The Birth of Samuel

There was a certain man of (A)Ramathaim-zophim of (B)the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, (C)an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now this man used to go up (D)year by year from his city (E)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts (F)at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, (G)he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.[a] And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? (H)Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of (I)the temple of the Lord. 10 She was (J)deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she (K)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed (L)look on the affliction of your servant and (M)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, (N)and no razor shall touch his head.”

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but (O)I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as (P)a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, (Q)“Go in peace, and the God of Israel (R)grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, (S)“Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman (T)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at (U)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord (V)remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”[b]

Samuel Given to the Lord

21 The man Elkanah and all his house (W)went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord (X)and dwell there forever.” 23 (Y)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; (Z)only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, (AA)she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,[c] an ephah[d] of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to (AB)the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! (AC)As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, (AD)and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

(AE)And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah's Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said,

(AF)“My heart exults in the Lord;
    (AG)my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because (AH)I rejoice in your salvation.

(AI)“There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is (AJ)no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
(AK)The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
(AL)The barren has borne seven,
    (AM)but she who has many children is forlorn.
(AN)The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
(AO)The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    (AP)he brings low and he exalts.
(AQ)He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
(AR)to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
(AS)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them he has set the world.

(AT)“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 (AU)The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
    (AV)against them he will thunder in heaven.
(AW)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    (AX)and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home (AY)to Ramah. (AZ)And the boy[e] was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.

Eli's Worthless Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were (BA)worthless men. (BB)They did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, (BC)before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great (BD)in the sight of the Lord, (BE)for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

18 (BF)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy (BG)clothed with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year (BH)when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman (BI)for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home.

21 (BJ)Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. (BK)And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who (BL)were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, (BM)for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

26 Now the boy Samuel (BN)continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

The Lord Rejects Eli's Household

27 And there came (BO)a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, (BP)‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 (BQ)Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, (BR)to wear an ephod before me? (BS)I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then do you (BT)scorn[f] my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: (BU)‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ (BV)but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, (BW)the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then (BX)in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, (BY)and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his[g] eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants[h] of your house shall die by the sword of men.[i] 34 (BZ)And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die (CA)on the same day. 35 (CB)And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. (CC)And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before (CD)my anointed forever. 36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”

The Lord Calls Samuel

(CE)Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. (CF)And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

At that time Eli, (CG)whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. (CH)The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down (CI)in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” and 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.

And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel (CJ)at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli (CK)all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 (CL)And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, (CM)because his sons were blaspheming God,[j] (CN)and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli (CO)that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. (CP)May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, (CQ)“It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”

19 (CR)And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him (CS)and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel (CT)from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel (CU)at Shiloh (CV)by the word of the Lord.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at (CW)Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at (CX)Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here (CY)from Shiloh, that it[k] may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, (CZ)who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel (DA)gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. (DB)Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews (DC)as they have been to you; be men and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought, (DD)and Israel was defeated, (DE)and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 (DF)And the ark of God was captured, (DG)and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The Death of Eli

12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, (DH)with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, (DI)Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old (DJ)and his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, (DK)“How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward (DL)from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, (DM)“Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child (DN)Ichabod, saying, (DO)“The glory has departed[l] from Israel!” because (DP)the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, (DQ)for the ark of God has been captured.”

The Philistines and the Ark

When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from (DR)Ebenezer to (DS)Ashdod. Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside (DT)Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, (DU)Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, (DV)and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon (DW)do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

(DX)The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with (DY)tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” So they sent and gathered together all (DZ)the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. But after they had brought it around, (EA)the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that (EB)tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” 11 (EC)They sent therefore and gathered together 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 deathly panic throughout the whole city. (ED)The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who did not die were struck with (EE)tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and (EF)the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him (EG)a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why (EH)his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden (EI)tumors and five golden mice, (EJ)according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your (EK)tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, (EL)and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps (EM)he will lighten his hand from off you (EN)and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as (EO)the Egyptians and (EP)Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, (EQ)did they not send the people away, and they departed? Now then, take and prepare (ER)a new cart and two milk cows (ES)on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side (ET)the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as (EU)a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to (EV)Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not (EW)his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”

10 The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12 And the cows went straight in the direction of (EX)Beth-shemesh along (EY)one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of (EZ)Beth-shemesh. 13 Now the people of (FA)Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. (FB)A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon (FC)the great stone. And the men of (FD)Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16 And when (FE)the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.

17 These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a (FF)guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18 and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, (FG)both fortified cities and unwalled villages. (FH)The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 (FI)And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them,[m] and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20 Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, (FJ)“Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of (FK)Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of (FL)Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, (FM)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then (FN)put away the foreign gods and the (FO)Ashtaroth from among you and (FP)direct your heart to the Lord (FQ)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at (FR)Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered at (FS)Mizpah (FT)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord (FU)and fasted on that day and said there, (FV)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And (FW)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. (FX)But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel (FY)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[n] and called its name Ebenezer;[o] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 (FZ)So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 (GA)Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to (GB)Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. (GC)And he built there an altar to the Lord.

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel became old, (GD)he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. Yet his sons did not walk in his ways (GE)but turned aside after gain. (GF)They took bribes and perverted justice.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at (GG)Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. (GH)Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, (GI)for they have not rejected you, (GJ)but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them (GK)and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Samuel's Warning Against Kings

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11 He said, (GL)“These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: (GM)he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some (GN)to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 (GO)He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[p] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, (GP)but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The Lord Grants Israel's Request

19 But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 (GQ)that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, (GR)“Obey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

Saul Chosen to Be King

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was (GS)Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, (GT)a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. (GU)From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” And he passed through (GV)the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of (GW)Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant[q] who was with him, “Come, let us go back, (GX)lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” But he said to him, “Behold, there is (GY)a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; (GZ)all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, (HA)what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel[r] of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” (Formerly in Israel, when a man (HB)went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they went up the hill to the city, (HC)they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people (HD)have a sacrifice today on (HE)the high place. 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 till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.

15 Now the day before Saul came, (HF)the Lord had (HG)revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, (HH)and you shall anoint him to be prince[s] over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. (HI)For I have seen[t] my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, (HJ)“Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 (HK)As for your donkeys that 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 house?” 21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, (HL)from the least of the tribes of Israel? (HM)And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”

22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” 24 So the cook took up (HN)the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”[u]

So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul (HO)on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.[v] 26 Then at the break of dawn[w] Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”

Saul Anointed King

10 (HP)Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head (HQ)and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince[x] over (HR)his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince[y] over his heritage. When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by (HS)Rachel's tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, (HT)‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now (HU)your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the (HV)oak of Tabor. Three men (HW)going up (HX)to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand. After that you shall come to (HY)Gibeath-elohim,[z] (HZ)where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down (IA)from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. (IB)Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, (IC)and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. Now when (ID)these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, (IE)for God is with you. Then go down before me (IF)to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and (IG)to sacrifice peace offerings. (IH)Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”

When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day. 10 When they came to (II)Gibeah,[aa] behold, a group of prophets met him, (IJ)and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? (IK)Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 And a man of the place answered, (IL)“And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, (IM)“Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 (IN)Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, (IO)“To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 And Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 And Saul said to his uncle, (IP)“He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything.

Saul Proclaimed King

17 Now Samuel called the people together (IQ)to the Lord (IR)at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, (IS)“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 (IT)But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore (IU)present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.”

20 Then Samuel (IV)brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;[ab] and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 (IW)So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, (IX)he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him (IY)whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, (IZ)“Long live the king!”

25 Then Samuel told the people (JA)the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home (JB)at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some (JC)worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

11 (JD)Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged (JE)Jabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, (JF)“Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, (JG)that I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus (JH)bring disgrace on all Israel.” The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” When the messengers came to (JI)Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, (JJ)and all the people wept aloud.

Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. (JK)And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen (JL)and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, (JM)“Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out (JN)as one man. When he mustered them at (JO)Bezek, (JP)the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have (JQ)salvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, (JR)“Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 (JS)And the next day Saul put the people (JT)in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

The Kingdom Is Renewed

12 Then the people said to Samuel, (JU)“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ (JV)Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, (JW)“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today (JX)the Lord has worked (JY)salvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to (JZ)Gilgal, and there they made Saul king (KA)before the Lord in Gilgal. There (KB)they sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Samuel's Farewell Address

12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed (KC)your voice in all that you have said to me (KD)and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king (KE)walks before you, (KF)and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:5 Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Septuagint And, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the Lord had closed her womb
  2. 1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard of God
  3. 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text three bulls
  4. 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  5. 1 Samuel 2:11 Hebrew na‘ar can be rendered boy (2:11, 18, 21, 26; 3:1, 8), servant (2:13, 15), or young man (2:17), depending on the context
  6. 1 Samuel 2:29 Hebrew kick at
  7. 1 Samuel 2:33 Septuagint; Hebrew your; twice in this verse
  8. 1 Samuel 2:33 Hebrew increase
  9. 1 Samuel 2:33 Septuagint; Hebrew die as men
  10. 1 Samuel 3:13 Or blaspheming for themselves
  11. 1 Samuel 4:3 Or he
  12. 1 Samuel 4:21 Or gone into exile; also verse 22
  13. 1 Samuel 6:19 Most Hebrew manuscripts struck of the people seventy men, fifty thousand men
  14. 1 Samuel 7:12 Hebrew; Septuagint, Syriac Jeshanah
  15. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help
  16. 1 Samuel 8:16 Septuagint cattle
  17. 1 Samuel 9:5 Hebrew young man; also verses 7, 8, 10, 27
  18. 1 Samuel 9:8 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  19. 1 Samuel 9:16 Or leader
  20. 1 Samuel 9:16 Septuagint adds the affliction of
  21. 1 Samuel 9:24 Hebrew appointed, saying, ‘I have invited the people’
  22. 1 Samuel 9:25 Septuagint; Hebrew city, he spoke with Saul on the roof
  23. 1 Samuel 9:26 Septuagint; Hebrew And they arose early, and at the break of dawn
  24. 1 Samuel 10:1 Or leader
  25. 1 Samuel 10:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks over his people Israel? And you shall…. to be prince
  26. 1 Samuel 10:5 Gibeath-elohim means the hill of God
  27. 1 Samuel 10:10 Gibeah means the hill
  28. 1 Samuel 10:21 Septuagint adds finally he brought the family of the Matrites near, man by man

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