¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal^(A) and there renew the kingship.^(B)”

⁸ “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal.^(A) I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven^(B) days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

¹⁶ From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel^(A) to Gilgal^(B) to Mizpah, judging^(C) Israel in all those places.

³⁸ All these were fighting men who volunteered to serve in the ranks. They came to Hebron fully determined to make David king over all Israel.^(A) All the rest of the Israelites were also of one mind to make David king. ³⁹ The men spent three days there with David, eating and drinking,^(B) for their families had supplied provisions for them.

²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?^(A) There is no one like^(B) him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “Long live^(C) the king!”

²⁵ Samuel explained^(D) to the people the rights and duties^(E) of kingship.^(F) He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.

³ When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen^(A) on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place.