CHAP. II.

Eli reproves his sons. 28 Therefore also I have lent him to the then take as much as thy soul desireth; LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent then he would answer him, Nay; but thou to the LORD. And he worshipped the shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take LORD there. it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men A heart rejoice a Losamine abhorred the off bring of the LORD. ND Hannah prayed, and said, My was very great before the LORD: for men

horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is 18 But Samuel ministered before the enlarged over mine enemies; because I re- LORD, being a child, girded with a linen joice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as the LORD for 19 Moreover his mother made him a litthere is none beside thee: neither is there tle coat, and brought it to him from year to any rock like our God. year, when she came up with her husband, to offer the yearly sacrifice.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded home. with strength.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so 5 They that were full have hired out that she conceived, and bare three sons and themselves for bread; and they that were two daughters. And the child Samuel hungry ceased: so that the barren hath grew before the LORD. born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and 6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive how they lay with the women that assemhe bringeth down to the grave, and bring-bled at the door of the tabernacle of the eth up.

15 Also before they burnt the fat, the 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel priest's servant came, and said to the man saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the house of thy father, should walk before me priest; for he will not have sodden flesh for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far of thee, but raw. from me; for them that honour me I will 16 And if any man said unto him, Let honour, and they that despise me shall be them not fail to burn the fat presently, and lightly esteemed.

Samuel called.

I. SAMUEL.

The Israelites are overcome.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's servant heareth. house, that there shall not be an old man in 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

thine house.

32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an 12 In that day I will perform against old man in thine house for ever. Eli all things which I have spoken con33 And the man of thine, whom I shall cerning his house: when I begin, I will not cut off from mine altar, shall be to con- also make an end. sume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: 13 For I have told him, that I will judge and all the increase of thine house shall die his house for ever, for the iniquity which in the flower of their age. he knoweth: because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them.

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offer35 And I will raise me up a faithful ing for ever. priest, that shall do according to that which 15 ¶ And Samuel lay until the morning, is in mine heart and in my mind and I and opened the doors of the house of the will build him a sure house; and he shall LORD and Samuel feared to shew Eli the walk before mine Anointed for ever.

vision.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every 16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, one that is left in thine house, shall come Samuel, my son. and crouch to him for a piece of silver and am I.

And he answered, Here

a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I 17 And he said, What is the thing that pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray that I may eat a piece of bread.

CHAP. III.

thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing

AND the child Samuel ministered unto from
ND the child Samuel ministered unto from me, of all the things that he said unto

of the LORD was precious in those days; 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and
there was no open vision.
hid nothing from him. And he said, It is
2 And it came to pass at that time, when the LORD: let him do what seemeth him
Eli was laid down in his place, and his good.
eyes began to wax dim, that he could not 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD
was with him, and did let none of his words
fall to the ground.

see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. CHAP. IV.

AND the

word of Samuel came to all

Israel. Now Israel went out against

6 And the LORD called yet again, Sa- the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside muel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in and said, Here am I; for thou didst call Aphek. me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

8 And the LORD called Samuel again 3 And when the people were come the third time. And he arose and went to into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And the LORD came, and stood and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.

before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were

Eli's death.

CHAP. V.

Dagon falls before the ark. there with the ark of the covenant of God. law and her husband were dead, she bowed 5 And when the ark of the covenant of herself, and travailed; for her pains came the LORD came into the camp, all Israel upon her. shouted with a great shout, so that the 20 And about the time of her death, the earth rang again. women that stood by her said unto her, Fear 6 And when the Philistines heard the not; for thou hast born a son. But she noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth answered not, neither did she regard it. the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the

camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Wo unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8 Wo unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

21 And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel. (Because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.) 22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken. CHAP. V.

AND the Philistines took the ark of God,

and brought it from Eben-ezer unto

Ashdod.

2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Da9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like gon, and set it by Dagon. men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not ser- 3¶ And when they of Ashdod arose early vants unto the Hebrews, as they have been on the morrow, Behold, Dagon was fallen to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. upon his face to the earth before the ark of 10 And the Philistines fought, and Is- the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set rael was smitten, and they fled every man him in his place again. into his tent and there was a very great : 4 And when they arose early on the slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thou-morrow morning, Behold, Dagon was fallen sand footmen. upon his face to the ground before the ark

11 And the ark of God was taken; and of the LORD: and the head of Dagon, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, both the palms of his hands were cut off were slain. upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

12¶ And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching for his : heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could

5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod, and the coasts thereof.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8 They sent therefore, and gathered not see. all the lords of the Philistines unto them, 16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he and said, What shall we do with the ark of that came out of the army, and I fled to- the God of Israel? And they answered, day out of the army. And he said, What Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried is there done, my son? about unto Gath. And they carried the 17 And the messenger answered and said, ark of the God of Israel about thither. Israel is fled before the Philistines, and 9 And it was so, that after they had there hath been also a great slaughter among carried it about, the hand of the LORD was the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni against the city with a very great destrucand Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God tion: and he smote the men of the city is taken. both small and great, and they had eme18 And it came to pass, when he made rods in their secret parts. mention of the ark of God, that he fell from 10 Therefore they sent the ark of God off the seat backward by the side of the to Ekron. And it came to pass as the ark gate, and his neck brake, and he died for of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites he was an old man, and heavy. And he cried out, saying, They have brought about had judged Israel forty years. the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay

19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' us and our people. wife, was with child near to be delivered: 11 So they sent and gathered together and when she heard the tidings that the ark all the lords of the Philistines, and said, of God was taken, and that her father-in- Send away the ark of the God of Israel,

The Philistines return the ark. I. SAMUEL.

Repentance of the Israelites. and let it go again to his own place, that it ing their wheat harvest in the valley: and slay us not, and our people: for there was a they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, deadly destruction throughout all the city; and rejoiced to see it. the hand of God was very heavy there.

14 Ånd the cart came into the field of 12 And the men that died not, were Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, smitten with the emerods: and the cry of where there was a great stone: and they the city went up to heaven. clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt-offering unto the LORD.

A

CHAP. VI.

ND the ark of the LORD was in the
country of the Philistines seven months.

15 And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with 2 And the Philistines called for the it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and priests and the diviners, saying, What shall put them on the great stone: and the men we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us where- of Beth-shemesh offered burnt-offerings and with we shall send it to his place. sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the

3 And they said, If ye send away the LORD. ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; 16 And when the five lords of the Phibut in any wise return him a trespass-of-listines had seen it, they returned to Ekron fering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall the same day.

be known to you why his hand is not re- 17 And these are the golden cmerods moved from you. which the Philistines returned for a tres

4 Then said they, What shall be the pass-offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod trespass-offering which we shall return to one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for him? They answered, Five golden eme- Gath one, for Ekron one; rods, and five golden mice, according to 18 And the golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: the number of all the cities of the Philisfor one plague was on you all, and on your tines belonging to the five lords, both of lords. fenced cities, and of country villages, even

5 Wherefore ye shall make images of unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they your emerods, and images of your mice set down the ark of the LORD: which stone that mar the land; and ye shall give glory remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua unto the God of Israel: peradventure he the Beth-shemite.

will lighten his hand from off you, and from 19 And he smote the men of Bethoff your gods, and from off your land. shemesh, because they had looked into the 6 Wherefore then do ye harden your ark of the LORD, even he smote of the peohearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hard-ple fifty thousand and threescore and ten ened their hearts? when he had wrought men and the people lamented, because wonderfully among them, did they not let the LORD had smitten many of the people the people go, and they departed? with a great slaughter. 7 Now therefore make a new cart, and 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, take two milch-kine on which there hath Who is able to stand before this holy LORD come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, God? and to whom shall he go up from us? and bring their calves home from them : 21 And they sent messengers to the 8 And take the ark of the LORD, and inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of Philistines have brought again the ark of gold which ye return him for a trespass- the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; to you.

and send it away, that it may go.

9 And see, if it goeth up by the way

of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he

CHAP. VII.

and fetched up the ark of the LORD, ND the men of Kirjath-jearim came,

hath done us this great evil: but if not, and brought it into the house of Abinadab then we shall know that it is not his hand in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son that smote us; it was a chance that hap- to keep the ark of the LORD. pened to us.

10 And the men did so; and took two milch-kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. 11 And they laid the ark of the LORD 3 And Samuel spake unto all the house upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the of gold and the images of their emerods. LORD with all your hearts, then put away 12 And the kine took the straight way the strange gods, and Ashtaroth, from among to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went you, and prepare your hearts unto the along the highway, lowing as they went, LORD, and serve him only and he will deand turned not aside to the right hand or liver you out of the hand of the Philistines. to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

13 And they of Beth-shemesh were reap

4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to

The Israelites desire a king.

CHAP. VIII.

The manner of a king. Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art LORD. old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways:

6 And they gathered together to Miz-now make us a king to judge us like all peh, and drew water, and poured it out the nations.

before the LORD, and fasted on that day, 6 But the thing displeased Samuel, and said there, We have sinned against the when they said, Give us a king to judge LORD. And Samuel judged the children us: and Samuel prayed unto the LORD. of Israel in Mizpeh. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, 7¶ And when the Philistines heard that Hearken unto the voice of the people in the children of Israel were gathered to- all that they say unto thee: for they have gether to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philis- not rejected thee, but they have rejected tines went up against Israel. And when me, that I should not reign over them. the children of Israel heard it, they were 8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought

afraid of the Philistines.

8 And the children of Israel said to Sa- them up out of Egypt even unto this day, muel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our wherewith they have forsaken me, and God for us, that he will save us out of the served other gods, so do they also unto hand of the Philistines. thee.

9 ¶ And Samuel took a sucking lamb, 9 Now therefore hearken unto their and offered it for a burnt-offering wholly voice: howbeit, ye protest solemnly unto unto the LORD and Samuel cried unto the them, and shew them the manner of the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. king that shall reign over them.

king.

10 And as Samuel was offering up the 10 And Samuel told all the words of burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to the LORD unto the people that asked of him battle against Israel: but the LORD thun- a dered with a great thunder on that day upon 11 And he said, This will be the manner the Philistines, and discomfited them; and of the king that shall reign over you: He they were smitten before Israel. will take your sons, and appoint them for

11 And the men of Israel went out of himself, for his chariots, and to be his horseMizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and men; and some shall run before his charismote them, until they came under Beth-car. ots.

12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it 12 And he will appoint him captains between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the over thousands, and captains over fifties; name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath and will set them to ear his ground, and to the LORD helped us. reap his harvest, and to make his instru

13 So the Philistines were subdued, ments of war, and instruments of his chaand they came no more into the coast of Is-riots. rael: and the hand of the LORD was against

13 And he will take your daughters to the Philistines all the days of Samuel. be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to 14 And the cities which the Philistines be bakers.

had taken from Israel were restored to Is- 14 And he will take your fields, and rael, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the the best of them, and give them to his serhands of the Philistines: and there was vants.

peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15 And he will take the tenth of your 15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.

17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house: and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

CHAP. VIII.

AND it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over

Israel.

seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have

chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

1

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to 2 Now the name of his first-born was obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: Nay; but we will have a king over us; they were judges in Beer-sheba. 20 That we also may be like all the na3 And his sons walked not in his ways, tions; and that our king may judge us, and but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, go out before us, and fight our battles. and perverted judgment. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered the people, and he rehearsed them in the themselves together, and came to Samuel ears of the LORD. unto Ramah,

22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Heark