All of the men in Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us and we will be subject to you.” 2 But Nahash answered, “I will only make a covenant with you if I gouge out your right eyes[ag] so that you might bring shame upon all of Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh answered, “Give us a reprieve of seven days so that we can send messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. If no one comes to save us, then we will surrender to you.”
4 When the messengers arrived at Gibeah, Saul’s city, and they proclaimed these things in the hearing of the people, all the people cried out and wept. 5 Saul was just then coming back from the field behind his oxen, and asked, “What is wrong that the people are weeping?” So they told him what the men from Jabesh had said.
6 When he heard this report, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon Saul and he burned with rage.[ah] 7 He took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. He sent them by messengers all throughout the territory of Israel. He said, “Whoever does not follow Saul and Samuel will have this done to his oxen.” The fear of the Lord came upon the people so that they came out as if they were one man.
8 When Saul counted the Israelites who were in Bezek, there were three hundred thousand of them, and thirty thousand from Judah. 9 They said to the messengers who had come to them, “Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, before the sun warms up, you will have help.’ ” The messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh who were elated. 10 So the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us what you see fit.”
11 The next day Saul divided his people into three groups. During the morning watch they attacked the camp of the Ammonites and continued to strike them down until the day was hot. Even those who survived were scattered, so that not two of them remained together.
12 Saul Proclaimed King. The people said to Samuel, “Who is it who asked, ‘Is Saul to reign over us?’ Bring those men out so that we can put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today, for today the Lord delivered Israel.” 14 Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” 15 All of the people went to Gilgal, and they confirmed Saul as king before the Lord in Gilgal. They sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all of the Israelites greatly rejoiced there.
Chapter 12[ai]
Samuel’s Innocence. 1 Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and I have appointed a king over you. 2 Now you have a king leading you. I am old and gray, and my sons are in your presence. I have led you from the days of my youth up to the present. 3 Behold, I testify against you in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hands did I receive a bribe to close my eyes? I am willing to restore it all to you.”
4 They answered, “You have not cheated us nor have you oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from anyone’s hands.” 5 So Samuel said, “The Lord is a witness before you, and the anointed is also a witness before you, that you have not found anything in my hands.” They answered, “He is our witness.”
Samuel’s Review of the People. 6 Samuel then said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron, and he brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now, therefore, stay here, so that I can plead my case with you before the Lord concerning all of the righteous deeds that the Lord did on your behalf and for your fathers.
8 “After Jacob went into Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and led them here to settle in this place. 9 They forgot the Lord, their God, so he sold them into the hands of Sisera, the leader of Hazor’s army, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10 They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have abandoned the Lord to serve the Baals and the Astartes. Deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
11 “Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you out of the hands of the enemies who surrounded you so that you might live in safety. 12 But now when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was attacking you, you said to me, ‘No! We want a king to rule over us,’ even though the Lord, your God, was your king.
13 Samuel’s Farewell.“Now, behold the king you have chosen, the one whom you desired. The Lord has given you a king. 14 If you fear the Lord and serve him and hearken to his voice and do not rebel against the commandment of God, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord, your God, then fine. 15 But if you do not hearken to the voice of the Lord and you rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you as it was against your fathers.
16 “Now, therefore, stand here and see this great thing that the Lord is doing before your eyes. 17 Is it not now the season for the wheat harvest? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will perceive and realize the great wickedness that you have done before the Lord in asking for a king.”[aj]
18 Samuel Intercedes on Behalf of the People. Then Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. All of the people were filled with fear of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 All of the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord, your God, for your servants that we might not die, for we have added this to our other evil deeds, that we asked for a king.”
20 But Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have done all of this wickedness, but you have not turned away from following the Lord. Serve the Lord with your whole heart. 21 Do not turn aside after useless things that cannot be to your profit, nor can they deliver you, for they are useless. 22 The Lord will not abandon you because of his great name,[ak] for the Lord desired to make you his people.
23 “As for myself, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by not praying for you. I will instruct you in the way that is good and right. 24 Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with your whole heart, considering the great things he has done for you.[al] 25 But if you continue to do what is wicked, then both you and your king will perish.”
The Reign of Saul and the Introduction of David
Chapter 13
Saul’s Unlawful Sacrifice. 1 Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he ruled over Israel for forty-two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand of the men of Israel for himself. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash in the hill country of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the rest of the people to their homes.
3 Jonathan attacked an outpost of the Philistines at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul had trumpets blown all throughout the land and proclaimed, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 All of Israel heard the report: “Saul has attacked an outpost of the Philistines, and now Israel has become abhorrent to the Philistines.” The people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines were assembled to fight against Israel. They had thirty thousand chariots,[am] six thousand charioteers, and so many men that they seemed like the sand on the shore of the sea. They went up and camped outside of Michmash, to the east of Beth-haven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble for the people were being hard pressed, they hid themselves in caves, in thickets, among the rocks, in cellars, and in cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews even crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul was still in Gilgal, and all of the people who were following him trembled with fear. 8 He waited for seven days, the time period that Samuel had established, and yet Samuel had not yet arrived. The people began to drift away. 9 [an]So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offerings and the peace offerings,” and he offered up the burnt offerings. 10 Just as he finished offering up the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to greet him. 11 Samuel asked him, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “I did it because the people were drifting away from me, and you had not arrived at the established time, and the Philistines were assembled at Michmash. 12 I thought, ‘The Philistines are coming down against me at Gilgal, and I have not yet made entreaty to the Lord.’ I felt compelled to offer up a burnt offering.”
13 Samuel responded to Saul, “You have acted foolheartedly, you have not observed the command of the Lord, your God. If you had, the Lord would have established your reign over Israel forever. 14 But now your reign shall not endure because you have not observed what the Lord commanded you. The Lord has sought a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as leader over his people.”
15 Preparations for War. Samuel got up and left Gilgal for Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted those who were with him, and there were around six hundred men. 16 Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were with him stayed in Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped outside of Michmash.
17 Raiders went out from the camp in Michmash in three groups. One went toward Ophrah into the land of Shual, 18 another went toward Beth-horon, and the third went toward the border that lay over the Valley of Zeboim near the desert.
19 There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel for the Philistines had reasoned, “Otherwise the Hebrews might make swords or spears.” 20 So all of the Israelites had to travel down to the Philistines to have their plowshares, their hoes, their axes, and their sickles sharpened. 21 The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares and hoes, and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and pointing the goads.[ao] 22 This is why on the day of the battle not a sword or a spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and Jonathan, his son, had them. 23 Now a force of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
Chapter 14
Jonathan Defeats the Philistines.[ap] 1 One day Jonathan, Saul’s son, said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let us cross over to the other side to that outpost of Philistines,” but he did not tell his father.
2 Saul had remained in the upper part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree that is in Migron. There were around six hundred men with him. 3 Abijah, the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, and he wore an ephod. Now, the people did not know that Jonathan had left.
4 Along the passes through which Jonathan was traveling to go over to the Philistine outpost, there was a rocky cliff on one side and there was a rocky cliff on the other side. They were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 One of them faced the north toward Michmash, and the other faced the south toward Gibeah. 6 Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come on, let us cross over to that outpost of uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will be with us, for nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether it be by many or by few.” 7 His armor-bearer said to him, “Do what you have in mind, my heart is with you.”
8 Jonathan said, “Let us cross over to those men and show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait where you are until we come over to you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go over to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come here to us,’ then we will go, because the Lord has delivered them into our hands, and this is a sign to us.”[aq]
11 So the two of them showed themselves to the Philistine force, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming up out of the holes in which they have hidden themselves.” 12 Then the men of that force said to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come over to us and we will show you something.” Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come, follow me, for the Lord has delivered them into Israel’s hands.”
13 Jonathan climbed up using his hands and his feet, and his armor-bearer followed him. They fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer also put them to death after him. 14 That first time Jonathan and his armor-bearer slaughtered about twenty of them, all within half the area an ox could plow.
15 The army in the fields and all the people in the outposts and the raiding parties were seized with panic, and they were shaking so much that even the ground quaked, for it was a tremendous panic.
16 Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, “Take stock and see who has left us.” They took stock, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 Saul said to Abijah, “Bring the Ark of God here” (for the Ark of God was then with the Israelites). 19 While Saul was talking with the priest, the noise that was rising up from the Philistine army kept getting louder. Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled and went into battle. There was great confusion, each man attacking his neighbor with his sword. 21 Furthermore, those Hebrews who had previously sided with the Philistines and who had gone up into their camp changed sides to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 When all of the Israelites who had hid themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they joined them in battle, chasing closely after them. 23 Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day, and the fighting continued on through Beth-haven.
24 Saul’s Oath. The men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, so Saul placed the people under an oath which said, “Whoever eats any food before this evening, before I have had the chance to seek vengeance upon my enemies, will be cursed,” Therefore, no one ate anything.
25 All of them entered a woodland, and there was some honey on the ground. 26 When they entered the woods, they saw honey oozing out, but no one put his hand to his mouth because they feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard about the oath with which his father had bound the people, so he stuck out the end of the staff that was in his hand and he dipped it in the honeycomb. He then put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
28 Jonathan’s Violation of the Oath. One of the men shouted out, “Your father has put the people under an oath saying, ‘Whoever eats food today will be under a curse.’ ” By now, the people were faint. 29 Jonathan said, “My father has brought trouble into the land. Look how my eyes brightened up just because I ate a little bit of this honey. 30 The slaughter among the Philistines has not been all that great. How much larger would it have been today if the people had eaten freely of their enemies’ plunder that they had found?”
31 That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very weary. 32 The people rushed upon the spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and they slaughtered them upon the ground. The people ate them along with blood.
33 They spoke to Saul saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord for they are eating food with the blood still in it.” He said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll this large rock over toward me.” 34 Saul then said, “Go among the people and say to them, ‘Let each man bring his ox and his sheep to me here. They can slay them here and eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating it with its blood still in it.’ ” Each man brought his ox there, and they slaughtered them there that night. 35 Saul built an altar to the Lord. It was the first time that he built an altar to the Lord.[ar]
36 Jonathan Is Saved from Death. Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night. We can prey upon them until the morning and not leave one of them alive.” They said, “Do whatever you think best,” but the priest approached and said, “Let us inquire of God.” 37 So Saul sought counsel from God asking, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into Israel’s hands?” But he did not answer that day.
38 So Saul said, “Let all of the leaders of the people draw near so that we can know and find out what sin has been committed today. 39 As the Lord who delivers Israel lives, even if it be Jonathan, my son, that man will surely die.” But none of the people answered him.
40 He then said to all of Israel, “You stand on one side, I and Jonathan my son will stand on the other.” The people said to Saul, “Do what you think is best.” 41 Saul then said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Give me the complete truth.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen by lot, but the people escaped. 42 Saul said, “Cast lots to choose between me and Jonathan, my son.” Jonathan’s lot was chosen.
43 Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of my staff that was in my hand. Must I now die?” 44 Saul answered, “May God do this to me and even more, for, Jonathan, you must surely die.” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, the one who brought about this victory in Israel? Never! As the Lord lives, not one hair from his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” This is how the people rescued Jonathan[as] that day, and he was not put to death.
46 Saul’s Reign Summarized. Saul returned from his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their homes. 47 [at]Thus Saul established his reign over Israel. He fought against all of his surrounding enemies, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. He punished them on every side. 48 He assembled an army and struck down the Amalekites, delivering Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malkishua. The older of his two daughters was named Merab, and the younger was named Michal. 50 His wife’s name was Ahinoam, and she was the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, who was Saul’s uncle. 51 Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were the sons of Abiel.
52 There was bitter fighting against the Philistines all throughout the days of Saul. Whenever Saul saw a strong or brave man, he took him into his service.
Chapter 15[au]
Saul’s Disobedience. 1 Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Therefore, hearken to the sound of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will remember what the Amalekites did to Israel when they waylaid them as they were coming up out of Egypt. 3 Go now, and attack Amalek. Wipe out everything that belongs to them. Do not spare any of them, kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”
4 Saul summoned the people and counted them at Telaim. There were two hundred thousand soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the valley.
6 Saul said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites, so that I not destroy you along with them. You were kind to all of the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.[av]
7 Saul then struck down the Amalekites from Havilah down to Shur which lies to the east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive, but he put all of the people to the sword. 9 Saul and the people spared Agag, all of the best of the sheep and oxen, the fat calves and lambs, everything that was good. Yet, everything that was weak and useless they totally destroyed.
10 Samuel Rebukes Saul. The word of the Lord came to Samuel saying, 11 “I am sorry that I appointed Saul as king, for he has turned away from me by not observing my commandments.” Samuel was disturbed, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning, Samuel went out to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. He set up a monument there for himself, so he turned around and traveled on, going down to Gilgal.”[aw]
13 Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “May you be blessed. I have fulfilled the command of the Lord.” 14 Samuel responded, “Then what is the bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul answered, “They have brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord, your God. We have totally destroyed the rest of it.” 16 Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me tonight.” He said, “Keep speaking.” 17 Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own opinion, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? Has the Lord not anointed you as king over Israel? 18 The Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites. Fight against them until they are wiped out.’ 19 Why did you not heed the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil, doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 Saul answered Samuel, “But I did hearken to the voice of the Lord. I went on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have wiped out Agag, the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites. 21 The people took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the dedicated things, to sacrifice them to the Lord, your God, in Gilgal.”
22 [ax]But Samuel replied, “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in heeding the voice of the Lord? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, being attentive is better than the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
24 Saul Asks for Pardon. Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned against the command of the Lord and against your instruction because I was afraid of the people and I listened to their complaints. 25 Now, I beg you, forgive my sin and return with me, so that I can worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you because you have rejected the word of the Lord. The Lord has rejected you as king over Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed on to the hem of his garment and tore it. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn away the kingdom of Israel from you today. He has given it to one of your neighbors, someone who is better than you. 29 He who is the strength of Israel does not lie nor does he repent, for he is not a man that he should change his mind.”
30 He said, “I have sinned. Please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so that I might worship the Lord, your God.” 31 Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 Agag’s Death. Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” Agag came before him cheerfully, for Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 Then Samuel said, “As your sword made women childless, so among women your mother will be childless.” Samuel then hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord.
34 After this Samuel traveled to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not go back to visit Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel mourned for Saul. The Lord regretted that he had appointed Saul as king over Israel.
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