Judges 21:1 - 1 Samuel 18:11

Tree of Life Version

Israel Preserves the Benjaminites

21 Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah saying, “None of us will give his daughter to Benjamin in marriage.” ² So the people came to Bethel and sat there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices and wept bitterly. ³ They said, “Adonai God of Israel, why has this happened in Israel, that one tribe should be missing in Israel?”

⁴ Then it was on the next day that the people rose up early and built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. ⁵ Then Bnei-Yisrael asked, “Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who did not come up to the assembly before Adonai?” For they had made a great oath concerning anyone who did not come up to Adonai at Mizpah saying, “He will surely be put to death.”

⁶ Now Bnei-Yisrael felt sorry for Benjamin their brother and said, “Today one tribe has been cut off from Israel. ⁷ What should we do about providing wives for those who are left, since we have sworn by Adonai not to give them any of our daughters in marriage?”

⁸ Then they inquired, “Which one of the tribes of Israel that did not go up to Adonai at Mizpah?” Then behold, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly. ⁹ For when the people were numbered, behold not one of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead was there. ¹⁰ So the congregation sent 12,000 valiant warriors there, and commanded them saying, “Go and strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the edge of the sword, with the women and the little ones. ¹¹ Now this is the thing that you will do: you are to utterly destroy every male and every woman who has lain with a man.” ¹² So they found among the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 400 young virgins who had not known man by lying with him. They brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

¹³ Then the whole congregation sent and spoke to the children of Benjamin who were in the rock of Rimmon, and proclaimed shalom to them. ¹⁴ When Benjamin returned at that time, they gave them the women whom they had spared from the women of Jabesh-gilead. Yet they were not enough for them. ¹⁵ So the people were sorry for Benjamin because Adonai had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. ¹⁶ Then the elders of the congregation said, “What should we do about wives for those who are left, since the women have been destroyed out of Benjamin?” ¹⁷ They said “The survivors of Benjamin must have heirs, so that a tribe would not be blotted out from Israel. ¹⁸ Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters,” for Bnei-Yisrael had sworn saying, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to Benjamin!”

¹⁹ So they said, “Behold, there is the feast of Adonai from year to year at Shiloh” (which is to the north of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and to the south of Lebonah). ²⁰ So they commanded the children of Benjamin saying, “Go and hide in the vineyards, ²¹ and watch, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh should come out to join in the dances, then come out of the vineyards, and let each of you catch his wife from among the daughters of Shiloh. Then go to the land of Benjamin. ²² So it will be, if their fathers or brothers come to complain to us, that we will say to them, ‘Grant them graciously for us, because we did not provide each one of them his wife in battle—nor did you give the girls to them, else you would now be guilty.’”

²³ So the children of Benjamin did so, and took the number of wives from the dancers whom they carried off. Then they went and returned to their inheritance, and rebuilt the towns and settled in them.

²⁴ So Bnei-Yisrael departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and family. Everyone went out from there to his own inheritance.

²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

A Barren Woman’s Petition is Granted

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim—his name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

³ Now this man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to Adonai-Tzva’ot in Shiloh.^[a] (The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were kohanim of Adonai there.) ⁴ Then on the designated day Elkanah would sacrifice and give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, ⁵ but to Hannah he would give only one portion—even though he loved Hannah—for Adonai had closed her womb. ⁶ Her rival would taunt her bitterly to provoke her, because Adonai had closed her womb. ⁷ So it was year after year, whenever she went up to the House of Adonai, that she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.

⁸ Then her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁹ After eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up. Now Eli the kohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the Temple of Adonai. ¹⁰ While her soul was bitter, she prayed to Adonai and wept. ¹¹ So she made a vow and said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid, remember me and not forget Your handmaid, but grant Your handmaid a son, then I will give him to Adonai all the days of his life and no razor will ever touch his head.”

¹² It came to pass, as she prayed long before Adonai, that Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ Now Hannah was praying in her heart—only her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴ Then Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

¹⁵ But in response Hannah said, “No, my lord, I am a woman with an oppressed spirit! I haven’t been drinking wine or beer. Instead I’ve been pouring out my soul before Adonai. ¹⁶ Don’t consider your handmaid a wicked woman. For out of my great anguish and grief I’ve been praying until now.”

¹⁷ Then Eli responded, “Go in shalom, and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you asked of Him.”^[b]

¹⁸ “May your maidservant find favor in your eyes,” she said. So the woman went her way; she ate, and her countenance was no longer dejected.

¹⁹ They rose up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then went back to their home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and Adonai remembered her. ²⁰ So it came to pass at the turn of the year that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She called his name Samuel, “because I have asked Adonai for him.”

²¹ When the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer the annual sacrifice to Adonai and to fulfill his vow offering, ²² Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him, so he may appear before Adonai and stay there forever.”

²³ So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him—only may Adonai establish His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him. ²⁴ When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour and a jar of wine, and brought him to the House of Adonai in Shiloh, while the child was still young.

²⁵ After they slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. ²⁶ “It’s me, my lord!” she said. “As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to Adonai. ²⁷ For this boy I prayed, and Adonai has granted me my petition that I asked of Him. ²⁸ So I in turn dedicate him to Adonai—as long as he lives he is dedicated to Adonai.” Then he bowed in worship there before Adonai.

Hannah’s Prayer of Exultation

Eli’s Sons Sin Against Adonai

¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the boy served Adonai before Eli the kohen.

¹² Now Eli’s sons were worthless men^[e]; they did not acknowledge Adonai. ¹³ Now this was the custom of the kohanim with the people: whenever any man offered a sacrifice, the kohen’s servant would come along, 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 caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the kohen would take for himself. This is how they dealt with all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. ¹⁵ Even before they burned the fat, the kohen’s servant would come and say to the one offering sacrifice, “Give the kohen meat for roasting, since he will not accept boiled meat from you—only raw.”

¹⁶ If the man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat up as smoke, and then take as much as you desire,” he would reply, “No! But you must give it now—otherwise, I will take it by force.” ¹⁷ Thus the sin of the young men was very great before Adonai, for the men despised the offering of Adonai.

¹⁸ But Samuel was ministering before Adonai, as a boy girded with a linen ephod. ¹⁹ Moreover, 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 annual sacrifice. ²⁰ Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Adonai give you offspring from this woman instead of the one she requested from Adonai.” Then they would return to their place. ²¹ So Adonai visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before Adonai.

²² Now Eli had grown very old. He heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. ²³ So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear evil reports from all these people concerning you. ²⁴ No, my sons! For this is not a good report that I hear Adonai’s people spreading around. ²⁵ If a man sins against another, God may pardon him; but if a man sins against Adonai, who will intercede for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, because Adonai desired to put them to death. ²⁶ Meanwhile, the child Samuel kept growing and increasing in favor both with Adonai and also with men.^[f]

²⁷ Now there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Adonai: Did I not reveal Myself clearly to the house of your father when they were in Egypt belonging to Pharaoh’s palace? ²⁸ Also did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My kohanim, to officiate at My altar, to burn incense and to wear an ephod before Me? Did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of Bnei-Yisrael? ²⁹ Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by fattening yourselves with the choicest of every offering of Israel My people? ³⁰ Therefore Adonai God of Israel declares, I indeed said that your house and your father’s house should walk before Me forever. But now declares Adonai, far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained. ³¹ Behold, the days are coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your household will reach old age. ³² Moreover, you will behold the distress of My dwelling, despite all that is good that has been done to Israel. So no one in your household will reach old age, forever. ³³ Any man of yours that I did not cut off from My altar would make your eyes weep and your soul grieve. So all the increase of your household will die as young men. ³⁴ Now this will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons—Hophni and Phinehas—on the same day both of them will die.

³⁵ “Yet I will raise up for Myself a faithful kohen who will do according to what is in My heart and My mind. Then I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one all the time. ³⁶ Anyone left in your household will come and bow low to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say: ‘Please, assign me to one of the priestly offices so that I may eat a morsel of bread.’”

Calling of Samuel

3 Now the boy Samuel was in the service of Adonai under Eli. In those days the word of Adonai was rare—there were no visions breaking through. ² One day, Eli was lying down in his place—now his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see, ³ and the lamp of God had not yet gone out. Samuel was lying down in Adonai’s Temple, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then Adonai called, “Samuel!” So he answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

But he replied, “I didn’t call—go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down.

⁶ Then Adonai called Samuel yet again. So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”

But he answered, “I didn’t call, my son—go back to sleep.” ⁷ Now Samuel had not experienced Adonai yet, since the word of Adonai had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ Adonai called Samuel again for the third time. So he got up and went to Eli, and said “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that Adonai was calling the boy.

⁹ So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back to sleep, and if He calls you, say: ‘Speak, Adonai, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place. ¹⁰ Then Adonai came and stood and called as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

¹¹ Then Adonai said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone that hears it will tingle. ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. ¹³ For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity that he knew about, because his sons brought a curse on themselves yet he did not rebuke them. ¹⁴ Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”

¹⁵ Then Samuel lay down until the morning, when he opened the doors of the House of Adonai. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. ¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.”

“Here I am,” he replied.

¹⁷ “What is the word that He has spoken to you?” he said. “Please don’t hide it from me. May God do so to you and even more if you hide anything at all from me that He spoke to you.” ¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing. Then Eli said, “He is Adonai. May He do what is good in His eyes.”

¹⁹ So Samuel grew up and Adonai was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰ Then all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was entrusted as a prophet of Adonai. ²¹ Adonai started to appear once more in Shiloh, for Adonai revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Adonai.

Defeat and Loss of the Ark

4 So it was that the word of Samuel went forth to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines in battle. They camped at Eben-ezer while the Philistines camped in Aphek. ² The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel, and when the battle was fought, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed 4,000 men on the battlefield.

³ When the people came back to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did Adonai bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let’s fetch the ark of the covenant of Adonai from Shiloh that He may come among us and deliver us from the hand of our enemies.” ⁴ So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of Adonai-Tzva’ot who sits above the cheruvim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. ⁵ Now when the ark of the covenant of Adonai entered the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the ground resounded.

⁶ When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they wondered, “What’s this noise of a great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” When they realized that the ark of Adonai had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” So they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has ever happened before. ⁸ Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of this mighty God? This is the God that struck down the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, or else you will become enslaved to the Hebrews as they have been to you. Be like men and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines did fight and Israel was defeated—they fled every man to his tent. The slaughter was very great, as 30,000 of Israel’s foot soldiers fell. ¹¹ Moreover, the ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas died.

¹² Now that same day a man of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the wayside watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God. When the man arrived to announce it in the town, the entire town cried out. ¹⁴ And when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he asked, “What’s this noisy commotion?” So the man rushed and came and told Eli.

¹⁵ Now Eli was 98 years old, and his eyes were fixed in a blind stare. ¹⁶ Then the man said to Eli, “I am one coming from the battlefield—I escaped from the battlefield today.”

“What is happening, my son?” he asked.

¹⁷ And the messenger answered and said, “Israel fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons died—Hophni and Phinehas—and the ark of God was captured.” ¹⁸ As soon as he mentioned of the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the town gate. His neck broke and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel 40 years.

¹⁹ Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child and about to deliver. When she heard the report that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she crouched down and gave birth because she was seized with her labor pains. ²⁰ As she was dying, the women attending her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have brought forth a son!” But she did not respond or take it to heart. ²¹ Then she named the child Ichabod^[g] saying, “The glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. ²² So she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken!”

The Ark Afflicts the Philistines

5 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God and they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod. ² The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the temple of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. ³ But when the Ashdodites arose early next morning, to everyone’s surprise, Dagon had fallen to his face on the ground before the ark of Adonai. So they took Dagon up and put him back in his place. ⁴ But when they arose early the following morning, surprisingly, Dagon had fallen to his face on the ground before the ark of Adonai, and the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only Dagon’s trunk was left on him. ⁵ That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house will tread on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.

⁶ Then the hand of Adonai was heavy upon the Ashdodites, ravaging them and afflicting Ashdod and its vicinity with tumors. ⁷ When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, for His hand has dealt harshly against us as well as against our god Dagon.” ⁸ So they sent word and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and asked, “What will we do with the ark of the God of Israel?”

They replied, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel over. ⁹ But it came about, that after they had carried it around, that the hand of Adonai was against the city causing very great panic, as He struck the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, so that tumors broke out on them.

¹⁰ So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But it came about as the ark of God came to Ekron that the Ekronites cried out saying, “They’ve brought around the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people!” ¹¹ So they sent word and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away—let it go back to its own place, so it won’t kill us and our people!” For a panic of death was throughout the entire city, as God’s hand was very heavy there. ¹² The people who did not die were afflicted with tumors, so that the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

Philistines Send the Ark Back

6 After the ark of Adonai had been in the country of the Philistines seven months, ² the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners saying, “What should we do with the ark of Adonai? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

³ So they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel back, do not send it empty. For you must surely return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will be revealed to you why His hand has not been removed from you.”

⁴ “What guilt offering should we return to Him?” they asked.

So they said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice—according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on each of you and on your lords. ⁵ So you will make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land, and you must give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand off of you, your gods and your land. ⁶ Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He afflicted them, didn’t they send them away so they left? ⁷ Now therefore get a new cart ready, two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke, hitch the cows to the cart, and return their calves home, away from them. ⁸ Then take the ark of Adonai and place it on the cart; also put the golden objects that you return to Him as a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it off so it may go. ⁹ Then watch—if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then it was He who inflicted on us this great harm. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it just happened to us by chance.”

¹⁰ So the people did so—they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. ¹¹ Then they placed the ark of Adonai on the cart together with the box, the golden mice, and the models of their tumors. ¹² So the cows took the way straight toward Beth-shemesh—they kept along the same highway, lowing as they went, and turned aside neither to the right nor to the left. The lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

¹³ Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. When they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. ¹⁴ The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there, where there was a large stone. Then they chopped the wood of the cart and offered up the cows as a burnt offering to Adonai. ¹⁵ The Levites took down the ark of Adonai and the box that was with it that contained the gold objects, and placed them on the large stone. Then the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices to Adonai that day.

¹⁶ Now when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron that same day. ¹⁷ So these are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to Adonai: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron. ¹⁸ The golden mice also corresponded to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords—both the fortified cities and their country villages—as far as the large stone on which they had set down the ark of Adonai. It remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

¹⁹ Then He struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had gazed into the ark of Adonai. He struck down the people—70 out of 50,000 men—the people mourned because Adonai had struck the people a great slaughter. ²⁰ So the men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before Adonai—this holy God? To whom should it go up from us?” ²¹ So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of Adonai. Come down—bring it up to you.”

Samuel’s Victory at Mizpah

7 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came and fetched up the ark of Adonai, brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of Adonai. ² From the day the ark rested in Kiriath-jearim it was a long time, 20 years, and the whole house of Israel yearned after Adonai. ³ Then Samuel spoke to the whole house of Israel saying, “If you are returning to Adonai with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, direct your hearts to Adonai and serve Him only. Then He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So Bnei-Yisrael removed the Baalim^[h] and the Ashtaroth, and served Adonai alone.

⁵ Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to Adonai for you.” ⁶ So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before Adonai. They fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Adonai.” Then Samuel was judging Bnei-Yisrael at Mizpah.

⁷ Now when the Philistines heard that Bnei-Yisrael had assembled at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines marched against Israel. When Bnei-Yisrael heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ So Bnei-Yisrael said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to Adonai our God for us, so He may save us from the hand of the Philistines!”

⁹ Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to Adonai. Then Samuel cried out to Adonai for Israel and Adonai answered him. ¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Adonai thundered with loud thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them so that they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹ Then the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down all the way to below Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and named Eben-ezer^[i] saying, “Thus far Adonai has helped us.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued and they did not invade the border of Israel anymore. The hand of Adonai was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel, from Ekron to Gath, were restored to Israel, and Israel recovered its territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ He used to go annually on a circuit to Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpah, and would judge over Israel in all those places. ¹⁷ Then his return was to Ramah, because his home was there, and from there he would judge Israel. So he built an altar to Adonai there.

Israel Demands a King

8 Now when Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ² The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second Abijah—they were judges in Beersheba. ³ His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain—they took bribes and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, ⁵ and said to him, “Behold, you have grown old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us—like all the nations.” ⁶ But the matter was displeasing in Samuel’s eyes when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to Adonai.

⁷ Then Adonai said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For they have not rejected you, rather they have rejected Me from being king over them. ⁸ Like all the deeds that they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt to this day—forsaking Me and worshiping other gods—so they are doing to you also. ⁹ So now, listen to their voice. However, you must earnestly forewarn them, and declare to them the rulings of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰ Now Samuel reported all the words of Adonai to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ “This will be the practice of the king that will reign over you,” he said. “He will draft your sons and assign them as his charioteers and horsemen, and they will run before his chariots. ¹² He will appoint them as commanders of thousands and captains of fifties, also some to plow his fields, reap his harvest, make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. ¹³ Also he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will seize the best of your fields, vineyards and olive groves, and give them to his courtiers. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage and give it to his officials and slaves. ¹⁶ He will also take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work. ¹⁷ He will also take the tenth of your flocks. Then you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When the day comes and you cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, Adonai will not answer you on that day.”

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to Samuel, and they said, “No! But a king should be over us! ²⁰ So we may become like all the nations—having our king who will judge us, go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ After Samuel heard all the words of the people, he reported them back in the hearing of Adonai. ²² Adonai said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint a king to reign for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each one to his town.”

Saul Meets Samuel

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah son of a Benjamite. He was a mighty man of valor ^{[j] 2} and he had a son whose name was Saul—young and handsome—there was no one among Bnei-Yisrael better than him. From his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

³ Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now one of the servants with you, get up and look for the donkeys.” ⁴ So 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 Benjamin, but still did not find them. ⁵ When they arrived in the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant with him, “Come, let’s go back—otherwise my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

⁶ Then his servant said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this town, and he is a man held in honor—everything he says is sure to come true. Now, let’s go there. Perhaps he’ll tell us the way we should go.”

⁷ Then said Saul to his servant, “But look, if we go, what would we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is nothing to bring to the man of God as a present. What do we have?”

⁸ The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us our way.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let’s go to the seer”—for today’s prophet was formerly called a seer.)

¹⁰ Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said. Come, let’s go!” So they went to the town where the man of God was. ¹¹ As they went up the hill to the town, they found some girls going out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?” ¹² They answered them and said, “He is there, ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come today to the town because people have a sacrifice at the high place today. ¹³ As soon as you enter the town, you’ll find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must first bless the sacrifice—afterward the guests can eat. So now, get up, for you will find him at once.” ¹⁴ So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.

¹⁵ One day before Saul came, Adonai had revealed to Samuel saying: ¹⁶ “Tomorrow about this time, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him ruler over My people Israel. He will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. I have observed My people, because their cry has come to Me.”

¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, Adonai spoke to him, “Behold, this is the man I told you about. This one will govern My people.” ¹⁸ Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and asked, “Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul by saying, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. For today you will eat with me. In the morning when I send you off, I will tell you everything that is in your heart. ²⁰ As for the donkeys that you lost three days ago, don’t set your heart on them, for they have been found. Now, for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?”

²¹ Saul answered by saying, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my clan is the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? So why do you say such things to me?”

²² Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of the guests, who numbered about 30 people. ²³ Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave you and told you to set aside.” ²⁴ So the cook took up the thigh, raised it, and set it before Saul. Then he said, “Here is what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept until this appointed time for you, since I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ When they came down from the high place to the town, he spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶ They rose early, and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof saying, “Get up, so I may send you off.” So Saul got up, and both of them, he and Samuel, went outside. ²⁷ As they were going down toward the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go ahead of us and pass on, but as for you, stand still awhile, so that I may proclaim to you the word of God.”

Saul Anointed King

10 Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head. Then he kissed him and said, “Has Adonai not anointed you ruler over His inheritance? ² When you leave me today, you will find two men near the tomb of Rachel in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you: ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found—behold, your father has dropped the matter about the donkeys and is worried about you saying, “What should I do about my son?’” ³ Then you will go on from there until you reach the terebinth of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Beth-el will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and the other carrying a jug of wine. ⁴ Then they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will receive from their hand. ⁵ After that, you will arrive at the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. It will come about, as soon as you enter the town, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by a harp, a tambourine and a flute, and they will be prophesying. ⁶ Then the Ruach of Adonai will seize you and you will prophesy with them—you will turn into another man. ⁷ Now when these signs happen to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. ⁸ Afterward, you are to go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice fellowship offerings. Seven days you will wait, until I come to you and instruct you what you should do.”

⁹ Then it happened, as Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, that God transformed his heart, and all those signs came to pass that day. ¹⁰ When they arrived there, at the hill, behold, a band of prophets did meet him, and suddenly, the Ruach of God overtook him, and subsequently, he prophesied among them. ¹¹ So when all who knew him formerly saw him prophesying with the prophets, they said one to another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹² (Someone there asked, “Who is their father?”) Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³ When he finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴ Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. But when we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me now, what did Samuel say to you?”

¹⁶ “He assured us that the donkeys had been found,” Saul said to his uncle. But concerning the matter of kingship about which Samuel spoke, he told him nothing.

¹⁷ Then Samuel summoned the people to Adonai at Mizpah. ¹⁸ He said to Bnei-Yisrael, “Thus says Adonai, God of Israel: I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. ¹⁹ But today you have spurned your God, who is your deliverer from all your calamities and your distresses. For you said to Him: ‘No! Rather set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before Adonai by your tribes and by your thousands.”

²⁰ So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. ²¹ Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was chosen. Finally, Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he could not be found. ²² Therefore, they inquired of Adonai further, “Has the man come here yet?” Adonai answered, “He has just hidden himself among the baggage.” ²³ So they ran and brought him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders up.

²⁴ Then Samuel announced to all the people, “Do you see the one Adonai has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people!”

Then all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!” ²⁵ Then Samuel explained to the people the rules of kingship, wrote them in a scroll and placed it before Adonai. Then Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. ²⁶ Saul also went home to Gibeah, accompanied by men of valor whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But certain worthless men said, “How can this one save us?” So they despised him and brought him no present. But he kept silent.

Saul’s First Victory

11 Now Nahash the Ammonite marched up and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. Then all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

² But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “Only on this condition will I make a treaty with you—by gouging out the right eye of every one of you, thus I will bring disgrace on all Israel.”

³ So the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite, so we may send messengers throughout all the territory of Israel. If no one comes to deliver us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and spoke these words in the hearing of the people, all the people lifted up their voice and wept. ⁵ Now behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen, so Saul asked, “Why are the people weeping?” Then they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. ⁶ Then the Ruach of God suddenly rushed upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger blazed. ⁷ So he took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen.” So the dread of Adonai fell on the people, and they came out as one man. ⁸ He numbered them in Bezek, and Bnei-Yisrael were 300,000 and the men of Judah 30,000.

⁹ So they said to the messengers who came, “Thus will you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will have deliverance.” The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

¹⁰ Then the men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.” ¹¹ So it was on the following day that Saul divided the people into three columns; they penetrated into the midst of the camp at the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of day. It came about that the survivors were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹² Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it who said, ‘Should Saul reign over us?’ Bring the men, so we may put them to death.”^[k]

¹³ But Saul replied, “No man will be put to death this day, for today Adonai has brought deliverance to Israel.” ¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal and reaffirm the kingdom there.” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before Adonai in Gilgal. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before Adonai, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

Samuel Rebukes Israel

12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have listened to your voice in all you said to me, and have set a king over you. ² Now here is the king who will go before you, while I am old and gray. Also here are my sons with you. I have gone before you from my youth to this day. ³ Here I am. Witness against me before Adonai and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken or whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded or whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe to look the other way? I will restore it to you.”

⁴ They replied, “You haven’t defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵ Then he said to them, “Adonai is then a witness against you, and His anointed is a witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand.”

“He is a witness,” they replied.

⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “It is Adonai who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt. ⁷ So now, stand still, so that I may plead with you before Adonai concerning all the righteous acts of Adonai, which He did for you and your fathers. ⁸ When Jacob entered Egypt and your fathers cried out to Adonai, then Adonai sent Moses and Aaron who brought your fathers out of Egypt and settled them in this place. ⁹ But they forgot Adonai their God, so He gave them over into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, who fought against them. ¹⁰ So they cried out to Adonai and said, ‘We have sinned because we have forsaken Adonai and have worshipped the Baalim and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us from the hand of our enemies and we will worship You.’ ¹¹ Then Adonai sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, so that you might live securely. ¹² But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites marching against you, you said to me, ‘No! But a king must reign over us!’—even though Adonai your God is your king.

¹³ “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have asked for, and behold, Adonai has set him as king over you. ¹⁴ If you fear Adonai and worship Him, and listen to His voice and do not rebel against the command of Adonai, then both you as well as the king who reigns over you will be following Adonai your God. ¹⁵ But if you do not listen to the voice of Adonai and rebel against the command of Adonai, then the hand of Adonai will be against you and against your fathers. ¹⁶ Now stand by and see this great thing that Adonai will do before your eyes. ¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest season today? I will call to Adonai, 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 Adonai by asking for yourselves a king.”

¹⁸ So Samuel prayed to Adonai, and Adonai sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Adonai and Samuel, ¹⁹ and all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Adonai your God, that we would not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil by asking for ourselves a king.”

²⁰ Samuel said to the people, “Fear not! Indeed you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following Adonai, but worship Adonai with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn aside to go after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are futile. ²² For Adonai will not forsake His people for His great Name’s sake,^[l] because it has pleased Adonai to make you a people to Himself. ²³ Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Adonai by ceasing to pray for you! Yet I will keep instructing you in the good and straight way. ²⁴ Only fear Adonai and worship Him in truth with all your heart, considering how magnificently He has dealt with you. ²⁵ But if you persist in acting wickedly, you will be swept away, both you and your king.”

Saul’s Misguided Sacrifice

13 Saul was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for 42 years over Israel. ² Now Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel, of which 2,000 were with Saul in Michmas and in the hill country of Beth-el, and 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the troops he sent away, each one to his tent.

³ Now Jonathan struck down the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. So Saul blew the shofar throughout the country, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” ⁴ All Israel heard the news, “Saul had struck down the garrison of the Philistines, so Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” Then the people were summoned to Saul at Gilgal. ⁵ Meanwhile the Philistines assembled themselves to fight with Israel: 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They marched up and camped in Michmas, east of Beth-aven.

⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble, because the people were hard-pressed, they hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, crevices and pits. ⁷ Some of the Hebrews even crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, but all the people following him were trembling.

⁸ So he waited seven days—the time set by Samuel—but Samuel had not come to Gilgal so the people began to scatter from him. ⁹ Then Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings,” so he offered the burnt offering. ¹⁰ But as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and greet him. ¹¹ But Samuel asked, “What have you done?”

Saul replied, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you had not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmas, ¹² I thought: ‘Now the Philistines are about to advance against me at Gilgal, but I have not yet entreated Adonai.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.”

¹³ Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly by not keeping the commandment of Adonai your God which He commanded you. For now, Adonai would have established your kingship over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingship will not last. Adonai has sought for Himself a man after His own heart. So Adonai will appoint him as ruler over His people—because you have not guarded what Adonai commanded you.” ¹⁵ Samuel then departed and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.

Then Saul numbered the troops that were with him, about 600 men. ¹⁶ Now Saul and his son Jonathan and the people that were present with them were staying in Gibeah of Benjamin, while the Philistines encamped in Michmas. ¹⁷ Raiders started to come out from the camp of the Philistines in three detachments: one detachment turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual, ¹⁸ another detachment turned toward Beth-horon, and the third detachment turned toward the border road overlooking the Zeboim Wadi toward the wilderness.

¹⁹ Now no blacksmith could be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” ²⁰ So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines, each to sharpen his plowshare, his sickle, his axe or his hoe. ²¹ The price of sharpening was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the sickles, the three-pronged forks or the axes, or to set the oxgoads. ²² So it came about on the day of battle, there was no sword or spear to be found in the hand of any of the troops that were with Saul and Jonathan—only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. ²³ Then the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmas.

Jonathan’s Daring Valor

14 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man carrying his armor, “Come, let’s cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that’s on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. ² Now Saul was sitting on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and the troops with him were about 600 men. ³ Ahijah son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas son of Eli, the kohen of Adonai in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the troops did not know that Jonathan was gone. ⁴ Between the crossings by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on one side and another rocky crag on the other side—one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. ⁵ One crag was to the north near Michmas, and the other to the south near Geba.

⁶ Then Jonathan said to the young man carrying his armor, “Come, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. Perhaps Adonai will work for us, for nothing restrains Adonai from delivering whether by many or by few.” ⁷ His armor-bearer answered him, “Do whatever is in your heart; go ahead—I’m with you whatever your heart decides.”

⁸ Then Jonathan said, “Here, we’ll cross over to the men, then let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us: ‘Wait till we come to you,’ then we’ll stand still in our place and will not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up, for Adonai has delivered them into our hand—that will be our sign.”

¹¹ So they both let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison. “Look, some Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding,” the Philistines said. ¹² So the men of the garrison shouted down to Jonathan and his armor-bearer saying, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson!”

Then Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Follow me, for Adonai has handed them over to Israel!” ¹³ So Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Then they fell before Jonathan, his armor-bearer behind him finishing them off. ¹⁴ That first assault that Jonathan and his armor-bearer made struck down about 20 men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. ¹⁵ Terror then spread through the camp, in the field, and among all the troops. Even the outposts and the raiders also trembled, when the earth quaked—it was a trembling from God.

¹⁶ Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin saw the throng scattering away in every direction. ¹⁷ So Saul said to the people who were with him, “Call the roll now and see who went from us.” When they called the roll, behold Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

¹⁸ Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God at that time was with Bnei-Yisrael. ¹⁹ But while Saul was talking to the kohen, the commotion in the Philistine camp kept increasing, so Saul said to the kohen, “Withdraw your hand.” ²⁰ Then Saul and all the people with him rallied and rushed into the battle. Behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow in utter confusion! ²¹ Now there were Hebrews who had defected to the Philistines previously and had gone up with them to their camp round about—even they joined the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² Also when all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they also chased after them in the battle. ²³ So Adonai delivered Israel that day. The battle spread as far as Beth-aven.

Saul’s Rash Vow

²⁴ Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed that day, for Saul put the people under oath saying, “Cursed be the man that eats any food before evening, until I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the people tasted food. ²⁵ But when all the people of the land entered the forest, there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When the people entered the forest, indeed, there was a flow of honey, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard when his father made the people swear the oath. So he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb, put his hand to his mouth—and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ Then, one of the soldiers told him, “Your father strictly put the people under oath saying: ‘Cursed be the man that eats food today.’ But the troops are exhausted.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the people. Just look how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much more, if only the troops had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found? Wouldn’t the slaughter among the Philistines have then been greater?”

³¹ That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmas to Aijalon, though the people were so weary. ³² Then the people rushed greedily upon the plunder, took sheep, oxen and calves, butchered them on the ground, and the people ate them with the blood. ³³ Then they reported to Saul saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Adonai by eating with the blood.”

“You have acted faithlessly,” he said. “Roll a great stone towards me at once.” ³⁴ Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and tell them: ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and butcher them here and eat. Don’t sin against Adonai by eating with the blood.’” So all the people each brought his ox with him that night and butchered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to Adonai; it was the first altar that he built to Adonai.

³⁶ Then Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, we won’t leave any survivors among them.”

“Do whatever seems good in your eyes,” they replied.

Then the kohen said, “Let us draw near to God here.”

³⁷ So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day. ³⁸ Then Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; investigate and see how this sin was committed today. ³⁹ For as Adonai—Israel’s deliverer—lives, even if it was by my son Jonathan, he will surely die.” But not one among all the people answered him.

⁴⁰ So he said to all Israel, “You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other side.”

“Do what seems good in your eyes,” said the people to Saul.

⁴¹ So Saul said to Adonai, “God of Israel, grant a perfect lot.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people were cleared. ⁴² Then Saul said, “Cast the lots between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you’ve done.”

Jonathan told him saying, “I certainly did taste a little honey—with the end of the rod that was in my hand. Here I am—I must die!”

⁴⁴ “May God do so to me and even more,” Saul said. “You must surely die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? It was he who brought about this great deliverance in Israel! Far be it! As Adonai lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground! For he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die.

⁴⁶ Then Saul broke off pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own country. ⁴⁷ After Saul had secured his kingship over Israel, he waged war against all his enemies on every side—against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he punished them. ⁴⁸ He did so with valor, defeating the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hands of those who had plundered them.

⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were: the name of the firstborn Merab and the name of the younger Michal. ⁵⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹ Kish was Saul’s father, and Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.

⁵² Now there was bitter war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul saw any mighty man or any son of valor, he would gather him to himself.

Saul Spares Agag of Amalek

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Adonai sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of Adonai! ² Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. ³ Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴ So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them in Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. ⁵ Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. ⁶ Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, or else I may destroy you with them—for you showed kindness to all Bnei-Yisrael when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur, which is close to Egypt. ⁸ He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag as well as the best of the sheep, the cattle, even the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, since they were not willing to utterly destroy them; everything that was worthless and feeble, they destroyed completely.

¹⁰ Then the word of Adonai came to Samuel saying: ¹¹ “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” So Samuel was troubled and cried out to Adonai all night long. ¹² Then Samuel rose early in the morning to confront Saul. But it was reported to Samuel saying, “Saul went to Carmel—for some reason, he erected a monument for himself. Then he turned and went down to Gilgal.”

¹³ Now when Samuel reached Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Adonai! I have carried out Adonai’s command.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”

¹⁵ “They brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied, “for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Adonai your God—but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

¹⁶ “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what Adonai said to me last night.”

“Say on,” he said.

¹⁷ Then Samuel said, “Isn’t it true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you were made head of the tribes of Israel? Adonai anointed you king over Israel! ¹⁸ Then Adonai sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and utterly destroy the Amalekites, the sinners, and wage war against them until you annihilate them.’ ¹⁹ Why then did you not obey the voice of Adonai, but rushed greedily onto the spoil—doing what was evil in Adonai’s eyes?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the voice of Adonai,” Saul said to Samuel. “I went on the mission on which Adonai sent me, and brought back Agag the king of Amalek—and utterly destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen—the best of what was under the ban of destruction—to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal.”

²² Samuel said:

²³ For rebellion is like the sin of divination

and stubbornness is like iniquity

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned! For I have transgressed against the word of Adonai and your words—because I feared the people and listened to their voice. ^{[n] 25} So now, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship Adonai.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of Adonai, and Adonai has rejected you as king over Israel.”

²⁷ As Samuel turned about to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Then Samuel said to him, “Adonai has torn the kingship over Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. ²⁹ Moreover, the Eternal Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind.^[o] For He is not human that He should change His mind.”

³⁰ Then Saul said, “I have sinned! But please, honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me until I bow in worship to Adonai your God.” ³¹ So Samuel returned after Saul, and Saul bowed in worship to Adonai.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag the king of Amalek.” Agag approached him in chains, thinking, “Surely bitter death has turned back.” ³³ Then Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces before Adonai in Gilgal.

³⁴ Samuel then went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Samuel never did see Saul again until the day of his death. Yet Samuel mourned over Saul, while Adonai regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David

16 Now Adonai said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite, for I have selected for Myself a king among his sons.”

² But Samuel replied, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”

Adonai said, “Take a heifer with you and say: ‘I have come to sacrifice to Adonai.’ ³ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You will anoint for Me whom I tell you.”

⁴ So Samuel did what Adonai said and went to Beth-lehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and asked, “Do you come in shalom?”

⁵ “In shalom,” he said. “I have come to sacrifice to Adonai. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ Upon their arrival, he saw Eliab and thought, “Surely, Adonai’s anointed one is before Him.”

⁷ But Adonai said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature, because I have already refused him. For He does not see a man as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Adonai looks into the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by and again he said, “Neither has Adonai chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Adonai has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the boys you have?”

“There’s still the youngest,” he replied. But right now, he’s tending the sheep.”

“Send and bring him,” Samuel said to Jesse, “for we will not sit down until he comes here.” ¹² So he sent word and had him come. Now he was ruddy-cheeked, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance.

Then Adonai said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one.” ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. From that day on Ruach Adonai came mightily upon David. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David Soothes Saul’s Torment

¹⁴ Now the Ruach Adonai had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Adonai terrified him. ¹⁵ So Saul’s courtiers said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command your courtiers in your service to search for a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, he will play with his instrument and you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his courtiers, “Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the young men answered and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite who is skillful in playing music. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, a handsome man, and Adonai is with him.”

¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey, loaded it with bread, a bottle of wine and a young goat, and sent them with his son David to Saul. ²¹ Then David came to Saul and became one of his attendants. Saul loved him greatly, so David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse saying, “Let David now keep attending me, for he has found favor in my eyes.” ²³ It came to pass, whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand. So Saul would find relief and feel better, as the evil spirit departed from him.

David Slays Goliath with Sling and Stone

17 Now the Philistines assembled their armies to battle. They were gathered at Socoh of Judah, and camped in Ephes-dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, then lined up in battle array against the Philistines. ³ The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. ⁴ Then a champion stepped out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and a breastplate of scale armor; the weight of the bronze breastplate was 5,000 shekels^[p]. ⁶ He also had bronze shin-guards on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. ⁷ The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed 600 shekels^[q] of iron; and his shield-bearer was marching ahead of him.

⁸ Then he stood and shouted out to the ranks of Israel saying to them, “Why come out to line up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then will you become our slaves and serve us.” ¹⁰ The Philistine added, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel—give me a man, so we may fight together!”

¹¹ But when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very terrified.

¹² Now David was son of a certain Ephrathite man of Beth-lehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons and during the days of Saul the man was old, advanced in years among men. ¹³ Now the three oldest sons of Jesse had already left and gone after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. So the three oldest followed Saul. ¹⁵ Now David would go back and forth from Saul to tending his father’s sheep by Beth-lehem.

¹⁶ For forty days that Philistine would come out every morning and evening to present himself. ¹⁷ Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now, for your brothers, an ephah of this roasted grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. ¹⁸ Also take these ten slices of cheese to the captain of their thousand—and check out the welfare of your brothers and bring back some token from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.”

²⁰ So David rose up early in the morning, left the flock with a keeper, took the provisions and went as Jesse had commanded him. When he reached the camp, the army was going out to the battle line shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines drew up their battle lines, army against army. ²² Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered to check out his brothers’ welfare. ²³ But as he was talking with them, behold the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the ranks of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.

²⁴ Upon seeing him, all the men of Israel fled from him in great fear. ²⁵ All the men of Israel were saying, “Have you seen this man who keeps coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel! The man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, give him his daughter in marriage and make his father’s house tax-free in Israel!”

²⁶ Then David asked the men who were standing by him saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the ranks of the living God?”

²⁷ The people answered him with the same speech saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who strikes him down.” ²⁸ Now when Eliab his oldest brother heard him speaking to the men, Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “So with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart! For you’ve come down here to watch the battle.”

²⁹ “What have I done now?” David said. “It was only a question!” ³⁰ Then he turned away from him toward someone else and asked the same question. So the people gave him the same answer as before.

³¹ The words that David said were overheard and reported before Saul. So he was taken to him. ³² David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

³³ Then Saul said to David, “You can’t go fight this Philistine—for you’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since his youth.”

³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb out of the flock, ³⁵ I went out after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb out of its mouth. If it rose up against me, I grabbed him by its fur, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, so this uncircumcised Philistine will become like one of them—since he has defied the ranks of the living God.” ³⁷ Then David said, “Adonai, who has delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

“Go!” said Saul to David, “and may Adonai be with you.”

³⁸ Then Saul clothed David with his own garb, put a bronze helmet on his head, and clothed him in armor. ³⁹ David strapped his sword on his garment and tried to walk, but he was not used to it. So David said to Saul, “I cannot walk in these, for I am not used to them.” So David took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the valley, put them in the pocket of the shepherd’s bag that he had, and with his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine.

⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine drew nearer and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² Now when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was just a ruddy boy with a handsome appearance. ⁴³ Then the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”

⁴⁵ Then David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I am coming to you in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot, God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This very day Adonai will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and take your head off you, and I will give the carcasses of the Philistines’ camp today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and so all this assembly will know that Adonai delivers not with sword and spear—for the battle belongs to Adonai—and He will give you into our hands.”

⁴⁸ Then when the Philistine rose and began to advance, drawing near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took from it a stone and slung it, striking the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.

⁵⁰ So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, struck the Philistine down and killed him. Since there was no sword in David’s hand, ⁵¹ David ran, stood over the Philistine, picked up his sword, drew it from its sheath, slew him and cut off his head with it.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵² Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up, shouted and pursued the Philistines all the way to the valley up to the gates of Ekron. The slain Philistines fell down along the way to Shaaraim, even up to Gath and Ekron.

⁵³ When Bnei-Yisrael returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. ⁵⁴ David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his own tent. ⁵⁵ Now when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this boy?”

Abner said, “As your soul lives, your majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶ So the king said, “Then, find out whose son this young man is.” ⁵⁷ So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

⁵⁸ “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul said to him.

David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Beth-lehemite.”

Jonathan’s Covenant Love for David

18 Now it came to pass, when David had finished speaking to Saul, Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s soul, and Jonathan loved him as himself. ² Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. ³ Then Jonathan cut a covenant with David, because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan stripped off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, along with his armor: his sword, bow and belt.

Saul’s Jealousy

⁵ So David went out wherever Saul sent him and had success, so Saul set him over the men of war. It was pleasing in the eyes of all the people as well as in the eyes of Saul’s courtiers. ⁶ Upon their coming back, upon David’s return from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing in circles to greet King Saul, with timbrels, with joy and with three-stringed instruments. ⁷ So the women sang one to another, as they were dancing saying,

⁸ Then Saul became very angry—this saying was evil in his eyes—and he commented, “They’ve ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they’ve ascribed thousands. Now what more does he lack but the kingdom?” ⁹ So Saul eyed David from that day on.

¹⁰ It came about the next day that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, so that he was raving within the palace. While David was playing music with his hand, as he did day by day, Saul had his spear in his hand, ¹¹ and Saul hurled the spear, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall!” But David eluded him—twice.