1SA 1:1 Now there
was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the
hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah
the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of
Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
1SA 1:2 And he had two wives: the name of one
was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and
Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
1SA 1:3 Now this man would go up from his
city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord
of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni
and Phinehas were priests to the Lord there.
1SA 1:4 And when the day came that Elkanah
sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his
wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
1SA 1:5 but to Hannah he would give a double
portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had
closed her womb.
1SA 1:6 Her rival, however, would provoke her
bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had
closed her womb.
1SA 1:7 And it happened year after year, as
often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she
would provoke her, so she wept and would not eat.
1SA 1:8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her,
"Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and
why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than
ten sons?"
1SA 1:9 Then Hannah rose after eating and
drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting
on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the
Lord.
1SA 1:10 And she, greatly distressed, prayed
to the Lord and wept bitterly.
1SA 1:11 And she made a vow and said, "O Lord
of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction
of Thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget
Thy maidservant, but wilt give Thy maidservant a
son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days
of his life, and a razor shall never come on his
head."
1SA 1:12 Now it came about, as she continued
praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her
mouth.
1SA 1:13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in
her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice
was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
1SA 1:14 Then Eli said to her, "How long will
you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from
you."
1SA 1:15 But Hannah answered and said, "No,
my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have
drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have
poured out my soul before the Lord.
1SA 1:16 "Do not consider your maidservant as
a worthless woman; for I have spoken until now out
of my great concern and provocation."
1SA 1:17 Then Eli answered and said, "Go in
peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition
that you have asked of Him."
1SA 1:18 And she said, "Let your maidservant
find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way
and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
1SA 1:19 Then they arose early in the morning
and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to
their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with
Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
1SA 1:20 And it came about in due time, after
Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son;
and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have
asked him of the Lord."
1SA 1:21 Then the man Elkanah went up with
all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly
sacrifice and pay his vow.
1SA 1:22 But Hannah did not go up, for she
said to her husband, "I will not go up until the
child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may
appear before the Lord and stay there forever."
1SA 1:23 And Elkanah her husband said to her,
"Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have
weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word." So
the woman remained and nursed her son until she
weaned him.
1SA 1:24 Now when she had weaned him, she
took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and
one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought
him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the
child was young.
1SA 1:25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and
brought the boy to Eli.
1SA 1:26 And she said, "Oh, my lord! As your
soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here
beside you, praying to the Lord.
1SA 1:27 "For this boy I prayed, and the Lord
has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
1SA 1:28 "So I have also dedicated him to the
Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the
Lord." And he worshiped the Lord there.
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1SA 2:1 Then
Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the
Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth
speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice
in Thy salvation.
1SA 2:2 "There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides Thee, Nor is there
any rock like our God.
1SA 2:3 "Boast no more so very proudly, Do
not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the
Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are
weighed.
1SA 2:4 "The bows of the mighty are
shattered, But the feeble gird on strength.
1SA 2:5 "Those who were full hire themselves
out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to
hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But
she who has many children languishes.
1SA 2:6 "The Lord kills and makes alive; He
brings down to Sheol and raises up.
1SA 2:7 "The Lord makes poor and rich; He
brings low, He also exalts.
1SA 2:8 "He raises the poor from the dust, He
lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit
with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the
pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He set the
world on them.
1SA 2:9 "He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For
not by might shall a man prevail.
1SA 2:10 "Those who contend with the Lord
will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in
the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the
earth; And He will give strength to His king, And
will exalt the horn of His anointed."
1SA 2:11 Then Elkanah went to his home at
Ramah. But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli
the priest.
1SA 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless
men; they did not know the Lord
1SA 2:13 and the custom of the priests with
the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice,
the priest's servant would come while the meat was
boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.
1SA 2:14 Then he would thrust it into the
pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the
fork brought up the priest would take for himself.
Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who
came there.
1SA 2:15 Also, before they burned the fat,
the priest's servant would come and say to the man
who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for
roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you,
only raw."
1SA 2:16 And if the man said to him, "They
must surely burn the fat first, and then take as
much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you
shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it
by force."
1SA 2:17 Thus the sin of the young men was
very great before the Lord, for the men despised the
offering of the Lord.
1SA 2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before
the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.
1SA 2:19 And his mother would make him a
little robe and bring it to him from year to year
when she would come up with her husband to offer the
yearly sacrifice.
1SA 2:20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his
wife and say, "May the Lord give you children from
this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the
Lord." And they went to their own home.
1SA 2:21 And the Lord visited Hannah; and she
conceived and gave birth to three sons and two
daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.
1SA 2:22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard
all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how
they lay with the women who served at the doorway of
the tent of meeting.
1SA 2:23 And he said to them, "Why do you do
such things, the evil things that I hear from all
these people?
1SA 2:24 "No, my sons; for the report is not
good which I hear the Lord's people circulating.
1SA 2:25 "If one man sins against another,
God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against
the Lord, who can intercede for him?" But they would
not listen to the voice of their father, for the
Lord desired to put them to death.
1SA 2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing in
stature and in favor both with the Lord and with
men.
1SA 2:27 Then a man of God came to Eli and
said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Did I not indeed
reveal Myself to the house of your father when they
were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?
1SA 2:28 'And did I not choose them from all
the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to
My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before
Me; and did I not give to the house of your father
all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel?
1SA 2:29 'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and
at My offering which I have commanded in My
dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making
yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering
of My people Israel?'
1SA 2:30 "Therefore the Lord God of Israel
declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and the
house of your father should walk before Me forever';
but now the Lord declares, 'Far be it from Me - -
for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who
despise Me will be lightly esteemed.
1SA 2:31 'Behold, the days are coming when I
will break your strength and the strength of your
father's house so that there will not be an old man
in your house.
1SA 2:32 'And you will see the distress of My
dwelling, in spite of all that I do good for Israel;
and an old man will not be in your house forever.
1SA 2:33 'Yet I will not cut off every man of
yours from My altar that your eyes may fail from
weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase
of your house will die in the prime of life.
1SA 2:34 'And this will be the sign to you
which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni
and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall
die.
1SA 2:35 'But I will raise up for Myself a
faithful priest who will do according to what is in
My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an
enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed
always.
1SA 2:36 'And it shall come about that
everyone who is left in your house shall come and
bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of
bread, and say, "Please assign me to one of the
priest's offices so that I may eat a piece of
bread."'"
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1SA 3:1 Now the
boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli.
And word from the Lord was rare in those days,
visions were infrequent.
1SA 3:2 And it happened at that time as Eli
was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had
begun to grow dim and he could not see well),
1SA 3:3 and 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,
1SA 3:4 that the Lord called Samuel; and he
said, "Here I am."
1SA 3:5 Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I
am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not
call, lie down again." So he went and lay down.
1SA 3:6 And the Lord called yet again,
"Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said,
"Here I am, for you called me." But he answered, "I
did not call, my son, lie down again."
1SA 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord,
nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to
him.
1SA 3:8 So the Lord called Samuel again for
the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and
said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli
discerned that the Lord was calling the boy.
1SA 3:9 And Eli said to Samuel, "Go lie down,
and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say,
'Speak, Lord, for Thy servant is listening.'" So
Samuel went and lay down in his place.
1SA 3:10 Then the Lord came and stood and
called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And
Samuel said, "Speak, for Thy servant is listening."
1SA 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel,
"Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which
both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
1SA 3:12 "In that day I will carry out
against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his
house, from beginning to end.
1SA 3:13 "For I have told him that I am about
to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he
knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves
and he did not rebuke them.
1SA 3:14 "And therefore I have sworn to the
house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall
not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."
1SA 3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning.
Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord.
But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.
1SA 3:16 Then Eli called Samuel and said,
"Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am."
1SA 3:17 And he said, "What is the word that
He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May
God do so to you, and more also, if you hide
anything from me of all the words that He spoke to
you."
1SA 3:18 So Samuel told him everything and
hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord;
let Him do what seems good to Him."
1SA 3:19 Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was
with him and let none of his words fail.
1SA 3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to
Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a
prophet of the Lord.
1SA 3:21 And the Lord appeared again at
Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel
at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
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1SA 4:1 Thus the
word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went
out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped
beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in
Aphek.
1SA 4:2 And the Philistines drew up in battle
array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel
was defeated before the Philistines who killed about
four thousand men on the battlefield.
1SA 4:3 When the people came into the camp,
the elders of Israel said, "Why has the Lord
defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us
take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the
covenant of the Lord, that it may come among us and
deliver us from the power of our enemies."
1SA 4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and
from there they carried the ark of the covenant of
the Lord of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and
the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there
with the ark of the covenant of God.
1SA 4:5 And it happened as the ark of the
covenant of the Lord came into the camp, that all
Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth
resounded.
1SA 4:6 And when the Philistines heard the
noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise
of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews
mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the Lord
had come into the camp.
1SA 4:7 And the Philistines were afraid, for
they said, "God has come into the camp." And they
said, "Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened
before.
1SA 4:8 "Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from
the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods
who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in
the wilderness.
1SA 4:9 "Take courage and be men, O
Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men
and fight."
1SA 4:10 So the Philistines fought and Israel
was defeated, and every man fled to his tent, and
the slaughter was very great; for there fell of
Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
1SA 4:11 And the ark of God was taken; and
the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
1SA 4:12 Now a man of Benjamin ran from the
battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with his
clothes torn and dust on his head.
1SA 4:13 When he came, behold, Eli was
sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching,
because his heart was trembling for the ark of God.
So the man came to tell it in the city, and all the
city cried out.
1SA 4:14 When Eli heard the noise of the
outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this
commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and
told Eli.
1SA 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old,
and his eyes were set so that he could not see.
1SA 4:16 And the man said to Eli, "I am the
one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped
from the battle line today." And he said, "How did
things go, my son?"
1SA 4:17 Then the one who brought the news
answered and said, "Israel has fled before the
Philistines and there has also been a great
slaughter among the people, and your two sons also,
Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God
has been taken."
1SA 4:18 And it came about when he mentioned
the ark of God that Eli fell off the seat backward
beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he
died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he judged
Israel forty years.
1SA 4:19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas'
wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when
she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and
that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she
kneeled down and gave birth, for her pains came upon
her.
1SA 4:20 And about the time of her death the
women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be
afraid, for you have given birth to a son." But she
did not answer or pay attention.
1SA 4:21 And she called the boy Ichabod,
saying, "The glory has departed from Israel,"
because the ark of God was taken and because of her
father-in-law and her husband.
1SA 4:22 And she said, "The glory has
departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken."
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1SA 5:1 Now the
Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from
Ebenezer to Ashdod.
1SA 5:2 Then the Philistines took the ark of
God and brought it to the house of Dagon, and set it
by Dagon.
1SA 5:3 When the Ashdodites arose early the
next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face
to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they
took Dagon and set him in his place again.
1SA 5:4 But when they arose early the next
morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on 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
on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left
to him.
1SA 5:5 Therefore neither the priests of
Dagon nor all who enter Dagon's house tread on the
threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
1SA 5:6 Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on
the Ashdodites, and He ravaged them and smote them
with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.
1SA 5:7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it
was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel
must not remain with us, for His hand is severe on
us and on Dagon our god."
1SA 5:8 So they sent and gathered all the
lords of the Philistines to them and said, "What
shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And
they said, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be
brought around to Gath." And they brought the ark of
the God of Israel around.
1SA 5:9 And it came about that after they had
brought it around, the hand of the Lord was against
the city with very great confusion; and He smote the
men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors
broke out on them.
1SA 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
And it happened as the ark of God came to Ekron that
the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought
the ark of the God of Israel around to us, to kill
us and our people."
1SA 5:11 They sent therefore and gathered all
the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away
the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to
its own place, that it may not kill us and our
people." For there was a deadly confusion throughout
the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
1SA 5:12 And the men who did not die were
smitten with tumors and the cry of the city went up
to heaven.
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1SA 6:1 Now the
ark of the Lord had been in the country of the
Philistines seven months.
1SA 6:2 And 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 send
it to its place."
1SA 6:3 And they said, "If you send away the
ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but
you shall surely return to Him a guilt offering.
Then you shall be healed and it shall be known to
you why His hand is not removed from you."
1SA 6:4 Then they said, "What shall be the
guilt offering which we shall return to Him?" And
they said, "Five golden tumors and five golden mice
according to the number of the lords of the
Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on
your lords.
1SA 6:5 "So you shall make likenesses of your
tumors and likenesses of your mice that ravage the
land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel;
perhaps He will ease His hand from you, your gods,
and your land.
1SA 6:6 "Why then do you harden your hearts
as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?
When He had severely dealt with them, did they not
allow the people to go, and they departed?
1SA 6:7 "Now therefore take and prepare a new
cart and two milch cows on which there has never
been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take
their calves home, away from them.
1SA 6:8 "And take the ark of the Lord and
place it on the cart; and put the articles of gold
which you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box
by its side. Then send it away that it may go.
1SA 6:9 "And watch, if it goes up by the way
of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has
done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall
know that it was not His hand that struck us; it
happened to us by chance."
1SA 6:10 Then the men did so, and took two
milch cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up
their calves at home.
1SA 6:11 And they put the ark of the Lord on
the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the
likenesses of their tumors.
1SA 6:12 And the cows took the straight way
in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went along
the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn
aside to the right or to the left. And the lords of
the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
1SA 6:13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were
reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they
raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to
see it.
1SA 6:14 And the cart came into the field of
Joshua the Beth-shemite and stood there where there
was a large stone; and they split the wood of the
cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the
Lord.
1SA 6:15 And the Levites took down the ark of
the Lord and the box that was with it, in which were
the articles of gold, and put them on the large
stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt
offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the
Lord.
1SA 6:16 And when the five lords of the
Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.
1SA 6:17 And these are the golden tumors
which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering
to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for
Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;
1SA 6:18 and the golden mice, according to
the number of all the cities of the Philistines
belonging to the five lords, both of fortified
cities and of country villages. The large stone on
which they set the ark of the Lord is a witness to
this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
1SA 6:19 And He struck down some of the men
of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark
of the Lord. He struck down of all the people,
50,070 men, and the people mourned because the Lord
had struck the people with a great slaughter.
1SA 6:20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said,
"Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy
God? And to whom shall He go up from us?"
1SA 6:21 So they sent messengers to the
inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, "The
Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord;
come down and take it up to you."
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1SA 7:1 And the
men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the
Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on
the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep
the ark of the Lord.
1SA 7:2 And it came about from the day that
the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim that the time was
long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of
Israel lamented after the Lord.
1SA 7:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of
Israel, saying, "If you return to the Lord with all
your heart, remove the foreign gods and the
Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to
the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver
you from the hand of the Philistines."
1SA 7:4 So the sons of Israel removed the
Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone.
1SA 7:5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel
to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you."
1SA 7:6 And they gathered to Mizpah, and drew
water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted
on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against
the Lord." And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at
Mizpah.
1SA 7:7 Now when the Philistines heard that
the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah, the lords
of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when
the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the
Philistines.
1SA 7:8 Then the sons of Israel said to
Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for
us, that He may save us from the hand of the
Philistines."
1SA 7:9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and
offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord;
and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord
answered him.
1SA 7:10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt
offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle
against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great
thunder on that day against the Philistines and
confused them, so that they were routed before
Israel.
1SA 7:11 And the men of Israel went out of
Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them
down as far as below Beth-car.
1SA 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it
between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer,
saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."
1SA 7:13 So the Philistines were subdued and
they did not come anymore within the border of
Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the
Philistines all the days of Samuel.
1SA 7:14 And the cities which the Philistines
had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from
Ekron even to Gath; and Israel delivered their
territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there
was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
1SA 7:15 Now Samuel judged Israel all the
days of his life.
1SA 7:16 And he used to go annually on
circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he
judged Israel in all these places.
1SA 7:17 Then his return was to Ramah, for
his house was there, and there he judged Israel; and
he built there an altar to the Lord.
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1SA 8:1 And it
came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his
sons judges over Israel.
1SA 8:2 Now the name of his first-born was
Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were
judging in Beersheba.
1SA 8:3 His sons, however, did not walk in
his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and
took bribes and perverted justice.
1SA 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel
gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah;
1SA 8:5 and they said to him, "Behold, you
have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your
ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all
the nations."
1SA 8:6 But the thing was displeasing in the
sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to
judge us." And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
1SA 8:7 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen
to the voice of the people in regard to all that
they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but
they have rejected Me from being king over them.
1SA 8:8 "Like all the deeds which they have
done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt
even to this day - - in that they have forsaken Me
and served other gods - - so they are doing to you
also.
1SA 8:9 "Now then, listen to their voice;
however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them
of the procedure of the king who will reign over
them."
1SA 8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the
Lord to the people who had asked of him a king.
1SA 8:11 And he said, "This will be the
procedure of the king who will reign over you: he
will take your sons and place them for himself in
his chariots and among his horsemen and they will
run before his chariots.
1SA 8:12 "And he will appoint for himself
commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to
do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make
his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
1SA 8:13 "He will also take your daughters
for perfumers and cooks and bakers.
1SA 8:14 "And he will take the best of your
fields and your vineyards and your olive groves, and
give them to his servants.
1SA 8:15 "And he will take a tenth of your
seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers
and to his servants.
1SA 8:16 "He will also take your male
servants and your female servants and your best
young men and your donkeys, and use them for his
work.
1SA 8:17 "He will take a tenth of your
flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.
1SA 8:18 "Then you will cry out in that day
because of your king whom you have chosen for
yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that
day."
1SA 8:19 Nevertheless, the people refused to
listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No,
but there shall be a king over us,
1SA 8:20 that we also may be like all the
nations, that our king may judge us and go out
before us and fight our battles."
1SA 8:21 Now after Samuel had heard all the
words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord's
hearing.
1SA 8:22 And the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen
to their voice, and appoint them a king." So Samuel
said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his
city."
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1SA 9:1 Now there
was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of
Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the
son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man
of valor.
1SA 9:2 And he had a son whose name was Saul,
a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more
handsome person than he among the sons of Israel;
from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of
the people.
1SA 9:3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's
father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul,
"Take now with you one of the servants, and arise,
go search for the donkeys."
1SA 9:4 And he passed through the hill
country of Ephraim and passed through the land of
Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they
passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were
not there. Then he passed through the land of the
Benjamites, but they did not find them.
1SA 9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph,
Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come,
and let us return, lest my father cease to be
concerned about the donkeys and become anxious for
us."
1SA 9:6 And he said to him, "Behold now,
there is a man of God in this city, and the man is
held in honor; all that he says surely comes true.
Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about
our journey on which we have set out."
1SA 9:7 Then Saul said to his servant, "But
behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For
the bread is gone from our sack and there is no
present to bring to the man of God. What do we
have?"
1SA 9:8 And the servant answered Saul again
and said, "Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a
shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God
and he will tell us our way."
1SA 9:9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went
to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let us
go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet now
was formerly called a seer.)
1SA 9:10 Then Saul said to his servant, "Well
said; come, let us go." So they went to the city
where the man of God was.
1SA 9:11 As they went up the slope to the
city, they found young women going out to draw
water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?"
1SA 9:12 And they answered them and said, "He
is; see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has
come into the city today, for the people have a
sacrifice on the high place today.
1SA 9:13 "As soon as you enter the city you
will 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; afterward those
who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up for
you will find him at once."
1SA 9:14 So they went up to the city. As they
came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out
toward them to go up to the high place.
1SA 9:15 Now a day before Saul's coming, the
Lord had revealed this to Samuel saying,
1SA 9:16 "About this time tomorrow I will
send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you
shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel;
and he shall deliver My people from the hand of the
Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because
their cry has come to Me."
1SA 9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said
to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you!
This one shall rule over My people."
1SA 9:18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the
gate, and said, "Please tell me where the seer's
house is."
1SA 9:19 And Samuel answered Saul and said,
"I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place,
for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning
I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on
your mind.
1SA 9:20 "And as for your donkeys which were
lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them,
for they have been found. And for whom is all that
is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for
all your father's household?"
1SA 9:21 And Saul answered and said, "Am I
not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of
Israel, and my family the least of all the families
of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to
me in this way?"
1SA 9:22 Then Samuel took Saul and his
servant and brought them into the hall, and gave
them a place at the head of those who were invited,
who were about thirty men.
1SA 9:23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring
the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said
to you, 'Set it aside.'"
1SA 9:24 Then the cook took up the leg with
what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel
said, "Here is what has been reserved! Set it before
you and eat, because it has been kept for you until
the appointed time, since I said I have invited the
people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
1SA 9:25 When they came down from the high
place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the
roof.
1SA 9:26 And they arose early; and it came
about at daybreak that Samuel called to Saul on the
roof, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." So
Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the
street.
1SA 9:27 As they were going down to the edge
of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Say to the
servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on,
but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the
word of God to you."
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1SA 10:1 Then
Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head,
kissed him and said, "Has not the Lord anointed you
a ruler over His inheritance?
1SA 10:2 "When you go from me today, then you
will find two men close to Rachel's tomb in the
territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say
to you, 'The donkeys which you went to look for have
been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be
concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you,
saying," What shall I do about my son?"'
1SA 10:3 "Then you will go on further from
there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor,
and there three men going up to God at Bethel will
meet you, one carrying three kids, another carrying
three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of
wine;
1SA 10:4 and they will greet you and give you
two loaves of bread, which you will accept from
their hand.
1SA 10:5 "Afterward you will come to the hill
of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it
shall be as soon as you have come there to the city,
that you will meet a group of prophets coming down
from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute,
and a lyre before them, and they will be
prophesying.
1SA 10:6 "Then the Spirit of the Lord will
come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with
them and be changed into another man.
1SA 10:7 "And it shall be when these signs
come to you, do for yourself what the occasion
requires; for God is with you.
1SA 10:8 "And you shall go down before me to
Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer
burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You
shall wait seven days until I come to you and show
you what you should do."
1SA 10:9 Then it happened when he turned his
back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all
those signs came about on that day.
1SA 10:10 When they came to the hill there,
behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit
of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied
among them.
1SA 10:11 And it came about, when all who
knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with
the prophets, that the people said to one another,
"What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also
among the prophets?"
1SA 10:12 And a man there answered and said,
"Now, who is their father?" Therefore it became a
proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
1SA 10:13 When he had finished prophesying,
he came to the high place.
1SA 10:14 Now Saul's uncle said to him and
his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To
look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could
not be found, we went to Samuel."
1SA 10:15 And Saul's uncle said, "Please tell
me what Samuel said to you."
1SA 10:16 So Saul said to his uncle, "He told
us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he
did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom
which Samuel had mentioned.
1SA 10:17 Thereafter Samuel called the people
together to the Lord at Mizpah;
1SA 10:18 and he said to the sons of Israel,
"Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I brought
Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the
hand of the Egyptians, and from the power of all the
kingdoms that were oppressing you.'
1SA 10:19 "But you today rejected your God,
who delivers you from all your calamities and your
distresses; yet you have said, 'No, but set a king
over us!' Now therefore, present yourselves before
the Lord by your tribes and by your clans."
1SA 10:20 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes
of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken
by lot.
1SA 10:21 Then he brought the tribe of
Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite
family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was
taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be
found.
1SA 10:22 Therefore they inquired further of
the Lord, "Has the man come here yet?" So the Lord
said, "Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage."
1SA 10:23 So they ran and took him from
there, and when he stood among the people, he was
taller than any of the people from his shoulders
upward.
1SA 10:24 And Samuel said to all the people,
"Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? Surely
there is no one like him among all the people." So
all the people shouted and said, "Long live the
king!"
1SA 10:25 Then Samuel told the people the
ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the
book and placed it before the Lord. And Samuel sent
all the people away, each one to his house.
1SA 10:26 And Saul also went to his house at
Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had
touched went with him.
1SA 10:27 But certain worthless men said,
"How can this one deliver us?" And they despised him
and did not bring him any present. But he kept
silent.
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1SA 11:1 Now
Nahash the Ammonite came up and besieged
Jabesh-gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to
Nahash, "Make a covenant with us and we will serve
you."
1SA 11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to
them, "I will make it with you on this condition,
that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of
you, thus I will make it a reproach on all Israel."
1SA 11:3 And the elders of Jabesh said to
him, "Let us alone for seven days, that we may send
messengers throughout the territory of Israel. Then,
if there is no one to deliver us, we will come out
to you."
1SA 11:4 Then the messengers came to Gibeah
of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the
people, and all the people lifted up their voices
and wept.
1SA 11:5 Now behold, Saul was coming from the
field behind the oxen; and he said, "What is the
matter with the people that they weep?" So they
related to him the words of the men of Jabesh.
1SA 11:6 Then the Spirit of God came upon
Saul mightily when he heard these words, and he
became very angry.
1SA 11:7 And he took a yoke of oxen and cut
them in pieces, and sent them throughout the
territory of Israel by the hand of messengers,
saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and
after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." Then
the dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they
came out as one man.
1SA 11:8 And he numbered them in Bezek; and
the sons of Israel were 300,000, and the men of
Judah 30,000.
1SA 11:9 And they said to the messengers who
had come, "Thus you shall say to the men of
Jabesh-gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is
hot, you shall have deliverance.'" So the messengers
went and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
1SA 11:10 Then the men of Jabesh said,
"Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you may do to
us whatever seems good to you."
1SA 11:11 And it happened the next morning
that Saul put the people in three companies; and
they came into the midst of the camp at the morning
watch, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat
of the day. And it came about that those who
survived were scattered, so that no two of them were
left together.
1SA 11:12 Then the people said to Samuel,
"Who is he that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?'
Bring the men, that we may put them to death."
1SA 11:13 But Saul said, "Not a man shall be
put to death this day, for today the Lord has
accomplished deliverance in Israel."
1SA 11:14 Then Samuel said to the people,
"Come and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom
there."
1SA 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal,
and there they made Saul king before the Lord in
Gilgal. There they also offered sacrifices of peace
offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all
the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
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1SA 12:1 Then
Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened
to your voice in all that you said to me, and I have
appointed a king over you.
1SA 12:2 "And now, here is the king walking
before you, but I am old and gray, and behold my
sons are with you. And I have walked before you from
my youth even to this day.
1SA 12:3 "Here I am; bear witness against me
before the Lord and His anointed. Whose ox have I
taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I
defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand
have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I
will restore it to you."
1SA 12:4 And they said, "You have not
defrauded us, or oppressed us, or taken anything
from any man's hand."
1SA 12:5 And he said to them, "The Lord is
witness against you, and His anointed is witness
this day that you have found nothing in my hand."
And they said, "He is witness."
1SA 12:6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It
is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and who
brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.
1SA 12:7 "So now, take your stand, that I may
plead with you before the Lord concerning all the
righteous acts of the Lord which He did for you and
your fathers.
1SA 12:8 "When Jacob went into Egypt and your
fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent
Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of
Egypt and settled them in this place.
1SA 12:9 "But they forgot the Lord their God,
so He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of
the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the
Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab,
and they fought against them.
1SA 12:10 "And they cried out to the Lord and
said, 'We have sinned because we have forsaken the
Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth;
but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies,
and we will serve Thee.'
1SA 12:11 "Then the Lord sent Jerubbaal and
Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you
from the hands of your enemies all around, so that
you lived in security.
1SA 12:12 "When you saw that Nahash the king
of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to
me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although
the Lord your God was your king.
1SA 12:13 "Now therefore, here is the king
whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and
behold, the Lord has set a king over you.
1SA 12:14 "If you will fear the Lord and
serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel
against the command of the Lord, then both you and
also the king who reigns over you will follow the
Lord your God.
1SA 12:15 "And if you will not listen to the
voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of
the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against
you, as it was against your fathers.
1SA 12:16 "Even now, take your stand and see
this great thing which the Lord will do before your
eyes.
1SA 12:17 "Is it not the wheat harvest today?
I will call to the Lord, that He may send thunder
and rain. Then you will know and see that your
wickedness is great which you have done in the sight
of the Lord by asking for yourselves a king."
1SA 12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and
the Lord sent thunder and rain that day; and all the
people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.
1SA 12:19 Then all the people said to Samuel,
"Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, so
that we may not die, for we have added to all our
sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king."
1SA 12:20 And Samuel said to the people, "Do
not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do
not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve
the Lord with all your heart.
1SA 12:21 "And you must not turn aside, for
then you would go after futile things which can not
profit or deliver, because they are futile.
1SA 12:22 "For the Lord will not abandon His
people on account of His great name, because the
Lord has been pleased to make you a people for
Himself.
1SA 12:23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it
from me that I should sin against the Lord by
ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in
the good and right way.
1SA 12:24 "Only fear the Lord and serve Him
in truth with all your heart; for consider what
great things He has done for you.
