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The First Book of Samuel, starting at chapter 7
{7:1} The men of Kiriath Jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the
LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and
sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. {7:2} It
happened, from the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, that the
time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel
lamented after the LORD. {7:3} Samuel spoke to all the house of
Israel, saying, "If you do return to the LORD with all your heart,
then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and
direct your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only; and he will
deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." {7:4} Then the
children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the
LORD only. {7:5} Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will
pray for you to the LORD." {7:6} They gathered together to 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." Samuel judged the
children of Israel in Mizpah. {7:7} When the Philistines heard that
the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of
the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel
heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. {7:8} The children of
Israel said to Samuel, "Don't cease to cry to the LORD our God for us,
that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines." {7:9} Samuel
took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the
LORD: and Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel; and the LORD answered
him. {7:10} As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the
Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered
with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused
them; and they were struck down before Israel. {7:11} The men of
Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck
them, until they came under Beth Kar.
{7:12} Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen,
and called its name [1>]Ebenezer,[<1] saying, "The LORD helped us
until now." {7:13} So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no
more within the border of Israel. The hand of the LORD was against the
Philistines all the days of Samuel.
{7:14} The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were
restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its
border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between
Israel and the Amorites. {7:15} Samuel judged Israel all the days of
his life. {7:16} He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and
Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. {7:17}
His return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged
Israel: and he built there an altar to the LORD.
{8:1} It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges
over Israel. {8:2} Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the
name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba. {8:3} His
sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took
bribes, and perverted justice. {8:4} Then all the elders of Israel
gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah; {8:5} and
they said to him, "Behold, you are old, and your sons don't walk in
your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." {8:6}
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to
judge us."
Samuel prayed to the LORD. {8:7} The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to
the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not
rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king
over them. {8:8} According to all the works which they have done since
the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that
they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.
{8:9} Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest
solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall
reign over them."
{8:10} Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked
of him a king. {8:11} He said, "This will be the way of the king who
shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him,
for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before
his chariots; {8:12} and he will appoint them to him for captains of
thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow
his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of
war, and the instruments of his chariots. {8:13} He will take your
daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. {8:14}
He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves,
even their best, and give them to his servants. {8:15} He will take
the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his
officers, and to his servants. {8:16} He will take your male servants,
and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys,
and put them to his work. {8:17} He will take the tenth of your
flocks: and you shall be his servants. {8:18} You shall cry out in
that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and the
LORD will not answer you in that day."
{8:19} But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and
they said, "No; but we will have a king over us, {8:20} 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."
{8:21} Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed
them in the ears of the LORD. {8:22} The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen
to their voice, and make them a king."
Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."
{9:1} Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son
of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah,
the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. {9:2} He had a son,
whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among
the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and
upward he was higher than any of the people.
{9:3} The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to
Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go
seek the donkeys." {9:4} He passed through the hill country of
Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't
find them: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there
they weren't there: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites,
but they didn't find them.
{9:5} When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his
servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, lest my father
stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us."
{9:6} He said to him, "See now, there is in this city a man of God,
and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says comes surely to
pass. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us concerning our
journey whereon we go."
{9:7} Then Saul said to his servant, "But, behold, if we go, what
shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and
there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?"
{9:8} The servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have in
my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the
man of God, to tell us our way." {9:9} (In earlier times in Israel,
when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, "Come, and let us go
to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was before called a
Seer.)
{9:10} Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said. Come, let us go."
So they went to the city where the man of God was. {9:11} As they went
up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw
water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?"
{9:12} They answered them, and said, "He is. Behold, he is before
you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people
have a sacrifice today in the high place. {9:13} As soon as you have
come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up
to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come,
because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited
eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you shall find him."
{9:14} They went up to the city. As they came within the city,
behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.
{9:15} Now the LORD had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came,
saying, {9:16} "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of
the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my
people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the
Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry has
come to me."
{9:17} When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "Behold, the man
of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people."
{9:18} Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please
tell me where the seer's house is."
{9:19} Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer. Go up before
me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. In the morning
I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart. {9:20}
As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set your mind
on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is desirable in
Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?"
{9:21} Saul answered, "Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the
tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the
tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me like this?"
{9:22} Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the
guest room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were
invited, who were about thirty persons. {9:23} Samuel said to the
cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you,
'Set it aside.'" {9:24} The cook took up the thigh, and that which was
on it, and set it before Saul. Samuel said, "Behold, that which has
been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because for the
appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, 'I have invited
the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
{9:25} When they had come down from the high place into the city, he
talked with Saul on the housetop. {9:26} They arose early: and it
happened about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on
the housetop, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." Saul arose,
and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. {9:27} As they
were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the
servant pass on before us" (and he passed on), "but stand still first,
that I may cause you to hear the word of God."
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Footnotes:
[1] {7:12} "Ebenezer" means "stone of help."
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The World English Bible: Messianic Edition is in the Public Domain.
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