the LORD, that holy God? and to whom shall he go from us?

And they sent messengers unto the inhabitants of Kiriathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come down, and bring it up unto you.
Chapter 7
The penitent Israelites are victorious against the Philistines at Samuel’s prayer.

So the men of Kiriathjearim came and took up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in Gibeah: and they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

And from the day that the ark of the LORD abode in Kiriathjearim, time delayed until twenty years: and all the house of Israel wept before the LORD.

And Samuel said unto all the house of Israel, If ye turn unto the LORD with all your heart, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and set your heart on the LORD, and serve him only; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

And the children of Israel put away Baalim and Ashtaroth from them, and served the LORD
only.

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel together to Mizpeh, that I may pray unto the LORD for you.

And they came together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and
fasted that day, and said there: We have sinned against the LORD. So Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpeh.

And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were come together to Mizpeh, the princes of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

And they said unto Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he may save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

And Samuel took a kid of the lamb, and offered a whole burnt offering unto the LORD, and cried unto the LORD for Israel: and the LORD hearkened unto him.

And while Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to fight against Israel. And the LORD thundered a great thunder that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel.

And the men of Israel went out from Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them unto Bethcar.

And Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Sen, and called his name Eben-Ezer, and said, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.

So the Philistines were subdued, and came no more within the border of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

So the cities which the Philistines had taken from them, from Ekron even unto Gath, and the coasts thereof, were restored unto Israel, which delivered Israel out of the hand of the Philistines: for Israel had peace with the Amorites.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

And he went about yearly to Bethel, and to Gilgal, and to Mizpah. And when he had judged Israel in all these places,

And he returned to Ramath, because there was his house: and there he judged Israel, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
(1 Samuel)
Chapter 8
Israel desires a king. Whose right is displayed.

And when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

His firstborn son’s name was Joel, and the other Abijah: and they were judges in Beersheba.

But his sons walked not in his way, but inclined to covetousness, and took gift, and bowed to justice.

And all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Ramath unto Samuel.

And they said unto him, Behold, thou art grown old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now therefore set a king over us, and judge us, as all the heathen have.

And it displeased Samuel: and they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed before the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they have said unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.

They have done unto thee as they did from the day that I brought them up out of Egypt unto this day, and have forsaken me, and served other gods.

Obey therefore their voice. But testify unto them, and declare unto them the right of the king that shall reign over them.

And Samuel spake all the words of the LORD unto the people, which demanded of him a king.

This shall be the right of the king that shall reign over you: Your sons shall he take to his chariot, and horsemen to trot before his chariot,

And captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and tillers of his field, and reapers of his harvest, and to make his armour, and that which pertaineth to his chariot.

And he shall take your daughters to be apothecaries, and cooks, and bakers.

Your best fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, shall he take, and give unto his servants.

And of your seed, and of your vineyards, shall he take tithes, and give them unto his stewards and to his servants.

And he shall take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your fine young men, and your asses, and shall do his business with them.

Of your flocks shall he take tithes, and ye shall be his servants.

And it shall come to pass, if ye shall cry out in that day against your king, whom ye have chosen for yourselves, that the LORD will not hear you in that day.

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and said: Nay, but there shall be a king over us,

That we also may be like all the rest of the heathen, that our king may judge us, and go out before us in our wars.

Then Samuel obeyed all that the people spake, and told it in the ears of the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his own city.
(1 Samuel)
Chapter 9
Saul, the appointed king in Israel, is Samuel’s guest.

Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Apiah, the son of a man Jemini, a man of pity.

And he had a son, whose name was Saul: he was a fine young man, and there was none finer among the children of Israel, of a head above all the people.

And Kish Saul’s father had lost his asses: and he said unto Saul his son, Take one of the lads with thee, and arise, go and seek the asses.

And he passed through the mountains of Ephraim, and through the land of Salishah, and found them not: they passed through the land of Saalim, and were not there: they passed through the land of Jemini, and found them not.

And when they were come into the land of Zuph, Saul said unto the lad that was with him, Come, and let us go home again: for my father will leave the asses, and take care of us.

And he said, Behold, there is a renowned man of God in this city; all that he saith is done.
Now therefore let us go thither: peradventure he will tell us our way that we go.

And Saul said unto his lad: If we go, what shall we bring to the man? For the bread is gone out of our sack: we have no other gift to bring unto the man of God. What have we?

And the lad answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have with me a fourth part of a silver cup: let us give it unto the man of God, that he may tell us our way.

In the days of old in Israel, when they went to inquire of God, they said, Come, and let us go unto the seer. For they that are now called prophets were called seers in time past.

And Saul said unto his lad: Thou hast spoken well; come, and let us go. And they went to the city where the man of God was,

And coming up to the city, they found damsels going out to draw water. And they said unto them: Is the seer here?

And they answered them, and said: Yea, behold, here he is; make haste, for he is come into the city this day, because the people have to sacrifice this day in the high place.

When ye come into the city, ye shall find him before he go up on high to eat. For the people shall not eat until he come, when he shall bless the sacrifice; and afterward they that are bidden shall eat. Go up, therefore, for now you will find him.

And when they were come up to the city, and were in the midst of the city, behold, Samuel went out to meet them, and would have gone up to the high place.

But the LORD had revealed Samuel unto his ears the day before Saul came, saying: 16. To morrow about this time will I send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin; and thou shalt anoint him ruler over my people Israel, to deliver my people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon my people, and their cry is come before me.

And when Samuel looked upon Saul, the LORD answered him, Behold, this is the man of whom I spake unto thee, that he should reign over my people.

And Saul came to Samuel under the gate, and said, Tell me, where