{N}THE STORY OF HANNAH{/}

{1}1{/}

[\u0095]_[*]_{R}_{I}1_{/}There was a man from Rama-thaim, in the hills of 
Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was son of Tohu, son of 
Jeroham, of the clan of Zuph. [=]_{I}2_{/}He had two wives, Hannah and 
Peninnah. Peninnah had children but Hannah had none.
{R}_{I}3_{/}Every year Elkanah went to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh 
of hosts at Shiloh. The priests there were the two sons of Eli, 
Hophni and Phineas. [=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}Whenever Elkanah offered sacrifice, 
he gave portions to his wife, Peninnah and to all her sons and 
daughters. {I}5_{/}To Hannah, however, he gave the more delightful 
portion because he loved her more, although she had no child. 
{I}6_{/}Yet Hannah's rival used to tease her for being barren.
{I}7_{/}So it happened every year when they went to Yahweh's house. 
Peninnah irritated Hannah and she would weep and refuse to eat. 
[=]_{I}8_{/}Once Elkanah, her husband, asked her, "Hannah, why do you 
weep instead of eating? Why are you sad? Are you not better off 
with me than with many sons?"
{R}_{I}9_{/}After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah stood up not 
far from Eli, the priest: his seat was beside the doorpost of 
Yahweh's house. {I}10_{/}Deeply distressed she wept and prayed to 
Yahweh {I}11_{/}and made this vow, "O Yahweh of hosts, if only you 
will have compassion on your maidservant and give me a son, I will 
put him in your service for as long as he lives and no razor shall 
touch his head."
{I}12_{/}As she prayed before Yahweh, Eli observed the movement of her 
lips. {I}13_{/}Hannah was praying silently; she moved her lips but 
uttered no sound and Eli thought Hannah was drunk. {I}14_{/}He, 
therefore, said to her: "For how long will you be drunk? Let your 
drunkenness pass." {R}_{I}15_{/}But Hannah answered: "No, my lord, I am a 
woman in great distress, not drunk. I have not drunk wine or 
strong drink, but I am pouring out my soul before Yahweh. {I}16_{/}Do 
not take me for a bad woman. I was so afflicted that my prayer 
flowed continuously." {R}_{I}17_{/}Then Eli said, "Go in peace and may 
the God of Israel grant you what you asked for." {I}18_{/}Hannah 
answered, "Let your maidservant deserve your kindness." Then she 
left the temple and when she was at table, she seemed a different 
woman.
{I}19_{/}Elkanah rose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh 
with his wives. Then they went back home to Ramah. When Elkanah 
slept with his wife, Hannah, Yahweh took compassion on her, 
{R}_{I}20_{/}and she became pregnant. She gave birth to a son and called 
him Samuel because she said: "I have asked Yahweh to give him to 
me."
{R}_{I}21_{/}Once more Elkanah went to the temple with his family to 
offer his yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow to Yahweh. 
{I}22_{/}Hannah would not go along but she said to her husband, "I 
will bring the child there as soon as he is weaned. He shall be 
presented to Yahweh and stay there forever." {I}23_{/}Her husband 
answered, "Do what seems best to you. Stay here until you have 
weaned the child and may Yahweh confirm your vow." So Hannah 
stayed behind and continued to nurse her son until he was weaned.
[=]_{R}_{I}24_{/}When the child was weaned, Hannah took him with her 
along with a three-year-old bull, a measure of flour and a flask 
of wine, and she brought him to Yahweh's house at Shiloh. The 
child was still young.
{I}25_{/}After they had slain the bull, they brought the child to Eli. 
{I}26_{/}Hannah exclaimed: "Oh, my lord, look! I am the woman who was 
standing here in your presence, praying to Yahweh. {I}27_{/}I asked 
for this child and Yahweh granted me the favor I begged of him. 
{I}28_{/}Now, I think, Yahweh is asking for this child. As long as he 
lives, he belongs to Yahweh."
And they worshiped Yahweh there.

{N}HANNAH'S PRAYER{/}

{1}2{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}And this is the song of Hannah,
"My heart exults in Yahweh,
I feel strong in my God.
I rejoice and laugh at my enemies
for you came with power to save me.
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}Yahweh alone is holy, no one is like you;
there is no Rock like our God.
{R}_{I}3_{/}Speak proudly no more;
no more arrogance on your lips,
for Yahweh is an all-knowing God,
he it is who weighs the deeds of all.
{I}4_{/}The bow of the mighty is broken
but the weak are girded with strength.
[=]_{I}5_{/}The well-fed must labor for bread
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has borne seven children,
but the proud mother is left alone.
[=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}Yahweh is Lord of life and death;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
{I}7_{/}Yahweh makes poor and makes rich,
he brings low and he exalts.
[=]_{I}8_{/}He lifts up the lowly from the dust,
and raises the poor from the ash heap;
they will be called to the company of princes,
and inherit a seat of honor.
The earth to its pillars belongs to Yahweh
and on them he has set the world.
{I}9_{/}He guards the steps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for no one succeeds by his own strength.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}The enemies of Yahweh are shattered,
against them he thunders in heaven.
Yahweh rules over the whole world,
he will raise his own king.
His anointed feels strong in Him."
{I}11_{/}After that Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy served 
Yahweh in the presence of Eli, the priest.

{N}THE STORY OF ELI{/}

{I}12_{/}The sons of Eli were worthless men who had no regard for 
Yahweh. {R}_{I}13_{/}This is how they acted with the people. When someone 
offered sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come while the 
meat was still boiling. {R}_{I}14_{/}With a fork, he would reach into the 
pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot, and all that the fork brought 
up would be for the priests. This is how these priests treated the 
Israelites who went to Shiloh. {R}_{I}15_{/}Sometimes the priest's 
servant would come before the fat was burned and would say to the 
man who was sacrificing, "Give meat for the priest to roast, for 
he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw." [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}And 
if the man answered, "Let the fat be burned first and then take as 
much as you wish," he would say, "No, give it to me now or else I 
will take it by force." {R}_{I}17_{/}The sin of these young priests was 
very great in the sight of Yahweh because they defiled the 
offering of Yahweh.
{R}_{I}18_{/}Meanwhile Samuel, now a boy wearing a priest's garment, was 
ministering before Yahweh. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}From time to time his mother 
made him a little robe which she handed to him when she went up 
with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. {I}20_{/}Eli blessed 
Elkanah and his wife with these words, "May Yahweh give you more 
children by this woman for the sake of the boy she asked for and 
then gave to Yahweh."
{R}_{I}21_{/}After the man had gone back home, Yahweh blessed Hannah with 
more children. She had three sons and two daughters while the boy 
Samuel grew in the presence of Yahweh.
[=]_{I}22_{/}Eli was now very old. He heard how his sons dealt with 
the Israelites and how they slept with the women who served at the 
entrance to the Tent of Meeting. {I}23_{/}So he told them, "How can 
you do the things I hear about you from everyone? {I}24_{/}No, my 
sons, what I hear from the pilgrims of Yahweh's people is really 
bad news for me. {R}_{I}25_{/}When anyone sins against another man, God 
will mediate for him. But if he sins against Yahweh, who can 
intercede for him?" Yet the two would not listen to their father 
for Yahweh had already decided that they should die.
[=]_{R}_{I}26_{/}The boy Samuel, in the meantime, was growing in stature 
and worth before Yahweh and the people.
{R}_{I}27_{/}One day, a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is 
Yahweh's word: I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were 
Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. {R}_{I}28_{/}I chose them out of all the 
tribes of Israel to be my priests, to go up to my altar, to burn 
incense and to wear a priest's robe in my presence, and I gave 
them all the burnt offerings of Israel. {R}_{I}29_{/}Why do you now 
despise my sacrifice and the offerings that I myself ordered? Why 
do you give more importance to your sons than to me and fatten 
yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering made by my 
people Israel? [=]_{R}_{I}30_{/}Therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel 
declares: I promised that your family and that of your father 
should go on ministering before me forever; but now, far be it 
from me! Those who honor me I shall honor, those who despise me 
will be despised. {I}31_{/}The days are coming when I will break your 
strength and the strength of all your relatives. {I}32_{/}No one will 
live to a ripe old age. [=]_{I}33_{/}Those of your household that I do 
not reject from my service will be spared only to weep bitterly 
and live in grief; but the rest shall die by the sword. {I}34_{/}What 
will happen to your sons Hophni and Phinehas shall be a sign to 
you: both of them shall die on the same day. [=]_{I}35_{/}I will raise 
up for myself a faithful priest who shall act according to my 
heart and mind. I will give him a lasting succession that will 
serve me and my anointed one forever. {I}36_{/}And everyone that is 
left of your family shall ask him for some money or a loaf of 
bread, saying: Appoint me, I beg you, for a priestly function so 
that I may have something to eat."

{N}GOD CALLS SAMUEL{/}

{1}3{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The boy Samuel ministered to Yahweh under Eli's care in a 
time in which the word of Yahweh was rarely heard; visions were 
not seen.
{I}2_{/}One night Eli was lying down in his room, half blind as he 
was. {R}_{I}3_{/}The lamp of God was still lighted and Samuel also lay in 
the house of Yahweh near the ark of God. [=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}Then Yahweh 
called, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "I am here!" {I}5_{/}and 
ran to Eli saying, "I am here, did you not call me?" But Eli said, 
"I did not call, go back to sleep." So he went and lay down.
{R}_{I}6_{/}Then Yahweh called again, "Samuel!" and Samuel stood up and 
went to Eli saying, "You called me; I am here." But Eli answered, 
"I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
{R}_{I}7_{/}Samuel did not yet know Yahweh and the word of Yahweh had not 
yet been revealed to him. {R}_{I}8_{/}But Yahweh called Samuel for the 
third time and, as he went again to Eli saying, "I am here for you 
have called me," Eli realized that it was Yahweh calling the boy. 
{R}_{I}9_{/}So he said to Samuel, "Go, lie down, and if he calls you 
again, answer: "Speak, Yahweh, your servant listens."
{R}_{I}10_{/}Then Yahweh came and stood there calling as he did before, 
"Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant 
listens." [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}Then Yahweh spoke to Samuel, "Look, I am about 
to do something in Israel which will scare everyone who hears 
about it. {I}12_{/}On that day I will carry out what I told Eli 
regarding his family. All will be fulfilled from beginning to end. 
{R}_{I}13_{/}For I told him that I was about to sentence his family 
forever. He himself knew that his sons were blaspheming God, but 
he did not stop them. {R}_{I}14_{/}This is why I have cursed the family 
of Eli. Their sin shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or by any 
offering."
{R}_{I}15_{/}Samuel lay down until morning and rose up early. Then he 
opened the doors of Yahweh's house. Samuel was afraid to tell the 
vision to Eli, {R}_{I}16_{/}but Eli called him and said, "Samuel, my 
son." Samuel answered, "I am here." {R}_{I}17_{/}Eli asked, "What did 
Yahweh tell you? Do not hide it from me. Fear the punishment of 
God if you hide from me even one thing he told you." {R}_{I}18_{/}So 
Samuel told him everything to the end and Eli said, "He is Yahweh. 
Let him do what seems good to him."
{R}_{I}19_{/}Samuel grew; Yahweh was with him and made all his words 
become true. {R}_{I}20_{/}All Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that 
Samuel was really Yahweh's prophet. {R}_{I}21_{/}Yahweh would appear at 
Shiloh; there he revealed himself to Samuel by giving him his 
word.

{N}THE PHILISTINES CAPTURE THE ARK{/}

{1}4{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}At that time Samuel was a prophet of Israel. The 
Israelites went out to battle against the Philistines. They 
encamped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines encamped at Aphek. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}The Philistines then drew up in battle formation. They 
attacked Israel and after a fierce struggle, Israel was defeated, 
leaving about four thousand men dead on the battlefield. 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}When the troops retreated to their camp, the elders of 
Israel asked, "Why has Yahweh allowed us to be defeated by the 
Philistines? Let us take the ark of God from Shiloh and bring it 
here so that Yahweh may be with us and save us from our enemies." 
{R}_{I}4_{/}So the people sent messengers to Shiloh to take the ark of 
Yahweh who is seated on the cherubim. Eli's two sons, Hophni and 
Phinehas, accompanied the ark.
{R}_{I}5_{/}As soon as the ark of Yahweh entered the camp, the Israelites 
began to cheer so loudly that the earth resounded. {R}_{I}6_{/}The 
Philistines heard the shouting and asked, "What does this loud 
shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" And they were told that 
the ark of Yahweh had been brought to the camp.
{R}_{I}7_{/}The Philistines were overcome with fear. They exclaimed, "A 
god has come into the camp. {R}_{I}8_{/}Woe to us! For nothing like this 
has happened before. Woe to us! Who can save us from the power of 
these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians 
with all sorts of plagues - and in the desert. {R}_{I}9_{/}Take courage 
and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become 
slaves to the Hebrews the way they have been slaves to you. Be 
manly and fight."
{R}_{I}10_{/}So the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated. Everyone 
fled to his home. It was a disastrous defeat; thirty thousand foot 
soldiers of Israel were killed. {R}_{I}11_{/}The ark of God was captured 
and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
{R}_{I}12_{/}A man from the tribe of Benjamin fled from the battle line 
and arrived that same day in Shiloh. His clothes were torn and his 
head was covered with dust. {R}_{I}13_{/}When this man arrived, Eli was 
on his seat by the road, watching, for his heart trembled for what 
might happen to the ark of God. When the people heard the news the 
man brought, all the city cried out. {R}_{I}14_{/}Eli heard their outcry 
and asked, "What is all this noise?" The man came to Eli at once 
and told him what happened. {I}15_{/}Eli was by then ninety-eight 
years old and was already blind. {R}_{I}16_{/}The man said to him, "I 
came from the battle, for I was able to flee from it." Then Eli 
asked him, "How did the battle go, my son?" {R}_{I}17_{/}The newsbearer 
answered, "Israel fled before the Philistines. There has been a 
disaster for our men; your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are among 
the dead and the ark of God has been taken." {R}_{I}18_{/}As soon as the 
man mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat 
by the side of the gate. He broke his neck and died for he was an 
old and heavy man. Eli judged Israel for forty years.
{R}_{I}19_{/}Eli's daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and 
was about to give birth. When she heard that the ark of God was 
taken and that both her father-in-law and her husband were dead, 
she gave birth prematurely. {I}20_{/}As she lay dying, the women 
attending her said to her, "Do not be afraid for you have given 
birth to a son." But she neither answered nor listened. {R}_{I}21_{/}She 
then named the child Ichabod, saying: "The glory has departed from 
Israel!" {R}_{I}22_{/}And she said "the glory," meaning the ark of God 
that had been captured.

{1}5{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}After they had taken the ark of God, the Philistines carried 
it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. {I}2_{/}There they brought it into the 
temple of Dagon and set it up beside him. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Rising up early 
the following day, the people saw that Dagon had fallen face 
downward on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. So they picked up 
Dagon and put him back in his place. {R}_{I}4_{/}But when they rose the 
following morning, the people saw Dagon on the ground again, face 
downward before the ark of Yahweh. His head and hands were broken 
off and lay at the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left 
where he fell. [=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}This is why the priests of Dagon and his 
worshipers do not tread on the threshold of his temple in Ashdod 
up to this day.
{I}6_{/}The hand of Yahweh was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. Yahweh 
afflicted the people of Ashdod and its vicinity with hemorrhoids. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}Seeing this, the people of Ashdod said, "Let the ark of the 
God of Israel not remain with us. His hand is heavy on us and on 
Dagon, our god." {R}_{I}8_{/}So they had all the chiefs of the Philistine 
cities gathered together to ask them, "What shall we do with the 
ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God 
of Israel be brought to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God 
of Israel there. {I}9_{/}But as soon as they had brought it to Gath, 
Yahweh raised his hand against the city, causing a very great 
panic. He afflicted the people there, both young and old, with 
hemorrhoids. {R}_{I}10_{/}So they moved the ark of God to Ekron. But when 
the ark entered Ekron, the people there cried out, "They have 
brought us the ark of the God of Israel to slay us all." {R}_{I}11_{/}So 
they gathered the chiefs of the Philistine cities together to tell 
them, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel. Let it return to 
its own place lest we all die." For there was deadly panic 
throughout the city because of God's heavy hand. {I}12_{/}Those who 
did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids and the cry of the city 
reached to heaven.

{1}6{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines for 
seven months. {R}_{I}2_{/}The Philistines called their priests and 
diviners and asked them, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? 
Tell us how we shall send it back to its place." {R}_{I}3_{/}The priests 
and diviners answered, "If you send away the ark of the God of 
Israel, do not send it away empty. Instead, provide him with a 
guilt offering. Then you may be healed and you will know why God 
dealt with you so severely." {R}_{I}4_{/}The chiefs then asked, "What 
guilt offering shall we provide him with?" The priests and 
diviners answered, "Make five golden figures of hemorrhoids and 
five golden figures of mice corresponding to the number of 
Philistine cities, for the same plague was on all of you and on 
your chiefs. {R}_{I}5_{/}So you must make images of your hemorrhoids and 
images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the 
God of Israel. Perhaps he will remove his hand from you, your gods 
and your land. [=]_{I}6_{/}But do not harden your hearts as the 
Egyptians and Pharaoh did. After Yahweh had afflicted them, did 
they not have to let the people go?
{I}7_{/}Now, then, prepare a new cart and take two milking cows which 
have never carried a yoke. Yoke the cows to the cart but take 
their calves away from them. {R}_{I}8_{/}Then, take the ark of Yahweh and 
place it on the cart. Put in a box beside it the golden figures 
which you are giving him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and 
let it go its way. {I}9_{/}Then, watch. If it goes up on the way to 
its own land, through Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us 
this great harm. If not, then we shall know that it is not his 
hand that struck us, that all these things happened to us by 
chance."
{I}10_{/}The people carried out these instructions. They took two 
milking cows and yoked them to the cart and shut their calves in 
their shed. {R}_{I}11_{/}They then put the ark of Yahweh on the cart, 
along with the box with the golden mice and the images of their 
hemorrhoids. {I}12_{/}The cows went straight in the direction of Beth-
shemesh along the way; they went mooing and they turned neither to 
the right nor to the left. Meanwhile, the chiefs of the Philistine 
cities followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.
{R}_{I}13_{/}The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting their wheat in 
the valley when they saw the ark drawing near, and they rejoiced 
greatly. [=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}The cart arrived in Beth-shemesh in Joshua's 
field and stopped there. A big stone lay nearby, so the people 
split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows over the stone 
as a burnt offering to the Lord. {R}_{I}15_{/}Meanwhile, the Levites took 
down the ark of Yahweh and the box containing the golden figures, 
and they set these up on the big stone.
That day the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and 
sacrifices to Yahweh. The five chiefs of the Philistine cities, 
however, {R}_{I}16_{/}upon seeing what happened, immediately returned to 
Ekron.
{R}_{I}17_{/}These are the Philistine cities which gave golden figures of 
hemorrhoids as a guilt offering to Yahweh: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, 
Gath and Akron. {R}_{I}18_{/}Similarly, there were golden figures of mice 
corresponding in number to all the cities of the Philistines 
belonging to the five leaders, counting fortified cities and 
unwalled villages. The big stone beside which the people set down 
the ark of Yahweh in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh, is a 
witness to this day.
{R}_{I}19_{/}Yahweh caused the death of seventy men of Beth-shemesh who 
had looked at the ark of Yahweh. On seeing this, the people 
mourned greatly. [=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}The people of Beth-shemesh then said, 
"Who can stand before Yahweh, this holy God? And where can we send 
the ark away from us?" {R}_{I}21_{/}So they sent messengers to the 
inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim with this word, "The Philistines 
have returned the ark of Yahweh. Come down and take it up with 
you."

{1}7{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The people of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of Yahweh. They 
brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they 
consecrated his son, Eleazar, to take charge of it.

{N}SAMUEL AWAKENS ISRAEL{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}A very long time passed from the day the ark was 
lodged at Kiriath-jearim. For some twenty years, all Israel 
mourned and longed for Yahweh.
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Then Samuel told the Israelites, "If you turn back to 
Yahweh in all sincerity, get rid of the foreign gods and your 
Ashteroth. When you have set your heart on Yahweh and serve no one 
but him, he will deliver you from the Philistines." {R}_{I}4_{/}So the 
Israelites got rid of the Baals and the Ashteroth and began 
serving no one but Yahweh.
{R}_{I}5_{/}Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel in Mizpah and I will 
pray to Yahweh on your behalf." [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}And so they gathered at 
Mizpah. They drew water and poured it out before Yahweh. They 
fasted on that day and said, "We have sinned against Yahweh." It 
was Samuel who led this assembly of Israel at Mizpah.
{R}_{I}7_{/}When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had 
gathered at Mizpah, the chiefs of the Philistine cities went up to 
Israel's land. The Israelites became afraid when they learned this 
{R}_{I}8_{/}and they said to Samuel, "Pray without ceasing to Yahweh our 
God on our behalf so that  he may save us from the Philistines." 
{R}_{I}9_{/}Samuel then took a suckling lamb and offered it to Yahweh as 
a whole burnt offering, appealing to him on behalf of the people. 
And Yahweh answered him.
{R}_{I}10_{/}At the very time Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the 
Philistines launched an attack against Israel. But Yahweh's voice 
thundered loudly in the midst of the Philistines; they were 
suddenly confused and defeated by Israel. {R}_{I}11_{/}The Israelites 
left Mizpah, pursuing and slaying the Philistines to a point 
beyond Bethcar.
{R}_{I}12_{/}Samuel, then, took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and 
Jeshanah and named it Ebenezar, for he said, "Unto this place 
Yahweh has helped us." {R}_{I}13_{/}After this defeat, the Philistines 
did not dare enter the territory of Israel and Yahweh held them in 
check for as long as Samuel lived. {R}_{I}14_{/}The Israelites recovered 
the towns from Ekron to Gath which the Philistines had seized from 
Israel. Israel rescued their territories. And there was peace, 
even between the Israelites and the Amorites.
{R}_{I}15_{/}Samuel was judge in Israel for the rest of his life. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}Every year he went around to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and 
judged Israel in all these places. {R}_{I}17_{/}After that he returned to 
Ramah for his home was there. There he judged Israel and there he 
built an altar to Yahweh.

{N}THE PEOPLE ASK FOR A KING{/}

{1}8{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}When Samuel grew old, he made his sons judges over 
Israel. {R}_{I}2_{/}His elder son was Joel and the second was Abijah, and 
both of them were judges in Beersheba. [=]_{I}3_{/}But they were not 
like their father; they had their vested interests, taking bribes 
and perverting justice.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Because of this, all the chiefs of Israel gathered together 
and went to Samuel in Ramah. [=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}They said to him, "You are 
already old and your sons are not following your ways. Give us a 
king to rule over us as in all the other nations."
{R}_{I}6_{/}Samuel was very displeased with what they said, "Give us a 
king to rule us," and he prayed to Yahweh. {I}7_{/}And Yahweh told 
him, "Give to this people all that they ask for. {R}_{I}8_{/}They are not 
rejecting you but they have rejected me as their king. They are 
now doing to you what they did to me from the day I brought them 
out of Egypt until now, forsaking me and serving other gods. 
{R}_{I}9_{/}Nevertheless, listen to them, and give them a serious 
warning. Tell them how they will be treated by their king."
{R}_{I}10_{/}So Samuel answered those who were asking him for a king, 
[=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}and he told them all that Yahweh said to him, "Look, 
these will be the demands of your king: he will take your sons and 
assign them to his chariot and his horses and have them run before 
his chariot. {I}12_{/}Some he will assign as commanders over a 
thousand men and commanders over fifty. Others will till his 
ground and reap his harvest, make his implements of war and the 
equipment for his chariots. {I}13_{/}He will take your daughters as 
well to prepare perfumes, to cook and to bake for him. {I}14_{/}He 
will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive 
orchards and give them to his officials. {I}15_{/}He will take a tenth 
portion of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his 
officers and to his servants. {I}16_{/}He will take your menservants 
and maidservants, the best of your cattle and your asses for his 
own work. {I}17_{/}He will take the tenth of your flocks and you 
yourselves will become his slaves. [=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}When these things 
happen, you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen 
for yourselves. But by then, Yahweh will not answer you."
{R}_{I}19_{/}The people paid no attention to all that Samuel said. They 
insisted, "No! We want a king to govern us as in all the other 
nations. {R}_{I}20_{/}Our king shall govern us, lead us and go ahead of 
us in our battles." {I}21{/}Upon hearing all that his people said, 
Samuel repeated it to Yahweh. {R}_{I}22_{/}But Yahweh said to him, 
"Listen to them and give them a king." Samuel then said to the 
Israelites, "Go back, all of you, to your own cities."

{N}THE STORY OF SAUL{/}

{1}9{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin whose name was 
Kish. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son 
of Aphiah, a valiant Benjaminite. {R}_{I}2_{/}Kish had a son named Saul, 
a handsome young man who had no equal among the Israelites, for he 
was a head taller than any of them.
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}It happened that the asses of Kish were lost. So he said 
to his son Saul, "Take one of the boys with you and go look for 
the asses." {R}_{I}4_{/}They went all over the hill country of Ephraim 
and the land of Shalishah but did not find them. They passed 
through the land of Shaalim and the land of Benjamin, but the 
asses were nowhere to be found.
{R}_{I}5_{/}When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his boy, 
"Let us go back, lest my father be more worried about us than 
about the asses." [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}But his servant said to him, "Look, 
there is a man of God in this city. He is a highly respected man. 
All that he says comes true. Let us see him for he may be able to 
help us find what we are looking for." [=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}Saul replied, "But 
if we go, what can we bring him? We have no more bread in our 
sacks and we have no present to bring to the man of God. What do 
we have?" {R}_{I}8_{/}The servant answered, "I still have with me a 
quarter silver coin. I will give it to the man of God to tell us 
our way."
{R}_{I}10_{/}And Saul said to his boy, "Well said! Come, let us go." So 
they went to the city where the man of God was.

{N}SAMUEL ANOINTS SAUL{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}11_{/}As they went up the hill to the city, they met young 
girls coming out to draw water and asked them, "Is the seer here?" 
{I}9_{/}(Formerly, people in Israel who went to consult God, would 
say, "Come, let us go to the seer," for they did not speak of 
prophets, but of seers.) {R}_{I}12_{/}The maidens answered, "The seer is 
straight ahead. He has just arrived because they have a sacrifice 
today on the high place. {R}_{I}13_{/}As soon as you enter the city, you 
shall find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The 
people will not eat until he comes because he must first bless the 
sacrifice, and then those who are invited may eat. Now go up; you 
will meet him immediately."
{R}_{I}14_{/}So they went up to the city and entered it, and saw Samuel 
coming out towards them on his way up to the high place.
{R}_{I}15_{/}The day before Saul came, Yahweh had already disclosed this 
to Samuel, [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}"Tomorrow, about this time, I will send you a 
man from the land of Benjamin and you shall anoint him to rule 
over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of 
the Philistines for I have seen the affliction of my people and 
their cry has come to me."
{R}_{I}17_{/}So, when Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh told him, "Here is the man 
I spoke to you about! He shall rule over my people."
{R}_{I}18_{/}Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and said, "Tell me, 
where is the house of the seer?" {R}_{I}19_{/}Samuel answered Saul, "I am 
the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you shall 
eat with me. In the morning, before you leave, I will tell you all 
that is in your heart. {R}_{I}20_{/}As for your asses that were lost 
three days ago, do not worry about them for they have been found."
Samuel added, "For whom is the first place in Israel? Isn't it for 
you and for all your father's kin?" {R}_{I}21_{/}Saul answered, "I am a 
Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family 
is the lowliest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why 
do you speak to me in this way?"
{R}_{I}22_{/}Samuel took Saul and his boy, brought them into the hall and 
gave them a place at the head of the table, before some thirty 
guests. {R}_{I}23_{/}Then Samuel told the cook, "Bring in the portion 
which I asked you to put aside." {R}_{I}24_{/}The cook brought in the leg 
with the tail portion and set it before Saul, saying to him, "This 
has been set aside for you. Please eat." So Saul ate with Samuel 
that day.
{R}_{I}25_{/}Then they went down from the high place and entered the 
city. On the terrace they prepared a bed for Saul where he lay 
down to sleep. {R}_{I}26_{/}Early the next morning, Samuel called to 
Saul, "Get up, for I must send you on your way." Saul got up and 
began to walk down the street with Samuel.
{R}_{I}27_{/}As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel 
said to Saul, "Tell your servant to walk ahead. You stay here for 
a while and I shall give you a message from God."

{1}10{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on Saul's head. 
And kissing Saul, Samuel said, "Yahweh has anointed you to rule 
over and to lead his people Israel. And this will be Yahweh's sign 
to you that he has anointed you. {R}_{I}2_{/}After we part today, you 
will meet two men by Rachel's tomb at Zelzah, in the territory of 
Benjamin. They will say to you: 'The asses you were looking for 
have been found. But your father is now worried about you, and 
what may have happened to you.' {R}_{I}3_{/}When you go on to the oak of 
Tabor, you will meet three men going up to see God at Bethel. One 
will be carrying three kids; another, three loaves of bread; and 
another, a skin of wine. {I}4_{/}They will greet you and give you two 
loaves of bread which you are to accept from them. {R}_{I}5_{/}After 
that, you will come to Gibeath-elohim where the garrison of the 
Philistines is. At the entrance of the city, you will meet a band 
of prophets coming down from the high place, and a choir with 
harp, tambourine, flute and lyre going before them. They will be 
in a trance as the prophets used to be. {R}_{I}6_{/}Then the Spirit of 
Yahweh will seize you. You shall prophesy with them and become 
another man.
{R}_{I}7_{/}Now when these signs are fulfilled, do whatever seems good to 
you for God is with you. {I}8_{/}You shall go down to Gilgal ahead of 
me, and I shall join you there to offer burnt offerings and peace 
offerings. Wait there seven days until I come and tell you what 
you have to do."
{R}_{I}9_{/}As soon as Saul parted from Samuel, God transformed him into 
a different person and all the signs Samuel mentioned to Saul were 
fulfilled that day. {R}_{I}10_{/}Upon entering Gibeah, a band of prophets 
met Saul; then the Spirit of God seized him and he began to 
prophesy with them.
{R}_{I}11_{/}Those who knew him and saw him prophesying with the prophets 
asked one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul 
also one of the prophets?" [=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}One of them exclaimed, "And 
who is his father!" This, therefore, became a saying, "Is Saul 
also one of the prophets?" {R}_{I}13_{/}When Saul finished prophesying, 
he arrived with them at the sanctuary.
{R}_{I}14_{/}Saul's uncle asked him and his boy, "Where did you go?" Saul 
answered, "To look for the asses. When we could not find them, we 
went to Samuel." {R}_{I}15_{/}His uncle said, "Please, tell me what 
Samuel told you." {R}_{I}16_{/}Saul replied, "He merely told us that the 
asses had been found." But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel 
had said about the kingship.

{N}SAUL IS ELECTED KING{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}17_{/}After that, Samuel called the people together before 
Yahweh at Mizpah. {R}_{I}18_{/}He then spoke to the Israelites, "Thus 
says Yahweh, the God of Israel: I brought Israel out of Egypt and 
I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from all the 
kingdoms oppressing you. {R}_{I}19_{/}But you have this day rejected your 
God who saves you from all your calamities and your distress. You 
have said, 'No! Give us a king to rule over us.' So now present 
yourselves before Yahweh, grouping yourselves into tribes and 
clans."
[=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}Then Samuel made all the tribes of Israel come near him 
and when they cast lots, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 
{R}_{I}21_{/}He made the families of the tribe of Benjamin come near him, 
and the family of the Matrites was chosen. He made the members of 
the family of Matrites come near him, and the lot fell to Saul, 
son of Kish. They looked for him but could not find him. {R}_{I}22_{/}So 
they asked Yahweh again, "Did the man come here?" Yahweh answered, 
"He has hidden himself among the baggage." {R}_{I}23_{/}They ran to fetch 
him and when Saul stood among the people, they saw that he was a 
head taller than the others. [=]_{R}_{I}24_{/}Samuel spoke and said, "Do 
you see the one Yahweh has chosen? There is none like him among 
all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
[=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}Samuel then told the people the rights and duties of the 
king. He wrote all these in a book and presented it before Yahweh. 
Then Samuel sent all the people home. {R}_{I}26_{/}Saul himself went home 
to Gibeah with these valiant men whose hearts God had touched. 
{R}_{I}27_{/}Some evil people, however, remarked; "How can this man save 
us?" And they ignored Saul and brought him no gift.

{N}SAUL RESCUES THE CITY OF JABESH{/}

{1}11{/}

[\u0095]_{I}1_{/}One month later, Nahash the Ammonite went to Jabesh-gilead 
and surrounded the city. The people of Jabesh told Nahash, "Make 
an agreement with us and we will serve you." {R}_{I}2_{/}Nahash answered, 
"I will make an agreement with you on this condition: I will pluck 
out the right eye of all of you, so that Israel will be left 
disgraced." {R}_{I}3_{/}The elders of Jabesh then told him, "Give us 
seven days so we may send messengers through all the territories 
of Israel. If none of them comes to save us, we will surrender to 
you."
{R}_{I}4_{/}So the messengers went to Gibeah of Saul, breaking the news 
to the people. And all the people wept aloud. 
{R}_{I}5_{/}Just then Saul came from the field with his oxen. He asked, 
"What has happened to make the people weep?" And they told him 
what the men of Jabesh had said. [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}At once, the spirit of 
God seized Saul and he was greatly angered. {R}_{I}7_{/}He took a yoke of 
oxen, cut them into pieces and gave them to the messengers to be 
taken through all the territories of Israel with this warning, "I 
will do the same with the oxen of anyone who does not come out 
after Saul and Samuel."
Then a holy fear came upon the people and they set out as one man.
{R}_{I}8_{/}When Saul inspected them at Bezek, the men of Israel were 
three hundred thousand; those of Judah, thirty thousand. {I}9_{/}And 
they sent the messengers with this answer to the people of Jabesh, 
"Tomorrow, by noontime, we shall come to you." When the messengers 
returned, the people of Jabesh were very comforted {I}10_{/}and they 
told Nahash, "Tomorrow we will surrender and you may do to us 
whatever you please."
[=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}The following morning, Saul divided the people into 
three groups. They broke into the enemy camp early in the morning 
and slew the Ammonites until noontime. Those who could escape were 
scattered, each one running his own way.
[=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}Then the people asked Samuel, "Who are these who said: 
Saul will never reign over us? Bring the men and we shall put them 
to death." {R}_{I}13_{/}But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death 
today, for this day Yahweh has saved Israel."
{R}_{I}14_{/}Samuel told the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and 
officially proclaim the kingdom." {R}_{I}15_{/}So all the people went to 
Gilgal and there they proclaimed Saul king before Yahweh. They 
sacrificed peace offerings and Saul and all Israel celebrated.

{N}SAMUEL GIVES WAY TO SAUL{/}

{1}12{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Samuel spoke to the Israelites, "Listen, I have paid 
attention to all that you have told me and have given you a king. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}From now on, the king is here to lead you. As for me, I am 
old and my hair gray. My sons are with you. I have led you from my 
youth, and I have done so until this day. [=]_{I}3_{/}Now, I am here. 
Answer me before Yahweh and his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? 
Whose ass have I stolen? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I 
oppressed? Have I taken a bribe from anyone? If so, tell me, and I 
will restore it to you." {I}4_{/}But they said, "You have not cheated 
or oppressed us; you have not stolen anything from anyone."
{R}_{I}5_{/}Then Samuel said, "Yahweh is witness against you, and his 
anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in 
my hand." And they answered, "He is witness."
{R}_{I}6_{/}Samuel then said to the people, "Yahweh is witness, he who 
sent Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of the land of 
Egypt. {I}7_{/}Now, stand still, that I may confront you with all the 
deeds of Yahweh who saved you and your ancestors. {R}_{I}8_{/}Jacob went 
to Egypt and the Egyptians oppressed your ancestors. Then they 
cried to Yahweh and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your 
ancestors out of Egypt and brought them to this land. [=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}But 
they forgot Yahweh, their God, and he delivered them into the 
hands of Sisera, commander of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, 
into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king 
of Moab who fought against them. {R}_{I}10_{/}Then your ancestors cried 
to Yahweh and said: 'We have sinned, forsaking Yahweh and serving 
the Baals and the Ashteroth. But now, deliver us out of the hands 
of our enemies and we will serve you.' [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}And Yahweh sent 
Jerubbaal and Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and delivered you out of 
the hands of your enemies from all sides, so that you lived in 
safety in your land.
{R}_{I}12_{/}Now, when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, 
attacked you, you said to me: 'No! Let a king rule over us,' 
although Yahweh your God was your king. {R}_{I}13_{/}Yet Yahweh has given 
you the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for. 
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}May you fear Yahweh and serve him! May you listen to him 
and not go against his commandments! May both you and the king who 
reigns over you follow Yahweh, your God! {R}_{I}15_{/}But if you will not 
listen to Yahweh and if you break his commandments, his hand will 
be against you and your king.
{I}16_{/}Now wait awhile that you may see the wonder which Yahweh will 
do before you. [=]_{I}17_{/}Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call 
on Yahweh that he may send thunder and rain. So you shall know and 
see that you have gone very wrong in asking for another king."
[=]_{R}_{I}18_{/}So Samuel called on Yahweh who sent thunder and rain on 
that day. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel.
{R}_{I}19_{/}The people said to Samuel, "Pray to Yahweh, your God, for 
your servants so we may not die. For we have added to our sins 
this evil of asking for a king." {R}_{I}20_{/}Samuel told the people, 
"Fear not! You have done evil, but now you must not turn away from 
Yahweh. Serve him, instead, with all your heart. {I}21_{/}Do not go 
after these useless and vain idols that are unable to save. 
{I}22_{/}Yahweh will not cast away his people because of his great 
Name, since he has been pleased to make you his people. {I}23_{/}As 
for me, how can I commit the sin of ceasing to pray for you? I 
will continue to instruct you in the good and right way. 
[=]_{I}24_{/}Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all your 
heart, for you have seen the wonderful things he has done for you. 
{R}_{I}25_{/}But if you still persist in wickedness, both you and your 
king shall be swept away."

{1}13{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Saul became king and he ruled over Israel. {R}_{I}2_{/}Saul 
chose three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with him in 
Michmash and in the hills of Bethel, and a thousand with Jonathan 
in Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul sent the rest of the people away, 
every man to his home. {R}_{I}3_{/}Jonathan killed the Philistine 
governor in Geba and the Philistines heard of this. Saul then blew 
the trumpet throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" 
{R}_{I}4_{/}And the news spread throughout Israel, "Saul has killed the 
Philistine governor and now Israel is at war with them." And they 
called everyone out to join Saul at Gilgal.

{N}THE "SIN" OF SAUL{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}5_{/}The Philistines gathered to fight with Israel - three 
thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as many as 
the sand on the seashore. They went up and encamped in Michmash, 
east of Bethaven. [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}When the people of Israel saw that they 
were in trouble, they hid themselves in caves, in holes, in rocks, 
in tombs and in cisterns, {R}_{I}7_{/}or crossed the fords of the Jordan 
River to the land of Gad and Gilead.
{R}_{I}8_{/}Saul was still at Gilgal and all the people with him were 
afraid. He waited seven days - the time appointed by Samuel. But 
Samuel did not arrive at Gilgal and the people were beginning to 
disperse. {R}_{I}9_{/}So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the 
peace offerings as well." Saul then offered the burnt offering. 
{R}_{I}10_{/}He had just finished offering it when Samuel arrived. Saul 
went out to greet Samuel {R}_{I}11_{/}who threw him this question, "What 
have you done?" Saul answered him, "When I saw the people 
beginning to disperse because of your failure to arrive on time, 
and considering that the Philistines have mustered their forces at 
Michmash, {R}_{I}12_{/}I said to myself, 'The Philistines will launch 
their attack against me before I get Yahweh's blessings and so I 
decided to offer the burnt offerings." {R}_{I}13_{/}Samuel told Saul, 
"You have done a foolish thing by not obeying the command of 
Yahweh your God who would have established your rule forever. 
{I}14_{/}But now your kingship will not last, for Yahweh has chosen 
someone else more pleasing to him, whom he has appointed to be 
commander over his people because you have not done what Yahweh 
commanded you." {R}_{I}15_{/}Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way. 
Meanwhile the people went up from Gilgal with Saul to join the 
warriors at Gibeah of Benjamin.
Saul reviewed his men numbering some six hundred. {R}_{I}16_{/}While Saul 
and his son Jonathan stayed in Gebah of Benjamin with the men, the 
Philistines pitched camp in Michmash. {I}17_{/}Raiders came out of the 
Philistine camp in three companies - one company turned to Ophrah, 
to the land of Shual; {I}18_{/}the other, to Bethoron; and the third, 
to the border overlooking the valley of Zeboim, toward the 
wilderness.
{R}_{I}19_{/}The Israelites had no smith anywhere in their land, for the 
Philistines did not want the Hebrews to make swords or spears. 
[=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}To have their plowshare, mattock, axe or sickle 
sharpened, the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines 
{I}21_{/}who would charge them two-thirds of a shekel for plowshares 
and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening axes and 
setting goads. {R}_{I}22_{/}And so, on the day of battle, the Israelites 
had neither sword nor spear. Only Saul and Jonathan had them. 
{I}23_{/}Yet the Philistine raiders had moved on toward the pass of 
Michmash.

{1}14{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The same day, Jonathan, son of Saul, said to his armor-
bearer, "Let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other 
side. Jonathan did not inform his father about this. {R}_{I}2_{/}Saul was 
at that time on the outskirts of Gibeah, at Migron, under the 
pomegranate tree with about six hundred men. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Also with 
Saul was Ahijah, son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of 
Phinehas, son of Eli, priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, and he was 
wearing the ephod to consult Yahweh. Not even the soldiers knew 
that Jonathan had left them.
{R}_{I}4_{/}The pass through which Jonathan planned to go to reach the 
Philistine garrison was flanked on each side by a rocky crag: one 
called Bozez, the other, Seneh. {I}5_{/}One of the crags was to the 
north in the direction of Michmash; the other to the south, in the 
direction of Giba.
[=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}Jonathan said to his shield-bearer, "Let us go over to 
the garrison of those uncircumcised fellows. It may be that Yahweh 
will help us, for it is as easy for Yahweh to give victory with a 
few men as with many." {I}7_{/}His armor-bearer replied, "Do whatever 
you think best. As for me, I follow and obey you." {R}_{I}8_{/}Jonathan 
said, "Look, we will draw near and show ourselves to those men. 
{I}9_{/}When they see us, if they cry out: 'Stay there and we shall go 
over to you,' we shall stay quiet and go no further. {I}10_{/}But if 
they say: 'Come up to us,' we shall go up because that will be a 
sign that Yahweh has delivered them into our hands."
{R}_{I}11_{/}When the two were seen by the Philistines, the latter 
exclaimed, "Look! Hebrews coming out of their hiding places!" 
{R}_{I}12_{/}And they challenged Jonathan and his shield-bearer, "Come 
over here and we will teach you a lesson!" Jonathan then told his 
armor-bearer, "Follow me, for Yahweh has delivered them into the 
hands of Israel." {R}_{I}13_{/}Then Jonathan crawled up on his hands and 
feet, his armor-bearer following him. The Philistines fell before 
Jonathan, and his armor-bearer finished them off. {R}_{I}14_{/}In that 
first slaying by Jonathan and his armor-bearer, about twenty men 
lost their lives within half a furlong. {I}15_{/}Panic struck in the 
camp and in the countryside, sowing terror in the garrison. Even 
the band of raiders was disturbed. It was like an earthquake and 
they were filled with a holy terror.
{R}_{I}16_{/}Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin saw the commotion in 
the camp: the Philistines were running and scattering in all 
directions. {R}_{I}17_{/}Saul then told those who were around him, "Count 
our men and see who is missing." And they discovered that Jonathan 
and his armor-bearer were not with them. {R}_{I}18_{/}Saul ordered 
Ahijah: "Bring the ephod," because Ahijah had taken it with him. 
{R}_{I}19_{/}But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in 
the Philistine camp increased. Saul then told the priest, 
"Withdraw your hand," [=]_{I}20_{/}and after consulting his men, he 
went with them to the camp. They saw that there was complete 
confusion and the soldiers were striking each other with their 
swords. {R}_{I}21_{/}Moreover, the Hebrews who had joined the Philistines 
turned around and sided with the Israelites under Saul and 
Jonathan. {R}_{I}22_{/}When the Israelites who were hiding in the hill 
country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they 
came out from hiding and pursued them. {R}_{I}23_{/}And so Yahweh 
delivered Israel that day in a battle that extended beyond Beth-
horon.
{R}_{I}24_{/}On that day, however, as the Israelites became weary, Saul 
took an oath putting the people under the ban, "Cursed be the man 
who takes food before evening, before I have avenged myself on my 
enemies." Because of this oath, no one dared touch any food. 
{I}25_{/}As the men wandered into the forest, they saw honey on the 
ground and {I}26_{/}although it was freely dripping from the 
honeycomb, no one tasted it for fear of the oath. {R}_{I}27_{/}But 
Jonathan, who had not heard of this oath, dipped the tip of the 
rod he was holding in the honeycomb and put it to his lips. And he 
felt fortified. {R}_{I}28_{/}At this, someone said, "Though the people 
were tired, your father bound them with this oath: cursed be the 
man who takes food today." {R}_{I}29_{/}Then Jonathan said, "My father 
did you wrong. See how I have been fortified by tasting a little 
of this honey. {R}_{I}30_{/}If only our men had freely eaten today of the 
spoil of their enemies, the Philistines would have suffered an 
even greater defeat."
{R}_{I}31_{/}Nevertheless they pursued the Philistines all the way from 
Michmash to Aijalon. Then the people, extremely worn out, 
{I}32_{/}rushed to the spoils and took sheep, oxen, and calves and, 
after they had slaughtered them on the ground, they ate over the 
blood. {R}_{I}33_{/}Saul was told that the people were sinning against 
Yahweh by eating over the blood. He said, "You have acted like 
pagan people! Roll a large stone here in front of me." {I}34_{/}Then 
he added, "Go around and tell the people to bring their oxen or 
their sheep to me. Slaughter them here and eat, but do not offend 
Yahweh by eating over the blood." So that night, everyone brought 
what he had of the spoils and slaughtered it there. [=]_{R}_{I}35_{/}Then 
Saul built an altar to Yahweh - the first he ever built to Him.
{R}_{I}36_{/}Then Saul said, "Let us pursue and spoil the Philistines by 
night and finish them off by morning without leaving a single man 
alive." To this the people replied, "Do what you think is best." 
But the priest said, "We must consult Yahweh." {R}_{I}37_{/}So Saul 
asked, "Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into 
the hands of Israel?" But God did not answer him that day. 
[=]_{R}_{I}38_{/}Saul said, "Call all the army officers here. We must 
find out who is responsible for the sin that has been committed 
today. {R}_{I}39_{/}I swear before Yahweh, who has just saved Israel, 
that he shall surely die even if it happens to be my son 
Jonathan." No one answered Saul. {R}_{I}40_{/}He told the people, "Go, 
stand on one side while I and my son Jonathan, stand on the 
other." The people answered, "Do what you think is good." 
{R}_{I}41_{/}Then Saul said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, why did you not 
answer your servant this time? If it is my son Jonathan or I who 
have sinned, O Yahweh, God of Israel, let the casting of lots show 
Urim; if it is your people Israel who have sinned, let it show 
Thummin." The lot cast pointed to Jonathan and Saul, not to the 
people. {R}_{I}42_{/}Saul then said, "Cast the lot between me and my son 
Jonathan." The lot singled out Jonathan. {R}_{I}43_{/}Saul then said to 
Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan replied, "All 
I did was to taste a little honey from the tip of the rod that I 
dipped in the honeycomb! Am I to die for this?" {R}_{I}44_{/}Saul said, 
"May God strike me down if you are not put to death, Jonathan." 
[=]_{R}_{I}45_{/}But the people protested, "By no means shall Jonathan 
die, he who has brought this resounding victory to Israel! Not at 
all! By Yahweh's life not one hair of his head will fall, for he 
has acted today with God's assistance." So the people rescued 
Jonathan from certain death. {R}_{I}46_{/}After that, Saul ceased to 
pursue the Philistines, and they withdrew to their own country.
{R}_{I}47_{/}When Saul felt secure as king of Israel, he began to fight 
against all his surrounding enemies: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, 
the kings of Zobah and the Philistines, routing his enemies 
wherever he went. {R}_{I}48_{/}He crushed the Amalekites, and delivered 
Israel out of the hands of those who were plundering them.
{R}_{I}49_{/}The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchishua; his 
two daughters were Merab, his firstborn, and Michal. {R}_{I}50_{/}His 
wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. The general of his army was 
Abner, son of Ner who was Saul's uncle. {R}_{I}51_{/}Kish was the father 
of Saul and Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel.
{R}_{I}52_{/}Saul struggled fiercely against the Philistines all the days 
of his life, so whenever he discovered a strong and brave man, he 
recruited him into his service.

{N}SAUL IS REJECTED AS KING{/}

{1}15{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Samuel told Saul, "Yahweh sent me to anoint you king over his 
people Israel. So now listen to what he has to say to you: {R}_{I}2_{/}I 
will punish Amalek for having stood in the way of the Israelites 
when they were leaving Egypt. {R}_{I}3_{/}Now attack Amalek and destroy 
completely all that he has. Do not spare them - man, woman, infant 
or suckling, ox or sheep, camel or ass."
{R}_{I}4_{/}Saul called his men to Telaim and reviewed two hundred 
thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. {I}5_{/}He 
went to the city of Amalek, set an ambush in the valley and 
{R}_{I}6_{/}proceeded to warn the Kenites, "Leave the Amalekites! I do 
not want to punish you with them since you showed kindness to the 
people of Israel when they left Egypt." After the Kenites had 
left, {R}_{I}7_{/}Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah to Shur, 
east of Egypt.{R}_{I}8_{/}He took Agag, king of the Amalekites alive, but 
put the rest of the people to the sword. [=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}Saul and his men 
spared Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings and lambs 
and everything that was good, but destroyed all that was 
worthless.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}Then Yahweh spoke to Samuel: {R}_{I}11_{/}"I feel sorry that I 
made Saul king because he has turned his back on me and has not 
kept my command." Samuel was troubled and cried to Yahweh all 
night. {R}_{I}12_{/}Early next morning, he went looking for Saul, but was 
told that Saul had set off for Carmel to erect a monument to 
himself and then had gone on his way to Gilgal. {R}_{I}13_{/}When finally 
they met, Saul greeted Samuel, "May Yahweh bless you," and added, 
"I have done what Yahweh told me to do." {R}_{I}14_{/}Samuel then asked 
him, "Why do I still hear the bleating of sheep and the lowing of 
oxen?" {R}_{I}15_{/}Saul replied, "We have brought them from the 
Amalekites, because the people spared the best sheep and oxen to 
sacrifice to Yahweh, your God. But the rest have been destroyed." 
{R}_{I}16_{/}Samuel then told Saul, "Enough! Let me tell you what Yahweh 
said to me last night." Saul replied, "Please tell me." {R}_{I}17_{/}So 
Samuel went on and said, "Though you had no confidence in 
yourself, you became chief of the tribes of Israel, for Yahweh 
wanted to anoint you king over Israel. [=]_{I}18_{/}Then he sent you 
with this command, 'Go. Completely crush the Amalekite offenders, 
engaging them in battle until they are destroyed.' {I}19_{/}Why then 
did you not obey the voice of Yahweh but instead swooped down on 
the spoil, doing what was evil in his sight?" {R}_{I}20_{/}To this, Saul 
replied, "I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh and have carried out 
the mission for which he sent me. I have captured Agag, king of 
Amalek and completely destroyed the Amalekites. {R}_{I}21_{/}If my men 
spared the best sheep and oxen from among those to be destroyed, 
it was in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh, your God, in Gilgal." 
[=]_{R}_{I}22_{/}Samuel then said,
"Does Yahweh take as much delight in burnt offerings and 
sacrifices, as in obedience to his command? Obedience is better 
than sacrifice, and submission better than the fat of rams. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness 
like holding onto idols. Since you have rejected the word of 
Yahweh, he too has rejected you as king."
{R}_{I}24_{/}Saul then told Samuel, "I have sinned in disobeying Yahweh's 
command and your instructions. I feared my own men and obeyed them 
instead. {R}_{I}25_{/}Please forgive my sin and return with me so I may 
worship Yahweh."
{R}_{I}26_{/}Samuel refused and said, "I will not return with you because 
you have rejected the word of Yahweh and he has rejected you as 
king of Israel." {R}_{I}27_{/}As Samuel turned to leave, Saul held onto 
the end of his robe, which tore. {R}_{I}28_{/}Then Samuel said to Saul, 
"Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has 
given it to someone better than you. {R}_{I}29_{/}The Glory of Israel 
does not change or repent as man does."
{R}_{I}30_{/}Saul then said, "I have sinned. But please honor me now 
before the elders of my people and before Israel. Return with me 
so that I may worship Yahweh, your God." {R}_{I}31_{/}And Samuel returned 
with Saul who went to worship Yahweh.
{R}_{I}32_{/}Samuel said, "Bring me Agag, king of the Amalekites." Agag 
stood before him with a cheerful face, thinking that he was now 
out of danger. {R}_{I}33_{/}But Samuel told him, "As your sword has made 
women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." 
Then Samuel dealt a mortal blow to Agag before Yahweh in Gilgal.
{R}_{I}34_{/}Samuel left for Ramah while Saul went home to Gibeah of 
Saul. {R}_{I}35_{/}From that day Samuel did not see Saul again until he 
died, but he was grieving over Saul because Yahweh regretted 
having made him king over Israel.

{N}SAMUEL ANOINTS DAVID{/}

{1}16{/}

[\u0095]_[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Yahweh asked Samuel, "How long will you be grieving 
over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn 
with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have 
chosen my king from among his sons."
{R}_{I}2_{/}Samuel asked, "How can I go? If Saul hears of this, he will 
kill me!" Yahweh replied, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have 
come to sacrifice to Yahweh.' [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Invite Jesse to the 
sacrifice and I will let you know what to do next. You shall 
anoint for me the one I point out to you."
{R}_{I}4_{/}Samuel did what Yahweh com-manded and left for Bethlehem. 
When he appeared, the elders of the city came to him asking, 
fearfully, "Do you bring us peace?" {R}_{I}5_{/}Samuel replied, "I come 
in peace; I am here to sacrifice to Yahweh. Cleanse yourselves and 
join me in the sacrifice." He also had Jesse and his sons cleansed 
and invited them to the sacrifice.
{R}_{I}6_{/}As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, 
"This must be Yahweh's anointed." {R}_{I}7_{/}But Yahweh told Samuel, "Do 
not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him. 
Yahweh does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; 
Yahweh sees the heart."
{R}_{I}8_{/}Jesse called his son Abinadab and presented him to Samuel who 
said, "Yahweh has not chosen this one either." {R}_{I}9_{/}Jesse 
presented Shammah and Samuel said, "Nor has Yahweh chosen this 
one." [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who 
said, "Yahweh has chosen none of them. [=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}But are all your 
sons here?" Jesse replied, "There is still the youngest, tending 
the flock just now." Samuel said to him, "Send for him and bring 
him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives." 
{R}_{I}12_{/}So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to 
Samuel. He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful 
eyes. And Yahweh spoke, "Go, anoint him for he is the one." 
{R}_{I}13_{/}Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his 
brothers' presence. From that day onwards, Yahweh's Spirit took 
hold of David. Then Samuel left for Ramah.
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}14_{/}The spirit of Yahweh had left Saul and an evil spirit 
sent by Yahweh tormented him. {R}_{I}15_{/}Saul's servants said to him, 
"We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}If you so wish, your servants who stand before you will look 
for someone who can play the lyre so when the evil spirit from God 
comes over you, he will play and you will feel better."
{R}_{I}17_{/}So Saul answered them, "Get someone who can play the lyre 
well." {R}_{I}18_{/}One of them said, "A son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, 
plays very well. He is, moreover, a courageous man, intelligent 
and pleasant to talk with and Yahweh is with him."
{R}_{I}19_{/}So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and asked for his son David 
who tended the sheep. {R}_{I}20_{/}Jesse loaded an ass with bread, a 
wineskin and a kid and had David take all these to Saul. 
{R}_{I}21_{/}David then left and entered Saul's service. Saul grew very 
fond of David and made him his armor-bearer. {R}_{I}22_{/}Then he sent 
word to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service for I am 
very pleased with him."
{R}_{I}23_{/}So, whenever the evil spirit from God overpowered Saul, 
David would play on the lyre and Saul would feel better for the 
evil spirit would leave him.

{1}17{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The Philistines prepared their forces for battle and gathered 
together at Socoh, a territory of Judah. They encamped between 
Socoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. {R}_{I}2_{/}Saul and the Israelites, 
meantime, assembled and pitched camp in the valley of Elah, ready 
for their encounter with the Philistines. {R}_{I}3_{/}The Philistines 
took their position on one hill while the Israelites took theirs 
on another hill, with a valley separating the two forces.

{N}DAVID AND GOLIATH{/}

[\u0095]_{I}4_{/}Then a champion named Goliath came out from the Philistine 
camp. He was from Gath and was about three meters tall. {I}5_{/}He 
wore a helmet of bronze, and a coat covered with bronze scales. 
His armor weighed sixty kilos. {I}6_{/}He had bronze greaves strapped 
on his legs and a bronze spear slung between his shoulders. 
{R}_{I}7_{/}The shaft of his spear was the size of a weaver's rod; its 
head weighed seven kilos. His shield-bearer went before him.
{R}_{I}8_{/}He stood in front of the Israelite ranks and shouted, "Why 
have you come out in battle array? I am a Philistine and you are 
Saul's men! Choose a man from among yourselves who can challenge 
me. {I}9_{/}If he fights better and kills me, we shall be subject to 
you; but if I overpower him and kill him, you shall be subject to 
us."
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}The Philistine added, "This is my challenge to the 
Israelite troops this day. Give me a man who can fight with me 
alone!" {R}_{I}11_{/}When they heard this challenge of the Philistine, 
Saul and his men were afraid and greatly terrified. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}Now, David was the son of Jesse, an Ephrathite of Bethlehem 
in Judah who had eight sons. Jesse was already old during Saul's 
reign but he had sent men to the army. {R}_{I}13_{/}Three of his eldest 
sons had joined Saul in battle: Eliab, the firstborn, Abinadab, 
the second and Shammah, the third. {R}_{I}14_{/}David was Jesse's 
youngest and, while the three eldest followed Saul, {R}_{I}15_{/}he would 
alternate his goings and comings to the army with the care of his 
father's flock in Bethlehem.
{I}16_{/}Every morning and again in the evening, the Philistine would 
come out to throw his challenge; this he did for forty days. 
{R}_{I}17_{/}One day, Jesse told his son David, "Bring a measure of this 
roasted grain and these ten loaves to your brothers; {I}18_{/}and take 
these ten cheeses to the field officer. Find out how your brothers 
are and bring me back some token from them." {R}_{I}19_{/}David's 
brothers and the field officer were with Saul and the Israelites 
in the valley of Elah, facing the Philistines.
{R}_{I}20_{/}David woke up early the next morning and entrusted the sheep 
to a shepherd. Taking the food along with him, he left in 
obedience to Jesse's command and arrived at the encampment just 
when the army was leaving for the battleground, shouting out their 
battle cry. {R}_{I}21_{/}Israel and the Philistine drew up facing one 
another. {R}_{I}22_{/}On seeing this, David entrusted his load to the 
baggage keeper and rushed to the ranks to greet his brothers. 
{R}_{I}23_{/}While he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine 
champion of Gath, came up from the ranks of the Philistines and 
shouted out the same challenge as before, this time reaching 
David's ears.
{R}_{I}24_{/}When the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him 
terrified [=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}and one of them said, "Have you seen this man 
who comes up challenging Israel? Whoever succeeds in killing him 
will be richly rewarded by the king. He will give him his daughter 
in marriage and set his family free of every contribution."
{R}_{I}26_{/}David asked those who were around him, "What will be the 
reward for the person who kills this Philistine and lifts this 
disgrace from Israel? And who is this uncircumcised Philistine who 
defies the armies of the living God?" {I}27_{/}The people answered him 
in the same way, "This will be the reward of whoever kills him."
{R}_{I}28_{/}When he saw David talking to the men, his eldest brother 
Eliab was angry and said, "Why did you come here? With whom did 
you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know you are an 
insolent fellow. You have come only to see the battle." 
{R}_{I}29_{/}David asked, "What have I done this time? I was merely 
asking something!" {R}_{I}30_{/}Leaving his brother, David turned to 
another man and asked him the same question, and the people 
answered him the same way as before.
{R}_{I}31_{/}David's remarks spread around and reached Saul, who asked 
for him.
{R}_{I}32_{/}David said to Saul, "Let no one be discouraged on account of 
this Philistine, for your servant will engage him in battle." 
{R}_{I}33_{/}Saul told David, "You cannot fight with this Philistine for 
you are still young, whereas this man has been a warrior from his 
youth." {R}_{I}34_{/}But David said, "When I was tending my father's 
sheep, whenever a lion or bear came to snatch a lamb from the 
flock, {I}35_{/}I would run after it, kill it and rescue the victim 
from its mouth. If it attacked me, I would hold it by its beard 
and slay it. {R}_{I}36_{/}I have killed lions and bears and will do the 
same with this uncircumcised Philistine, for he has defied the 
armies of the living God." {R}_{I}37_{/}David continued, "Yahweh, who 
delivered me from the paws of lions and bears, will deliver me 
from the hands of the Philistine."
Saul then told David, "Go and may Yahweh be with you!"
{R}_{I}38_{/}Saul fitted his armor on David, put a bronze helmet on his 
head, clothed him with a coat of mail. {R}_{I}39_{/}David secured his 
sword over the armor but could not walk because it was his first 
time. So he said to Saul, "I cannot move with all these trappings 
on me because I am not accustomed to wearing them." David got rid 
of all this armor, {I}40_{/}took his staff, picked up five smooth 
stones from the brook and dropped them inside his shepherd's bag. 
And with his sling in hand, he drew near to the Philistine.
{R}_{I}41_{/}The Philistine moved forward, closing in on David, his 
shield-bearer in front of him. {R}_{I}42_{/}When he saw that David was 
only a lad, (he was of fresh complexion and handsome) he despised 
him {R}_{I}43_{/}and said, "Am I a dog that you should approach me with a 
stick?" Cursing David by his gods, [=]_{I}44_{/}he continued, "Come 
and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts 
of the field!"
{R}_{I}45_{/}David answered the Philistine, "You have come against me 
with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you with Yahweh, 
the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. {R}_{I}46_{/}Yahweh 
will deliver you this day into my hands and I will strike you down 
and cut off your head. I will give the corpses of the Philistine 
army today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the 
earth, and all the earth shall know that there is a God of Israel. 
[=]_{I}47_{/}All the people gathered here shall know that Yahweh saves 
not by sword or spear; the battle belongs to Yahweh, and he will 
deliver you into our hands."
{R}_{I}48_{/}No sooner had the Philistine moved to attack him, than David 
rushed to the battleground. {I}49_{/}Putting his hand into his bag, he 
took out a stone, slung it and struck the Philistine on the 
forehead; it penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to 
the ground. {R}_{I}50_{/}David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling 
and a stone, felling him without using a sword. {R}_{I}51_{/}He rushed 
forward, stood over him, took the Philistine's sword and slew him 
by cutting off his head.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they 
scattered in all directions. {R}_{I}52_{/}The men of Israel and Judah 
raised the battle cry and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath 
and the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines fell on the way from 
Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron. {R}_{I}53_{/}Returning from their pursuit of 
the Philistines, the Israelites plundered their camp. {R}_{I}54_{/}David 
took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem but 
left the armor in his tent.
{R}_{I}55_{/}When Saul saw David come out to oppose the Philistine, he 
asked his general, Abner, "Abner, whose son is that young man?" 
Abner answered, "I swear, O king, I do not know." {R}_{I}56_{/}The king 
said, "Ask whose son that lad is." {R}_{I}57_{/}So when David returned 
after killing the Philistine, Abner took him to Saul. {R}_{I}58_{/}Saul 
asked David, who stood before him holding the head of the 
Philistine, "Whose son are you, young man?" David answered, "I am 
the son of your servant, Jesse the Bethlehemite."

{N}DAVID, SAUL AND JONATHAN{/}

{1}18{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan felt 
a deep affection for David and began to love him as himself. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}Saul kept David with him from that day and did not allow him 
to return to his father's house. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}Then Jonathan made an 
agreement with David because he loved him as himself. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}Jonathan, taking off the cloak he was wearing, gave it to 
David; he also gave him his own armor, sword, bow and belt.
{R}_{I}5_{/}Wherever Saul sent David, he went and succeeded. For this 
reason, Saul put David in charge of the soldiers - a move which 
pleased Saul's men and his officers as well. [=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}When they 
arrived after David had slain the Philistine, the women came out 
from the cities of Israel to meet King Saul singing and dancing 
with timbrels and musical insruments. {R}_{I}7_{/}They were merrily 
singing this song: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David, his 
tens of thousands."
{R}_{I}8_{/}Saul was very displeased with this song and said, "They have 
given tens of thousands to David but to me only thousands! By now 
he has everything but the kingdom!" {R}_{I}9_{/}From then on, Saul became 
very distrustful of David.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}The following day, an evil spirit from God seized Saul, 
causing him to rave in his house. David then played on the lyre as 
he used to do, while Saul had his spear in hand. {R}_{I}11_{/}Then Saul 
pointed it at David thinking, "I will nail David to the wall." But 
David escaped on two occasions.
{R}_{I}12_{/}Saul saw that Yahweh was with David and had left him. And he 
was afraid. {R}_{I}13_{/}So he removed David from his presence by making 
him chief of a thousand men. David went ahead of his troops 
{I}14_{/}and was successful each time because Yahweh was with him. 
{R}_{I}15_{/}The more successful David was, the more afraid Saul became. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}But all Israel and Judah loved David because he led them in 
their expeditions.
{R}_{I}17_{/}Saul said to David, "You know my eldest daughter, Merab. I 
will give her to you as your wife; be brave and fight Yahweh's 
battles." For Saul thought, "Let the Philistines strike him 
instead of myself." {R}_{I}18_{/}David answered Saul, "Who am I? And what 
is my father's family in Israel that I should be the king's son-
in-law?" {R}_{I}19_{/}Yet when it was time for Merab to be married to 
David, she was given instead to Adriel the Meholathite.
{R}_{I}20_{/}Now, Saul's daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When 
this came to Saul's knowledge, he was very pleased [=]_{R}_{I}21_{/}for 
he thought, "I shall promise her to him and it will be a snare to 
him. The Philistines will kill him." So, Saul said to David a 
second time, "You shall now be my son-in-law." {R}_{I}22_{/}Then he 
commanded his servants to talk to David privately and say, "The 
king and all his servants like you. You should become the king's 
son-in-law!" {R}_{I}23_{/}Saul's servants repeated these words to David 
who replied, "Do you think it is easy to become the king's son-in-
law, poor and unknown as I am?" {R}_{I}24_{/}When Saul's servants 
repeated to the king what David had said, {R}_{I}25_{/}Saul ordered them 
to tell David, "The king wants no marriage gift other than a 
hundred Philistine foreskins to take revenge on his enemies." For 
Saul wanted David to fall into the hands of the Philistines. 
{R}_{I}26_{/}Saul's servants told this to David and it seemed to him that 
he could easily become the king's son-in-law. {R}_{I}27_{/}David and his 
men set out and killed two hundred Philistines. And they brought 
the king the foreskins so that David could become the king's son-
in-law. So Saul had to give his daughter Michal to David to become 
his wife. 
{R}_{I}28_{/}Saul feared David for he knew that Yahweh was with him. But 
Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him. {R}_{I}29_{/}Saul feared David more 
and more and was his enemy until the end.
{R}_{I}30_{/}Whenever the Philistine chiefs engaged David in battle, he 
succeeded more than any of Saul's officers, in earning great fame 
for himself.

{1}19{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Saul told his son Jonathan and his servants of his 
intention to kill David. But Jonathan, who liked David very much, 
{R}_{I}2_{/}said to David, "My father Saul wants to kill you. Be on your 
guard tomorrow morning and hide yourself in a secret place. {I}3_{/}I 
will go out and keep my father company in the countryside where 
you are and I will speak to him about you. If I find out 
something, I will let you know." {R}_{I}4_{/}Jonathan spoke well of David 
to his father Saul and said, "Let not the king sin against his 
servant David for he has not sinned against you. On the contrary, 
what he has done has benefited you. {R}_{I}5_{/}He risked his life in 
killing the Philistine and Yahweh brought about a great victory 
for Israel. You yourself saw this and greatly rejoiced. Why then 
sin against innocent blood and kill David without cause?" 
{R}_{I}6_{/}Saul heeded Jonathan's plea and swore, "As Yahweh lives, he 
shall not be put to death." {R}_{I}7_{/}So Jonathan called David and told 
him all these things. He then brought him to Saul and David was 
back in Saul's service as before.
{R}_{I}8_{/}War broke out again and David set out to fight the 
Philistines. David crushed them so badly that they had to flee. 
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}Then an evil spirit from Yahweh seized Saul as he sat in 
his house holding his spear while David was playing on the lyre. 
{R}_{I}10_{/}Saul made an attempt to pin David to the wall with his 
spear. David, however, dodged the blow and the spear hit the wall 
instead. David fled and escaped.
{R}_{I}11_{/}That night Saul sent messengers to David's house to keep an 
eye on him as he intended to kill him the following morning. But 
David's wife, Michal, told him, "If you do not run for your life 
tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." [=]_{R}_{I}12_{/}So Michal let 
David down through the window, allowing him to escape.
{I}13_{/}Next Michal took the household idol, laid it in the bed and 
put a bundle of goat's hair on its head. She then covered this 
with a blanket. {R}_{I}14_{/}When Saul sent messengers to capture David, 
Michal told them, "He is sick." {R}_{I}15_{/}Saul sent messengers back to 
David and said, "Bring him up to me on his bed for me to kill 
him." {I}16_{/}But when the messengers entered, they saw the household 
idol in the bed with the bundle of goat's hair at its head. 
{R}_{I}17_{/}Saul, therefore, asked Michal, "Why did you deceive me and 
allow my enemy to escape?" Michal answered, "He threatened to kill 
me if I did not let him go!"

{N}SAUL AND THE PROPHETS{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}18_{/}David had fled and was in safety. He went to Samuel at 
Ramah and related all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel 
then went to live at Naioth. {R}_{I}19_{/}Saul was told that David stayed 
at Naioth in Ramah, [=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}so he sent messengers to capture 
David. But when they saw the band of prophets prophesying 
(signifying that they had fallen into a trance) with Samuel 
leading them, the spirit of Yahweh came upon them and made them 
prophesy.
{R}_{I}21_{/}Upon hearing what happened, Saul sent more messengers who 
also began to prophesy. Saul sent more the third time and the same 
thing happened.
{R}_{I}22_{/}Then Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the deep well 
in Secu. He asked, "Where can I find Samuel and David?" The people 
answered, "They are at Naioth in Ramah." {R}_{I}23_{/}So Saul proceeded 
to Naioth in Ramah but the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him as well. 
And he walked along prophesying until he reached the entrance of 
Naioth in Ramah. {R}_{I}24_{/}He took off his clothes and prophesied in 
Samuel's presence. Then he fell down naked, remaining in that 
position all day and all night. Hence sprang the saying, "Is Saul 
also among the prophets?"

{1}20{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went to Jonathan to ask 
him, "What have I done? What am I guilty of? What sin have I 
committed against your father that he wants to kill me?" 
{R}_{I}2_{/}Jonathan, however, assured him, "No! You shall not die. My 
father does nothing small or great without informing me. Why 
should he hide this from me? No, this cannot be."
{R}_{I}3_{/}But David replied, "Your father knows very well that you are 
pleased with me, so he thinks it is better not to tell you and 
grieve you. But I swear there is but one step between death and 
me!" {R}_{I}4_{/}Then Jonathan told David, "What can I do for you?" 
{R}_{I}5_{/}David answered, "Tomorrow is the new moon and I should be 
dining with the king. But let me hide myself in the open country 
until the evening of the third day. {R}_{I}6_{/}If your father looks for 
me, say to him: 'David asked me to let him go over to Bethlehem 
because they have their yearly sacrifice there with the entire 
family.' {I}7_{/}If he says, 'Good' then I am in no danger. But if he 
gets angry, then you can be certain that he wants to harm me. 
[=]_{I}8_{/}Do this for me according to our agreement. But if I am 
guilty, kill me yourself. Why hand me over to your father to be 
killed?"
{R}_{I}9_{/}Jonathan answered, "Nonsense! If I knew that my father wanted 
to harm you, would I not warn you?" {R}_{I}10_{/}David then asked him, 
"Who will tell me if your father answers you angrily?" 
{R}_{I}11_{/}Jonathan said, "Come, let us go into the open country." So 
they both left for the open country.
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}12_{/}Then Jonathan said to David, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, 
be our witness. About this time tomorrow or the following day, I 
shall be sounding out my father. If he is well-disposed toward 
you, I shall send you word. {I}13_{/}But if my father intends to do 
you harm, may Yahweh punish me if I do not warn you that you may 
escape safely. Surely Yahweh will be with you as he has been with 
my father. {I}14_{/}If I live, always be kind to me. But if I die, 
[=]_{I}15{/}-{R}_{I}16_{/}never cut off your friendship with my family even 
when Yahweh takes vengeance on David's enemies and wipes them out 
from the face of the earth." 
So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David. {I}17{/}And he 
made David swear once more because of the affection he felt for 
him for he loved David as himself.
{R}_{I}18_{/}Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow is the new moon. Your absence 
will be noticed because your seat will be vacant. {I}19_{/}On the 
third day it will be noticed all the more. So go and hide yourself 
where you hid before and stay beside the heap of stones there. 
{I}20_{/}I will shoot three arrows near the stones as if I were aiming 
at a target. {I}21_{/}I will then send a lad with this instruction: 
'Go, look for the arrows.' If I say to the lad: 'The arrows are on 
this side, pick them up,' then you may come out for, I swear, you 
are not in danger. {I}22_{/}But if I say to the lad: 'The arrows are 
beyond you,' leave, for Yahweh is sending you away. {R}_{I}23_{/}But as 
to our covenant, Yahweh is our witness forever."
{R}_{I}24_{/}So David hid himself in the open country. On the day of the 
new moon the king came to dine. {R}_{I}25_{/}He took his usual place on 
the seat against the wall while Jonathan sat facing him and Abner 
was beside him. David's seat remained vacant.
{R}_{I}26_{/}Saul did not say anything on that day, thinking that 
something may have happened and David was unclean. {R}_{I}27_{/}On the 
second day of the new moon, David's seat was still vacant and Saul 
asked his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to 
table yesterday and today?" {R}_{I}28_{/}Jonathan answered, "David asked 
leave to go over to Bethlehem for he said, {R}_{I}29_{/}'Our family is 
offering a sacrifice in the city and my brothers insisted that I 
be present. So please allow me to go and visit my brothers.' This 
is why he has not come to the king's table."
{R}_{I}30_{/}Saul became very angry at Jonathan and told him, "You son of 
a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you prefer the 
son of Jesse to your shame and your mother's shame? {R}_{I}31_{/}For as 
long as the son of Jesse lives, neither you nor your Kingdom can 
stand. Send for him and bring him to me for he is doomed to die!" 
{R}_{I}32_{/}Then Jonathan asked his father, "Why should he die? What has 
he done?" [=]_{R}_{I}33_{/}At this, Saul pointed his spear at him and 
Jonathan understood that his father intended to kill David. 
{R}_{I}34_{/}Jonathan rose angrily from the table and did not eat that 
second day of the month, grieving for David, because of what his 
father said against him.
{R}_{I}35_{/}The next morning, Jonathan went to the open country with a 
young man, according to what he and David had agreed on. {R}_{I}36_{/}He 
told the lad, "Run, fetch the arrows." While the lad was running, 
Jonathan shot an arrow that flew beyond the lad. {R}_{I}37_{/}When the 
lad reached the spot where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan 
called after him and said, "The arrow is beyond you! {I}38_{/}Run 
quickly and do not waste time!" The lad picked up the arrow and 
ran back to his master. {R}_{I}39_{/}The lad knew nothing of Jonathan and 
David's agreement.
{R}_{I}40_{/}After that, Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad and 
commanded him to take them to the city. {R}_{I}41_{/}When the lad had 
gone, David came out from behind the mound and lay on the ground. 
The two embraced each other and wept with one another until David 
was through. {R}_{I}42_{/}Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for 
we have made an oath to one another in Yahweh's name when we said: 
Yahweh shall be between you and me and between your descendants 
and mine forever."

{N}DAVID AND THE PRIEST AHIMELECH{/}

{1}21{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}David went on his way while Jonathan returned home. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}David came to Nob to the priest Ahimelech. Ahimelech came to 
meet him and asked trembling, "Why are you alone?" {R}_{I}3_{/}David 
replied, "The king sent me on a mission and strictly ordered me 
not to tell anyone about it. Because of this I have decided on a 
place where I shall meet my men. {I}4_{/}What do you have here? Can 
you give me five loaves of bread or whatever you have?" {R}_{I}5_{/}The 
priest answered David, "I do not have ordinary bread at hand; 
there is only holy bread. If your men have had no relations with 
women they may eat it." {R}_{I}6_{/}David answered, "Indeed we have 
abstained from women these days since I set out. The young men 
remained sexually clean though it was an ordinary expedition and 
today they are clean." [=]_{I}7_{/}So the priest gave him holy bread 
for there was no other bread. This was the bread of Presence which 
had been replaced by fresh bread on the day it was removed.
{R}_{I}8_{/}Yet one of Saul's men was there on that day. He was Doeg, the 
Edomite, and Saul's chief shepherd.
{R}_{I}9_{/}David asked Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or a sword with 
you? I did not take my arms with me because the king's order was 
urgent." {R}_{I}10_{/}The priest replied, "I have here, wrapped in a 
piece of cloth behind the ephod, the sword of Goliath the 
Philistine whom you killed in the valley of Elah. You can take 
this if you wish, for I have nothing else here." David said, 
"There is none like it. Give it to me."
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}11_{/}That same day, David fled far from Saul. He went to 
Achish, king of Gath. {R}_{I}12_{/}Achish's servants remarked, "O king, 
is this not David? Did the people not dance on his account and 
sing: 'Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands?'" 
{R}_{I}13_{/}David understood these words and began to fear Achish, king 
of Gath. {I}14_{/}So he pretended to be mad, making marks on the doors 
of the gate as he let his spittle run down his beard. {I}15_{/}At this 
Achish told his servants, "Look, it is a madman. Why did you bring 
him to me? {I}16_{/}Am I short of madmen that you have to bring this 
fellow to act foolishly in my presence? Will this fellow come into 
my house?"

{N}DAVID BEGINS HIS WANDERINGS{/}

{1}22{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adulam where 
his brothers and his father's family came down to him. {I}2_{/}Then 
those who had problems or debts or were embittered joined him 
there. Thus he became their chief; he had with him about four 
hundred men.
{R}_{I}3_{/}From there, David went to Mispeh in Moab and asked the king 
of Moab to let his father and mother stay with him until he found 
out what God would do for him. {R}_{I}4_{/}So David left them with the 
king of Moab and they stayed there as long as David remained in 
the refuge.
{R}_{I}5_{/}The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the refuge; go 
to the land of Judah." So David left and entered the forest of 
Hereth.
{R}_{I}6_{/}Saul heard that David and his men had been seen. Saul was in 
Gibeah at the time, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the high 
place, his spear in hand, while his servants were standing by. 
[=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}Saul addressed them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the 
son of Jesse give every one of you fields of vineyards? Will he 
make each one of you a commander over a thousand or over a hundred 
men that you should all be conspiring against me? {I}8_{/}Why, then, 
did no one tell me that my son made an agreement with the son of 
Jesse? No one among you had mercy on me and told me that my own 
son had stirred up my servant to conspire against me as is the 
case today."
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}At this, Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with the 
officers of Saul, spoke up, "I saw the son of Jesse come to 
Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, in Nob. {I}10_{/}Ahimelech consulted Yahweh 
for him, provided him with food and gave him the sword of Goliath 
the Philistine as well."
{R}_{I}11_{/}On hearing this, the king sent for Ahimelech the priest, son 
of Ahitub, and all his family who were priests in Nob. They all 
came to the king. {R}_{I}12_{/}Then Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub." 
He replied, "Yes, my lord." {R}_{I}13_{/}Saul asked him, "Why did you 
conspire with the son of Jesse, giving him food and a sword and 
consulting Yahweh for him so that he could rebel against me as is 
the case today?" {R}_{I}14_{/}Ahimelech answered the king, "Who among all 
your servants is as faithful as David, the king's son-in-law, 
captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house? {R}_{I}15_{/}Is 
today the first time that I have consulted Yahweh for him? By no 
means! Let not the king accuse me or any member of my family of 
such a thing for I knew nothing at all about the entire matter." 
{R}_{I}16_{/}But the king said, "You and your entire family shall die, 
Ahimelech." {R}_{I}17_{/}And the king at once commanded the guards who 
were standing by, "Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh for having 
assisted David. They knew very well that David was a fugitive but 
they did not tell me anything at all." The king's servants, 
however, refused to lift their hands against the priests of 
Yahweh. {R}_{I}18_{/}And so the king turned to Doeg and commanded him, 
"Come and stab the priests." And so Doeg the Edomite drew near and 
stabbed the priests.
On that day he killed eighty-five persons who were wearing the 
linen ephod. {R}_{I}19_{/}After that, Saul put Nob, the city of priests, 
to the sword, killing men and women, children and infants, oxen, 
asses and sheep.
[=]_{R}_{I}20_{/}A son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, 
escaped and fled to David. {R}_{I}21_{/}Abiathar told David that Saul had 
killed the priests of Yahweh. {R}_{I}22_{/}David said to him, "I knew 
that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely 
tell Saul. So I am responsible for the death of all your family. 
{I}23_{/}Stay with me and do not be afraid for he who wants to kill 
you must also kill me. You will be safe with me."

{N}HOW DAVID CONSULTED GOD{/}

{1}23{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}David received a report that the Philistines were attacking 
Keilah and plundering the threshing floors. {R}_{I}2_{/}He, therefore, 
consulted Yahweh and asked, "Shall I go and fight with these 
Philistines?" The answer was, "Go and attack the Philistines and 
rescue Keilah." {R}_{I}3_{/}But David's men protested and said, "Look, 
here in Judah we are in danger and afraid. What then if we go to 
Keilah and face the Philistines?"
[=]_{R}_{I}4_{/}So David consulted Yahweh again and got this answer, "Go 
down to Keilah for I will deliver the Philistines into your 
hands." {R}_{I}5_{/}David went with his men to Keilah and fought with the 
Philistines, seizing their cattle and causing a great slaughter 
among them; and he rescued the inhabitants of the place.
{R}_{I}6_{/}When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, fled to David at Keilah, he 
took along the ephod. {R}_{I}7_{/}When Saul was told that David had come 
to Keilah he said, "God has delivered him into my hands for he has 
shut himself in by entering a city with gates and bars." {R}_{I}8_{/}He 
then called on all the people to go down to Keilah and engage 
David and his men in battle. {R}_{I}9_{/}When David found out that Saul 
meant to harm him, he told the priest Abiathar to bring the ephod. 
{R}_{I}10_{/}Then he consulted Yahweh, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, listen 
to your servant for I have heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah 
and destroy the city on my account. {R}_{I}11_{/}Will Saul come down as I 
heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, speak to your servant." Yahweh 
answered, "He will come down." {R}_{I}12_{/}Then David asked, "Will the 
lords of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" Yahweh answered, 
"They will hand you over to him." {R}_{I}13_{/}So David set out with his 
six hundred men. He left Keilah and wandered from one place to 
another. When Saul was informed that David had escaped from 
Keilah, he abandoned the expedition. {R}_{I}14_{/}Meanwhile David stayed 
in the strongholds in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. 
Saul, however, kept on searching for him but God did not deliver 
David into his hands.
{R}_{I}15_{/}David knew that Saul had come out to kill him. And he 
remained at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. {R}_{I}16_{/}Saul's son, 
Jonathan, went to him and encouraged him in God's name with these 
words, {R}_{I}17_{/}"Have no fear, for my father Saul will not harm you. 
Even my father Saul knows that you shall be king over Israel and 
that I shall be second to you." {R}_{I}18_{/}The two made an agreement 
before Yahweh in Horesh, after which David remained there while 
Jonathan returned home.
{R}_{I}19_{/}Some of the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and told him, 
"David is hiding among us in the refuges of Horesh on the hill of 
Hachilah, south of Jeshimon. {R}_{I}20_{/}Come down, therefore, O king, 
whenever it may please you and we shall deliver him into your 
hands." {R}_{I}21_{/}Saul replied, "May Yahweh bless you for you have had 
mercy on me. {I}22_{/}Go and make sure where he has been and who has 
seen him there for I am told that he is very cunning. {R}_{I}23_{/}Check 
all the places where he may be hiding and come back to me, and I 
will go with you. If he is in the region, I will search him out 
among all the clans of Judah."
{R}_{I}24_{/}So they went off to Ziph ahead of Saul. At this time, David 
and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the valley south of 
Jeshimon.
{R}_{I}25_{/}When David learned that Saul and his men were looking for 
him, he went down to a ravine in the desert of Maon. Saul heard of 
this and pursued David into the desert of Maon. {R}_{I}26_{/}Saul moved 
along one side of the mountain, and David along the other. David 
was hurrying to escape from Saul who with his forces was closing 
in on him and his men. {R}_{I}27_{/}It was then that a messenger came to 
Saul and said, "Come quickly because the Philistines have invaded 
the land!" {R}_{I}28_{/}Saul then left off pursuing David and went to 
face the Philistines. This is how that place came to be called the 
Ravine of Parting. 

{N}DAVID SPARES SAUL{/}

{1}24{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}David then went up from there and stayed in the hiding 
places at Engedi. {R}_{I}2_{/}When Saul returned from his pursuit of the 
Philistines, he was told that David was in the desert of Engedi. 
{R}_{I}3_{/}So Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and 
went in search of David and his men to the east of the Wild Goat 
crags. {I}4_{/}When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he 
entered a cave to relieve himself.
{R}_{I}5_{/}Now David and his men were far back in the cave. David's men 
said to him, "This is the day which Yahweh spoke of: look I will 
deliver your enemy into your hands and you will do with him as you 
see fit." So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of 
Saul's robe. {R}_{I}6_{/}But afterward, David regretted having cut off an 
end of Saul's robe, [=]_{I}7_{/}and he said to his men, "Let me not 
lay my hands on my master, for he is Yahweh's anointed." {R}_{I}8_{/}With 
these words, David restrained his men and did not allow them to 
attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
{R}_{I}9_{/}Then David himself stepped out of the cave and called after 
Saul, "My master, the king!" When Saul looked back, David knelt 
and then bowed to the ground in homage and asked him, {I}10_{/}"Why do 
you listen to those who say that I want to harm you? {I}11_{/}Look, 
today you have seen that Yahweh delivered you into my hands in the 
cave, and I was told to kill you but I held myself back and I 
said: 'I will not lift my hands against my master who is Yahweh's 
anointed.' {I}12_{/}My father, look at this end of your robe which I 
am holding! I cut off the end of your robe but did not kill you. 
Now you may know that I mean you no harm or treason. I have done 
you no wrong and yet you are hunting me down to kill me. {I}13_{/}May 
Yahweh be judge between you and me and may he exact justice from 
you in my case, but I shall do you no harm.
{I}14_{/}As the saying goes, 'From the wicked comes wickedness'; as 
for me, my hand shall not harm you. {R}_{I}15_{/}But who is it you are 
after, O king of Israel? Are you pursuing a dead dog? A flea? 
{I}16_{/}May Yahweh be judge between you and me. May he see and uphold 
my cause and deliver me from your hands."
{R}_{I}17_{/}After David had spoken these words, Saul asked, "Is that 
your voice, my son David?" He wept aloud {R}_{I}18_{/}and said to David, 
"You are right and I am wrong, for you have repaid with kindness 
the harm I have inflicted on you. {I}19_{/}This day you have shown 
your righteousness to me by not taking my life when Yahweh put me 
into your hands. {R}_{I}20_{/}For if a man finds his enemy, will he let 
him go unharmed? May Yahweh reward you for what you have done for 
me today. {R}_{I}21_{/}Now I know for certain that you shall reign and 
the kingdom of Israel will be firm in your hand. {I}22_{/}Now swear to 
me by Yahweh that you will not wipe out my descendants and erase 
the name of my family."
{R}_{I}23_{/}David swore to this before Saul after which Saul went home 
while David and his men went up to the hiding place.

{N}DAVID AND ABIGAIL{/}

{1}25{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The day Samuel died, all Israel gathered together to 
mourn him; after which they buried him at his home in Ramah.
Then David went down to the desert of Maon. {R}_{I}2_{/}A very rich man, 
owner of three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, lived there 
and had his farm in Carmel. 
{R}_{I}3_{/}This man was named Nabal; his wife, Abigail. The woman was 
intelligent and beautiful; but the man himself, a Calebite, was 
rough and ill-mannered. He was at the time shearing his sheep in 
Carmel.

{R}_{I}4_{/}When David heard in the desert that Nabal was shearing his 
sheep, {R}_{I}5_{/}he sent ten young men to the farm with this 
instruction, "Go to Nabal in Carmel and greet him for me 
[=]_{I}6_{/}in these words: peace be with you and your family; peace 
be with all that is yours. {R}_{I}7_{/}I hear that you have shearers with 
you. Now when your shepherds were with us, we did not harm them; 
neither did they miss anything while they were in Carmel. {R}_{I}8_{/}Ask 
your servants and they will tell. So be kind to my servants since 
we come on a festive day; please give them and your son David 
whatever you can."
{R}_{I}9_{/}When David's young men arrived, they delivered this message 
to Nabal in David's name and then waited. [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}But Nabal 
answered David's servants, "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? 
Many nowadays are the servants who run away from their masters. 
{I}11_{/}Must I take my bread, my wine, my meat which I have 
slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men who come from I 
don't know where?" {R}_{I}12_{/}At this, David's young men left and 
returned to him, reporting everything Nabal had said. 
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}David then said to his men, "Let every man strap on his 
sword!" And every one of them, including David, strapped on his 
sword. About four hundred men followed David while two hundred 
remained with the baggage.
{R}_{I}14_{/}One of Nabal's servants told Abigail, his wife, "David sent 
messengers from the desert to greet our master but he shouted at 
them. {I}15_{/}Yet these men were very good to us. We suffered no harm 
and did not miss anything while we were living among them during 
our stay in the open country. {I}16_{/}They were like a wall for us 
night and day while we were tending the sheep in their midst. 
{I}17_{/}Now think over what you should do; for our master and his 
entire family are surely doomed to die, but he is so wicked no one 
can speak to him."
{I}18_{/}Abigail hurriedly prepared two hundred loaves, two skins of 
wine, five dressed sheep, five measures of roasted grain, a 
hundred cakes of pressed raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed 
figs and loaded them on asses. {I}19_{/}Then she said to her servants, 
"Go on ahead and I shall follow you." But she told her husband 
nothing of this.
{R}_{I}20_{/}As she rode down the mountain on her ass, David and his men 
were coming down from the other direction. When she met them, 
{R}_{I}21_{/}David was reflecting, "It was useless guarding all that this 
fellow has in the desert. Although he lost nothing belonging to 
him, he has returned me evil for good. {R}_{I}22_{/}May God do so to 
David and more if by morning I leave a single male alive among 
those who belong to him."
{R}_{I}23_{/}On seeing David, Abigail quickly dismounted from the ass and 
threw herself on the ground before him. {I}24_{/}As she fell at his 
feet she said, "My lord, let the blame be on me! Let your handmaid 
speak to you; listen to her words. {I}25_{/}Let not my lord pay 
attention to this ill-mannered man, Nabal, for he is just what his 
name says: he is a fool. I, your handmaid, did not see the young 
men whom you sent.
{I}26_{/}Now, my lord, as Yahweh lives and as you live, it is Yahweh 
who prevents you from shedding blood and avenging yourself. Let 
your enemies and those who seek to harm my lord become like Nabal! 
{I}27_{/}And now let this present which I have brought you, my lord, 
be given to the young men who follow you, {I}28_{/}and please forgive 
me.
Yahweh will certainly give you a lasting family because you are 
fighting the battles of Yahweh and no evil shall be found in you 
as long as you live. {R}_{I}29_{/}Should anyone make an attempt on your 
life, may the life of my lord be bound in the bundle of the living 
in the care of Yahweh, your God. May he hurl away the lives of 
your enemies as from the hollow of a sling.
{R}_{I}30_{/}So when Yahweh fulfills his promises and appoints you as 
commander over Israel, {I}31_{/}you shall have no reason to grieve or 
to feel any grief or regret for having unrightfully shed blood or 
taken revenge yourself. May Yahweh bless you, and you, my lord, 
remember your handmaid."
{R}_{I}32_{/}David then said to Abigail, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of 
Israel, who sent you to meet me today! {I}33_{/}Blessed be your good 
judgment and may you yourself be blessed, for you have prevented 
me from shedding blood and avenging myself today! {R}_{I}34_{/}For as 
Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, he has prevented me from hurting 
you. If you did not hurry to meet me, not a single male belonging 
to Nabal would have been alive by morning." {R}_{I}35_{/}David accepted 
what she had brought him and told her, "Go back home in peace. I 
have listened to you and granted your request."
{I}36_{/}Abigail went back to Nabal and found him holding a feast in 
his house.
He was joyful and very drunk so Abigail did not mention anything 
to him until the following day. {I}37_{/}When morning came and Nabal 
had slept it off, his wife spoke to him about all these things. On 
hearing it Nabal had a stroke and remained paralyzed. {I}38_{/}Ten 
days later, Yahweh let him die.
[=]_{R}_{I}39_{/}When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed 
be Yahweh who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of 
Nabal and has prevented me from doing wrong. Yahweh himself has 
made Nabal's wrongdoings fall on his own head."
{R}_{I}40_{/}David then sent his servants to Abigail in Carmel to propose 
marriage to her saying, "David has sent us to you to say that he 
wants you to be his wife." {I}41_{/}Rising and bowing to the ground, 
Abigail answered, "May I be as a slave to wash the feet of my 
lord's servants." {R}_{I}42_{/}She quickly rose and mounted an ass and, 
attended by five of her servants, she left with David's messengers 
and became his wife.
{R}_{I}43_{/}David also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, making both her and 
Abigail his wives. {R}_{I}44_{/}Saul, in the meantime, had given Michal, 
his daughter and David's wife, to Palti, son of Laish who was from 
Gallim.

{1}26{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Ziphites came to Saul in Gibeah to tell him that David 
was hiding on the hill of Hachilah, east of Jeshimon. {R}_{I}2_{/}On 
hearing this, Saul went down with three thousand picked men of 
Israel to the desert of Ziph in search of David. {I}3_{/}He encamped 
on the hill of Hachilah beside the road east of Jeshimon. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}When David who was in the desert saw that Saul had come after 
him, he sent out spies who confirmed Saul's arrival. {R}_{I}5_{/}David 
came to Saul's place of encampment and saw where Saul was resting 
with Abner, son of Ner, chief of his army. Saul was sleeping in 
the center and his men were around him.
[=]_{R}_{I}6_{/}David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai, son 
of Zeruiah and Joab's brother, "Who will go down into the camp 
with me to Saul?" Abishai answered, "I will go down with you." 
{R}_{I}7_{/}So, that night, David and Abishai went into the camp and 
found Saul sleeping in the center, his spear thrust into the 
ground at his head, while Abner and the rest of the soldiers were 
sleeping around him. {R}_{I}8_{/}Abishai said to David, "God has 
delivered your enemy into your hands this day. Let me nail him to 
the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not repeat it." 
{R}_{I}9_{/}But David answered Abishai, "Do not harm him. For who could 
harm Yahweh's anointed and not be punished? {I}10_{/}As Yahweh lives, 
only Yahweh may strike him; either he dies on the day appointed or 
is killed in battle. {R}_{I}11_{/}Don't let me harm Yahweh's anointed! 
Instead take the spear that is at his head and the water jug and 
let us be on our way."
{R}_{I}12_{/}So David took the spear and the water jug from near Saul's 
head and they left. Nobody saw, nobody knew, nobody woke up. All 
remained asleep, for a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.
{R}_{I}13_{/}On the opposite slope David stood at a distance, on top of 
the hill, {R}_{I}14_{/}and called out to both Abner son of Ner and the 
soldiers, "Why don't you answer, Abner?" Abner answered back, "Who 
are you to awaken the king?" {R}_{I}15_{/}David said to Abner, "Are you 
not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then did you not closely 
guard your lord the king? An ordinary man has broken into the camp 
and made an attempt on the life of the king your lord. {R}_{I}16_{/}Is 
this the way you fulfill your duties? You deserve to die because 
you did not guard your lord, Yahweh's anointed. Now look for the 
king's spear and the water jug that were at his head."
{R}_{I}17_{/}Saul recognized David's voice and asked, "Is that your 
voice, David my son?" David answered, "It is my voice, my lord, O 
king! {I}18_{/}Why does my lord pursue me? What have I done? What am I 
guilty of? {R}_{I}19_{/}Now, let my lord the king hear my words. If it is 
Yahweh who has incited you against me, may an offering appease 
him; but if men have done so, may they be cursed before Yahweh, 
for they have made me an exile to this day and have driven me from 
my share of the inheritance of Yahweh as if saying to me: 'Go and 
serve other gods.' {R}_{I}20_{/}Let not my blood flow to the ground far 
from the presence of Yahweh! For the king of Israel has come to 
seek out a flea as a man hunts a partridge in the mountains."
{R}_{I}21_{/}Then Saul said, "I have done wrong. Come back, David my son. 
I will not harm you anymore since you valued my life this day. I 
have acted like a fool and have made a great mistake." {R}_{I}22_{/}David 
answered, "I have your spear with me, O king! Let one of your 
servants come over to fetch it. {R}_{I}23_{/}Yahweh rewards a righteous 
and loyal man. Today he delivered you into my hands but I refused 
to harm Yahweh's anointed. {I}24_{/}As I valued your life today, may 
Yahweh value my life and deliver me from all distress."
{R}_{I}25_{/}Finally Saul told David, "Blessed are you, David my son! You 
shall succeed in everything you do." Then David went his way and 
Saul went home.

{N}DAVID AMONG THE PHILISTINES{/}

{1}27{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}David thought, "Some day I shall die at the hand of Saul. It 
is better for me to escape to the land of the Philistines where I 
shall be beyond his reach and Saul will get tired of searching for 
me within the borders of Israel." {R}_{I}2_{/}So David went with his six 
hundred men to Achish, son of Maoch, king of Gath. {R}_{I}3_{/}He and his 
men lived with Achish in Gath; each one had his family with him 
and David had his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of 
Carmel, Nabal's widow. {R}_{I}4_{/}When Saul was informed that David had 
fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
{R}_{I}5_{/}David said to Achish, "If I meet with your approval, let me 
have a place to live in one of the country towns. Why should your 
servant live in the royal city with you?" {R}_{I}6_{/}That very day, 
Achish gave David Ziklag, which since then and up to the present 
time has belonged to the kings of Judah. {R}_{I}7_{/}David lived one year 
and four months in the country of the Philistines.
{R}_{I}8_{/}David and his men raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the 
Amalekites - all these lived in the land extending from Telem to 
Shur and the land of Egypt. {R}_{I}9_{/}David would attack the land 
leaving neither man nor woman alive and carrying off their sheep, 
oxen, asses, camels and garments. Then he would come back to 
Achish. {R}_{I}10_{/}Whenever Achish asked, "Whom did you raid this 
time?" David would answer, "The Negeb of Judah," or "The Negeb of 
the Jarahmeelites," or "The Negeb of the Kenites." {R}_{I}11_{/}David 
left neither man nor woman alive. For he said, "If I brought them 
to Gath, they could talk against us and say: This is what David 
did." Such was his practice as long as he lived in the country of 
the Philistines. {R}_{I}12_{/}Achish trusted David and said to himself, 
"David is now hated by his own people. He shall be my servant 
forever."

{N}SAUL CONSULTS THE WITCH OF ENDOR{/}

{1}28{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}In those days, the Philistines mustered their forces to 
fight against Israel, and Achish told David, "I want you to know 
that you and your men must join me to fight this battle." 
{R}_{I}2_{/}David answered, "Then you will see for yourself what your 
servant can do." Achish said to David, "I will make you my 
permanent bodyguard."
{R}_{I}3_{/}Now Samuel had died and when all Israel had mourned for him, 
they buried him in his own city, Ramah. Meanwhile, Saul had driven 
those who consult spirits of the dead and fortunetellers out of 
the land.
{R}_{I}4_{/}As the Philistines gathered together and encamped in Shunem, 
Saul also mustered the Israelite forces and encamped in Gilboa. 
{R}_{I}5_{/}But on seeing the Philistine camp, Saul was afraid and his 
heart failed him. {R}_{I}6_{/}Saul consulted Yahweh but Yahweh gave no 
answer whether in dreams or by the Urim or through prophets. 
[=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}Then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who 
consults the spirits of the dead, that I may go and consult her." 
His servants told him, "There is a medium at Endor."
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and 
left with two men. He arrived at night and said to the woman: 
"Tell my fortune through a ghost and call the spirit I shall 
name." {R}_{I}9_{/}But the woman answered him, "Do you not know that Saul 
has driven medium and fortunetellers out of the land? Why do you 
set a trap for me to bring about my death?" {R}_{I}10_{/}But Saul swore 
to her by Yahweh, "As Yahweh lives, you will not be in trouble for 
this."
{R}_{I}11_{/}Then the woman asked him, "Whom do you want me to call up?" 
Saul said, "Call up Samuel."
{R}_{I}12_{/}When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and said to Saul, 
"Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!" {R}_{I}13_{/}The king then told 
her, "Have no fear. What do you see?"
The woman said, "I see him rising from the ground. He is a god." 
{R}_{I}14_{/}Saul asked her, "What does he look like?" She replied, "The 
one rising is an old man clothed in a mantle." Saul knew that it 
was Samuel. He knelt and bowed face to the ground in homage.
{R}_{I}15_{/}Samuel spoke to Saul, "Why did you disturb me by summoning 
me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress, for the 
Philistines are waging war against me and God has abandoned me. He 
no longer answers me either through prophets or in dreams. Because 
of this I have called you to tell me what I should do."
{R}_{I}16_{/}Samuel said, "Why do you ask me, if Yahweh has abandoned you 
and turned against you? {R}_{I}17_{/}Yahweh has done to you what he 
foretold through me. He has torn the kingdom from your hand and 
has given it to your neighbor, David. {I}18_{/}Remember that you 
disobeyed Yahweh by not executing his fierce anger against Amalek; 
that is why Yahweh has done this to you today. {R}_{I}19_{/}Now Yahweh 
will deliver Israel, together with you, into the hands of the 
Philistines. By tomorrow, you and your sons shall be with me when 
Yahweh delivers the army of Israel into the hands of the 
Philistines."
{R}_{I}20_{/}Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, terrified 
by what Samuel said. He had no strength left because he had not 
eaten anything all that day and night.
{R}_{I}21_{/}The woman drew close to Saul and, seeing how frightened he 
was, said to him, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you and 
risked her life doing what you have asked her to do. {I}22_{/}Now it 
is your turn to listen to me. Let me give you something to eat so 
you may have strength when you go on your way." {I}23{/}Saul refused 
and said, "I will not eat." But on the insistence of his servants 
and the woman, he agreed, rose from the ground and sat on the bed. 
{R}_{I}24_{/}The woman had a fattened calf in the house which she 
immediately butchered. She also took some flour, kneaded it and 
baked unleavened bread, {I}25{/}and set it before Saul and his 
servants. They then ate and left that night.

{1}29{/}

[*]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Now the Philistines mustered all their forces at Aphek; 
the Israelites were encamped beside the spring in Jezreel. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}While the Philistine rulers went ahead of their groups of 
thousands and hundreds, David and his men were marching at the 
rear with Achish. {R}_{I}3_{/}The Philistine chiefs asked, "Who are these 
Hebrews?" Achish replied to the Philistine chiefs, "This is David, 
servant of Saul, king of Israel. He has been with me for over a 
year and since he fled to me up to the present day I have found no 
fault in him." {R}_{I}4_{/}But the Philistine chiefs were angered at this 
and said to him, "Send that man back! Let him return to the place 
where you assigned him. He must not go down into battle with us 
lest during the battle he turn against us. How better could this 
fellow regain his master's favor than by bringing him the heads of 
our men? {R}_{I}5_{/}Is this not the David for whom they danced and sang: 
Saul has slain his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?"
{R}_{I}6_{/}So Achish called David and said to him, "As Yahweh lives, you 
are honest and I would like you to be with me in the camp for I 
have found nothing wrong in you since you came to me up to the 
present day. But you displease the lords. {I}7_{/}So it is better for 
you to leave and go back quietly and do nothing to displease the 
Philistine lords." {R}_{I}8_{/}David asked Achish, "But what have I done? 
Have I done anything since I entered your service until the 
present time that would bar me from joining the fight against the 
enemies of my lord the king?" {R}_{I}9_{/}Achish replied to David, "I 
myself hold nothing against you, but the Philistine chiefs are 
determined not to allow you to join us in battle. {I}10_{/}Now, 
therefore, get up early tomorrow morning and leave with the 
soldiers who came with you." {R}_{I}11_{/}So David and his men left early 
in the morning and returned to the land of the Philistines. The 
Philistines, in the meantime, went on to Jezreel.

{N}THE SACK OF ZIKLAG{/}

{1}30{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}David and his men reached Ziklag on the third day, but 
the Amalekites had just raided the Negeb and Ziklag, storming it 
and burning it to the ground. {I}2_{/}They had taken captive the women 
and all who were in the city, young and old. They killed no one 
but carried them off when they left.
{R}_{I}3_{/}When they reached the town, David and his men found it burned 
to the ground and their wives, sons and daughters taken captive. 
{R}_{I}4_{/}Then David and those with him wept aloud until they could 
weep no more. {R}_{I}5_{/}David's two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and 
Abigail, widow of Nabal of Carmel had also been taken captive. 
{R}_{I}6_{/}Now David was greatly distressed because the people were 
talking of stoning him; for they were embittered because of what 
had happened to their sons and daughters. But David found strength 
in Yahweh his God.
[=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}David told Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, to 
bring him the ephod. So Abiathar brought the ephod to David 
{I}8_{/}who then consulted Yahweh, "Shall I go after these raiders? 
Can I overtake them?" The answer was, "Go after them for you shall 
surely overtake them and recover the captives."
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}David set out with his six hundred men and they reached 
the brook of Besor. There, two hundred men stayed behind, for they 
were too exhausted to cross the brook, {R}_{I}10_{/}and David continued 
the chase with four hundred men.
{R}_{I}11_{/}They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him 
to David. They gave him food, which he ate, and water to drink. 
{I}12_{/}They gave him a piece of fig cake and two pieces of raisin 
cake. The Egyptian ate and recovered his strength, for he had been 
three days and three nights without eating or drinking. 
{R}_{I}13_{/}David then questioned him, "To whom do you belong, and where 
do you come from?" He answered, "I am an Egyptian, slave of an 
Amalekite. My master abandoned me because I fell sick three days 
ago. {R}_{I}14_{/}We raided the Negeb of the Cherethites, the territory 
of Judah and the Negeb of Caleb and set Ziklag on fire." 
{R}_{I}15_{/}David then asked him, "Will you lead me to this raiding 
band?" He replied, "Swear to me by God that you will neither kill 
me nor deliver me into the hands of my master and I will lead you 
to this raiding band."
{R}_{I}16_{/}So the Egyptian led David to the raiding band whom they 
found scattered all over the ground, eating, drinking, dancing and 
feasting with the spoils they had taken from the land of the 
Philistines and from the land of Judah. {R}_{I}17_{/}David fought them 
from early morning to the evening of the following day, allowing 
no one to escape except four hundred young men who mounted their 
camels and fled.
{R}_{I}18_{/}David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken and 
rescued his two wives. {R}_{I}19_{/}Nothing and no one was missing, small 
or great, son or daughter, booty or anything the Amalekites had 
taken. David brought back everything. {R}_{I}20_{/}He then gathered 
flocks and herds and the people drove them before him, saying, 
"These are David's spoils!"
{R}_{I}21_{/}David reached the two hundred men who had been too tired to 
follow him, and were left behind at the Besor brook. These men 
came to meet David and those who were with him. David then drew 
near and greeted them. {R}_{I}22_{/}But the malicious and worthless 
people among those who had accompanied David said, "Since they did 
not come with us, we shall not share the booty with them; let each 
of them take his wife and children and leave." {R}_{I}23_{/}But David 
said, "My brothers, you shall not do that after what Yahweh has 
given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the 
band that raided us. {I}24_{/}Who would agree to what you have said? 
The share of those who go down to battle and of those who remain 
with the baggage shall be the same; they shall share alike." 
[=]_{R}_{I}25_{/}From that day to the present, this has been a statute 
and custom for Israel.
{R}_{I}26_{/}When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent part of the booty to 
the elders of Judah, to each of his friends, saying, "This is a 
gift to you from the booty of Yahweh's enemies: {R}_{I}27_{/}to those in 
Bethel, in Ramoth-negeb, in Jattir, {I}28_{/}in Aroer, in Sipmoth, in 
Eshtemoa, {I}29_{/}in Racal, in the Jerahmeelite cities, in the Kenite 
cities, {I}30_{/}in Hormah, in Borashan, {R}_{I}31_{/}in Athach, in Hebron, 
and in all the places where David and his men had stayed.

{N}DEATH OF SAUL{/}

{1}31{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Now the Philistines fought against the Israelites who, in 
their flight, fell mortally wounded on Mount Gilboa. {R}_{I}2_{/}The 
Philistines surrounded Saul and his sons and killed Jonathan, 
Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons. {R}_{I}3_{/}The battle raged around 
Saul, and he was afraid when he saw that the archers had found 
him.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Then Saul commanded his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and 
run me through lest these uncircumcised men come and stab me 
themselves, making fun of me." But his armor-bearer did not move 
because he was greatly terrified. So Saul drew his own sword and 
fell upon it. {R}_{I}5_{/}Seeing that Saul was dead, the armor-bearer 
also fell upon his sword and died with him. {R}_{I}6_{/}Thus, Saul, his 
three sons, his armor-bearer and all his men died together on the 
same day.
{R}_{I}7_{/}When the Israelites on the other side of the valley and those 
beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that 
Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. 
Then the Philistines came and occupied those cities.
{R}_{I}8_{/}The following day, the Philistines came to strip the slain 
and found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 
{I}9_{/}They cut off his head and stripped off his armor and then sent 
messengers throughout the Philistine lands to proclaim this good 
news in the temples of their idols and among the people. {I}10_{/}They 
put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth and pinned his body on 
the wall of Bethshan. {R}_{I}11_{/}When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead 
heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, {R}_{I}12_{/}all their 
warriors set out, marched through the night and removed the bodies 
of Saul and his sons from the wall of Bethshan. They then returned 
to Jabesh and burnt the bodies there. {I}13_{/}Then they took their 
bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, after 
which, they fasted for seven days.

