The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward 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.

Samuel Judges Israel

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places.

Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel became old, 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.

and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. 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.

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.”

May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.

May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”