Bible in 90 Days

³⁰ Therefore, the LORD God of Israel said, I had said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever, but now the LORD said, It shall never be; for those that honor me I will honor, and those that lightly esteem me shall be vile.

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 thy house.

³² And thou shalt see a competitor in my tabernacle in all the things in which I shall do good unto Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.

³³ I shall not totally cut off all thy men from my altar to consume thine eyes and to grieve thy soul, and all the increase of thy house shall die as young men.

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 both die.

³⁵ And I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my anointed {Heb. Messiah} for ever.

³⁶ And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into some aspect of the priesthood 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 one day when Eli was lain down in his place, his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

³ and before the lamp of God was put out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was;

⁴ and the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I.

⁵ And he ran unto Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he said, I did not call; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

⁶ And the LORD called Samuel yet again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither had the word of the LORD yet been 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. Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the child.

⁹ Therefore, Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down, and it shall be if he calls thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD, for thy slave hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ And the LORD came and stood and called as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy slave hears.

¹¹ ¶ And the LORD said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of each one that hears it shall tingle.

¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all the 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 knows of (because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them).

¹⁴ And therefore, I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be reconciled, not with sacrifices nor with presents 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 word that the LORD has spoken unto thee? I pray thee do not hide it from me. God do so to thee and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the word that he spoke unto thee.

¹⁸ And Samuel declared all of it to him without hiding any thing. Then he said, It is the LORD; let him do what seems good unto him.

¹⁹ ¶ And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and did not let any of his words fall to the ground.

²⁰ And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the LORD.

²¹ Thus the LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for the LORD manifested himself to Samuel in Shiloh with the word of the LORD.

4 ¶ And Samuel spoke unto all Israel. Now at that time Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and pitched their camp beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines pitched theirs in Aphek.

² And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, who slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

³ And when the people returned into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

⁴ So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of the hosts, who dwells between the cherubim; 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 such a great shout that the earth trembled.

⁶ And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What great shout of joy is this 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 yesterday and day before yesterday it was not so.

⁸ Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

⁹ Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye not serve the Hebrews as they have served you; quit yourselves like men and fight.

¹⁰ ¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled each one into his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.

¹¹ And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

¹² ¶ And running out of the battle, a man of Benjamin came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.

¹³ And when he came, behold 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 gave the news, all the city cried out.

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

¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had become dim so that he could not see.

¹⁶ And the man said unto Eli, I come from the battle; I fled today out of the army. And he said unto him, What has happened, my son?

¹⁷ And the messenger answered and said, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God was taken.

¹⁸ And it came to pass when he made mention of the ark of God, Eli 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’s wife, was with child, near to be delivered, and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains had come upon her.

²⁰ And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not, for thou hast given birth to a son. But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.

²¹ And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel! (Because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.)

²² Therefore, she said, The glory is 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 in the morning, 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 next 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 that come into Dagon’s temple 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 in Ashdod and within all their borders.

⁷ And when they saw this, those of Ashdod 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 cardinals of the Philistines unto themselves 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 removed unto Gath. And they removed the ark of the God of Israel there.

⁹ And it came to pass that after they had removed it, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction. And he smote the men of that city from the smallest to the greatest, and they broke out with hemorrhoids.

¹⁰ Therefore, they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And when the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have removed the ark of the God of Israel unto us to kill me and my people.

¹¹ So they sent and gathered together all the cardinals 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 not kill me and my people, for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city, and the hand of God had become very heavy there.

¹² And those that did not die 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 land of the Philistines seven months.

² Then the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall return it to his place.

³ And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but ye shall pay unto him the expiation of guilt; then ye shall be healed, and ye shall know why his hand was not removed from you.

⁴ Then said they, What shall be the expiation of guilt which we shall pay unto him? They answered, Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden rats, according to the number of the cardinals of the Philistines, for the same plague that is on you is also on your cardinals.

⁵ Therefore, ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your rats that destroy the land, and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel; peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you and from off your gods and from off your land.

⁶ Why then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had dealt thus 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 no yoke has been placed and tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home from them.

⁸ Then ye shall take the ark of the LORD and lay it upon the cart and put the jewels of gold, which ye pay him for expiation of guilt, in a coffer by the side thereof, and let it go.

⁹ And see if it goes up by the way of his own border to Bethshemesh, then he has done us this great evil, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was an accident 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 Then they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart and the coffer with the rats of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.

¹² And the cows went straight down 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 cardinals of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

¹³ And those 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 stopped there, for there was a great stone there; and they clave the wood of the cart and offered the cows in a burnt offering unto the LORD.

¹⁵ And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the coffer that was with it, in which were the jewels of gold, 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 cardinals of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

¹⁷ These, therefore are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned in expiation for their guilt unto the LORD, for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one,

¹⁸ and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five cardinals; a ransom for those of the fenced cities and for the country dwellers even unto the great stone of Abel, upon which they placed the ark of the LORD in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite, and this is remembered unto this day.

¹⁹ ¶ Then God smote those of Bethshemesh because they had looked at the ark of the LORD; he smote fifty thousand of the people and seventy principal men. And the people lamented because the LORD had smitten the people with such 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 returned the ark of the LORD; come down, therefore, and carry it up to you.

7 ¶ And the men of Kirjathjearim came and carried up the ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

² And it came to pass while the ark abode 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 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 sons of Israel did put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the LORD only.

⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel in Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.

⁶ And they gathered together in Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

⁷ ¶ And when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel were gathered together in Mizpeh, the cardinals of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸ And the sons 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 completely unto the LORD, and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him.

¹⁰ And it came to pass as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering that the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and crushed them, and they were smitten before Israel.

¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they were below Bethcar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Thus far the LORD has 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 with their borders, and Israel delivered them out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.

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 Mizpeh and judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷ Then he would return 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, Abiah; they were judges in Beersheba.

³ And his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after greed, receiving bribes and perverting that which is right.

⁴ ¶ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel in Ramah

⁵ and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons do not walk in thy ways; therefore make us a king to judge us like all the Gentiles.

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, with which they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do unto thee.

⁹ Now, therefore, hearken unto their voice; however first protest solemnly against them by declaring unto them the rights of the king that shall reign over them.

¹⁰ And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked him for a king.

¹¹ And he said, This will be the right of the king that 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 chariot.

¹² And he will appoint captains over thousands and captains over fifties and will set them to plough his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and the munitions of his chariots.

¹³ And he will take your daughters to be confectioneries and to be cooks and to be bakers.

¹⁴ And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your good oliveyards and give them to his slaves.

¹⁵ And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards to give to his officers and to his slaves.

¹⁶ And he will take your menslaves and your maidslaves and your good young men and your asses and do his work with them.

¹⁷ He will also take the tenth of your sheep, and finally ye shall be his slaves.

¹⁸ And ye shall cry out in 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 hear the voice of Samuel, and they said, No, but we will have a king over us

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

²¹ And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

²² And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and place a king over them. Then Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go each one 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 son of Jemini, {Benjamin} a mighty man of power.

² And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. Among the sons of Israel there was not a nicer person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³ ¶ And the she asses of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul, his son, Take now one of the slaves with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

⁴ And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shalim, and they were not there, and he passed through the land of Jemini, {or of Benjamin} but they did not find them.

⁵ And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that 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 says surely comes to pass; now let us go there; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go.

⁷ Then Saul replied unto his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have nothing to present unto the man of God. What do we have?

⁸ And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; this will I give to the man of God to tell us our way.

⁹ (Beforetime in Israel when anyone went to enquire of God, he spoke thus, Come, and let us go to the seer, for he that is now called a Prophet was called a Seer before.)

¹⁰ Then Saul said 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 in the high place.

¹³ As soon as you are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice, and afterwards those that are invited eat. Now therefore go up, for about this time ye shall find him.

¹⁴ And they went up into the city. And when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out before 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 prince 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 is 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 thy heart.

²⁰ And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, take no care for 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, Peradventure am I not of Jemini, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is my family not the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why, therefore, dost thou speak so to me?

²² And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the banquet chamber and made them sit at the head among those that were invited, which 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 aside.

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 was reserved! Set it before thee and eat because for this time it has been kept for thee, since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house.

²⁶ And they arose early about dawn, and Samuel called Saul, who was on the top of the house, saying, Rise 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 declare 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 has 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 sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou didst go to seek are found, and thy father has left the care of the asses and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

³ Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, 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 of their hands.

⁵ After that thou shalt come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines is, and it shall come to pass when thou art come there to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a tambourine and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.

⁶ And the Spirit of the LORD will prosper thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.

⁷ And let it be when these signs are come unto thee that thou do according as thou shalt find at hand, 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 until I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do.

⁹ ¶ And it was so that when he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day.

¹⁰ And when they came there to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God prospered him, and he prophesied among them.

¹¹ And it came to pass when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What has happened to 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 he ceased prophesying and came to the high place.

¹⁴ And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Where 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, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

¹⁷ ¶ And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh

¹⁸ and said unto the sons of Israel, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, 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 of those that oppressed you.

¹⁹ But ye have this day rejected your God, who saves you out of all your afflictions and your troubles, and ye have said unto him, No, 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 lineages, the family of Matri was taken, and from it Saul the son of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he could not be found.

²² Therefore, they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff.

²³ And they ran and took him from there, 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 has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king.

²⁵ Then Samuel recited unto the people the rights of the kingdom and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.

²⁶ And Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him some from the army, whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷ But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he pretended not to notice.

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 borders of Israel, and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to thee.

⁴ Then the messengers came 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 oxen out of the field, and Saul said, What ails the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

⁶ And the Spirit of God prospered 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 borders of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come 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 sons of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹ And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have salvation. And the messengers came and declared 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 seems good unto you.

¹¹ And it was so on the next day that Saul put the people in order 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 ¶ Then the people said unto Samuel, Who were those 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 has wrought salvation in Israel.

¹⁴ Then Samuel said 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, your king walks before you. 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. If I have taken anyone’s ox or if I have taken anyone’s ass or if I have defrauded anyone or if I have oppressed anyone or if I have received a bribe {Heb. ransom} from anyone to blind my eyes, I will restore it you.

⁴ And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us; neither hast thou taken anything of 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 anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

⁶ ¶ Then Samuel said unto the people, The LORD is he 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 contend with you before the LORD of all the righteousnesses of the LORD which he did to you and to your fathers.

⁸ After Jacob had entered 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 Then 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 sons of Ammon, came against you, ye said unto me, No, 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! Behold, the LORD has set a king over you.

¹⁴ If ye will fear the LORD and serve him and hear his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigns over you continue following the LORD your God.

¹⁵ But if ye will not hear the voice of the LORD but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD shall 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 to day? 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 a king over you.

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 slaves unto the LORD thy God that we not die, for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask for a king over us.

²⁰ And Samuel said unto the people, Do not fear. Ye have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

²¹ do not turn aside 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 has pleased the LORD to make you his people.

²³ Moreover as for me, in no wise should I 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 has done with you.

²⁵ But if ye shall persevere in doing wickedly, both ye and your king shall perish.

13 ¶ Saul was as a son of one year when he began to reign, and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

² Saul chose three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in Mount Bethel and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and of the rest of the people he sent each one to his tent.

³ And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul caused the shofar to be blown 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 also that Israel had become a stench unto the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

⁵ Then 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 sea shore 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 did not come to Gilgal, and the people were deserting from him.

⁹ Then Saul said, Bring me a burnt offering and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰ And it came to pass that as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him that he might bless him.

¹¹ Then Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were leaving me and that thou didst not come within the days appointed and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,

¹² therefore, I said, 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 Then 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 the LORD would have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever.

¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not stand; the LORD has sought a man after his own heart unto whom the LORD has commanded that he 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 that were present with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶ And Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

¹⁷ And three companies came out of the camp of the Philistines to destroy the land. One company turned unto the way that leads to Ophrah unto the land of Shual.

¹⁸ Another company turned the way to Bethhoron, and another company turned to the way of the border that looks to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, Lest peradventure the Hebrews make swords or spears.

²⁰ But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man his share and his coulter and his axe and his mattock

²¹ and when they had nicks in the mattocks and the coulters and the forks and the axes, or to fix a goad.

²² So it came to pass in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan except with Saul and with Jonathan his son who had them.

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 that bore his armour, Come and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

² And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron, and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

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

⁴ And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the 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 towards the Negev over against Gibeah.

⁶ And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; peradventure the LORD will work for us, for it is not difficult for the LORD to save by many or by few.

⁷ And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart; go. Behold, I am with thee according to thy will.

⁸ Then Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over unto these men, and we will show 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 has delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us.

¹¹ And both of them showed 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 armourbearer and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. Then Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.

¹³ And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet and his armourbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armourbearer slew after him.

¹⁴ And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer 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 of the garrison; and those who had gone out to destroy the land, they also trembled, and the earth quaked, and there was fear of God.

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 Saul said unto the people that were with him, Number now and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

¹⁸ And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the sons 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. Then Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thy hand.

²⁰ And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and, behold, each man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

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

²² Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, 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 ¶ But the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until evening that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

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

²⁶ And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard 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 one of the people spoke and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food this day. And the people were faint.

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

³⁰ How much more if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? 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, but the people were very faint.

³² Therefore, 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 tell each one to bring his ox and his sheep here unto me and slay them here and eat and do not sin against the LORD in eating with the blood. And of all the people, each one brought 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 spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good unto thee. Then the priest said, Let us draw near unto God here.

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 did not answer him that day.

³⁸ Then Saul said, Bring here all the chief of the people and know and see by whom this sin has been this day.

³⁹ For, as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

⁴⁰ Then he said 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 seems good unto thee.

⁴¹ Therefore, Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Show who is without blemish. And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people went out free.

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 my hand; must I die for this.

⁴⁴ And Saul answered, God do so and more also, for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

⁴⁵ Then the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great saving health in Israel? No, in no wise: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued {Heb. ransomed} Jonathan that he did not die.

⁴⁶ Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷ ¶ So Saul took the kingdom over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab and against the sons of Ammon and against Edom and against the kings of Zobah and against the Philistines; and wherever he turned himself, he troubled them.

⁴⁸ And he gathered a host and smote Amalek and delivered Israel out of the hands of those that spoiled them.

⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishui and Melchishua. 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 For Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel.

⁵² And there was intense 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 ¶ And Samuel 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 hath said the LORD of the hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt.

³ Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare him 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 laid wait in the valley.

⁶ And Saul said unto the Kenite, Go, depart, go out from among those of Amalek lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed mercy to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenite departed from among those of Amalek.

⁷ And Saul smote Amalek from Havilah until thou comest to Shur that 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 the word of the LORD came unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹ It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments. And it incensed 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 himself up a monument and is 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 Then Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

¹⁵ And Saul said, They have brought them from Amalek, 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 of Amalek and fight against them until they are consumed.

¹⁹ Why then didst thou not hear the voice of the LORD but didst fly upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, But 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 firstfruits of the anathema, to sacrifice them unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

²² And Samuel said, Does the LORD have as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in hearing the voice of the LORD? Behold, to hear is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.

²³ For rebellion is the sin of witchcraft, and to break the word of the Lord is iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from being king.

²⁴ ¶ Then 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 consented unto their voice.

²⁵ Now, therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin and turn again 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 has 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 has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee today and has given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou.

²⁹ And also the Overcomer of Israel will not lie nor repent concerning this, for he is not a man, that he should repent.

³⁰ Then he said, I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel and turn again with me that I may worship the LORD thy God.

³¹ So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

³² ¶ Then Samuel said, Bring me Agag, the king of Amalek. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is near.

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

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

³⁵ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul because the LORD had repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.