20 heart.

And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on 21 thee, and on all thy father's house? And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among those who were bidden, who were about 23 thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat; for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

25

And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the 26 house, and he fell asleep. And they arose early and about the spring of the day, Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

27

27

And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I 10 may show thee the word of God. Then

Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 2 When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saving, What 3 shall I do for my son? Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4 and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt re5 ceive of their hands. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and when thou art come thither to the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before 6 them; and they shall prophesy: and the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and 7 shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; 8 for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.

9 And when he had turned his back to go. from Samuel, God gave him another heart:

and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, 19 behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And when 11 all who knew him beforetime saw, and, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? And one of the same place answered and 12 said, But who is his father? Is it not Kish? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? And when he 13 had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

And Saul's uncle said unto him and to 14 his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, 15 I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us 16 plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

And Samuel called the people together 17 unto the LORD to Mizpeh; and said unto 18 the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of those who oppressed you: and ye have this day rejected your 19 God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

And when Samuel had caused all the 20 tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he had caused 21 the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken. And he caused the family of Matri to come near, man by man, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

Therefore they inquired of the LORD 22 further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. And 23 they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

And Samuel said to all the people, See 24 ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king. Then Samuel told the 25 people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD.

And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also 26 went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of wicked- 27 ness said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he was as though he had been deaf.

THEN Nahash the Ammonite came up, 11 and encamped against Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Nahash the Ammonite answer- 2 ed them, On this condition will I make a

13 your king.

3

Saul had now reigned one year. And when he had reigned two 2 years over Israel, he chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with him in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, 4 Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were called together after 5 Saul to Gilgal. And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, three thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven.

6

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the 8 people hastened after him. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scat9 tered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

10

And as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, 11 that Samuel might bless him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together 12 at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, 13 and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

15

And Samuel arose, and departed from Gilgal, and the remainder of the people went after Saul unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin:

But the Philistines encamped in Mich17 mash. And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrab, unto the land of Shual; 18 and another company turned the way to Beth-horon; and another company turned

to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

Now there was no smith found through- 19 out all the land of Israel: for the Philistines had said, We must take them away, lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: but all the Israelites went down to the Phi- 20 listines, to sharpen every man his share, and his ploughshare, and his axe, and his mattock. Yet they had a file for the mat- 21 tocks, and for the ploughshares, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the edges of them. So in the day of battle 22 there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and Jonathan his son was there found.

Now 14

But

And the garrison of the Philistines went 23 out to the passage of Michmash. upon a day Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man who bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines garrison, that is on the other side. he told not his father. And Saul tarried 2 in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men; and Ahiah, the son of 3 Ahitub, I-chabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passages, by which Jona- 4 than sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The fore- 5 front of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. And Jo- 6 nathan said to the young man who bare his armour, Come, and let us go unto the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armour- 7 bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Jona- 8 than, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us, Tarry 9 until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. But if they say thus, Come up 10 unto us; then we will go up; for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

And both of them discovered themselves 11 unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. And the men of the 12 garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me; for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. And Jonathan climb- 13 ed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. And that first 14 slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was of about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plough.

And there was trembling in the host, in 15 the field, and among all the people: the

16

garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on 17 beating down one another. Then said. Saul unto the people who were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not 18 there. And Saul said unto Ahial, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 19 And while Saul talked unto the priest, the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thy hand. 20 And Saul and all the people who were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 21 Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul 22 and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard 23 after them in the battle. So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.

24

And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eateth any food until the evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the 23 people tasted any food. And all the people

of the land came to a wood; and there 26 was honey upon the ground. And when

the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people 27 feared the oath. But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and he was much refreshed. 28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eateth any food this day. And the people 29 were faint. Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how I have been refreshed, because I 30 fasted a little of this honey. How much better, if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

31

And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the 32 people were very faint. And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people ate them with 33 the blood. Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great 34 stone unto me this day. And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and ay unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against

N

the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there. And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: 35 the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.

And Saul said, Let us go down after the 36 Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall 37 I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.

And Saul said, Draw ye near hither all 38 the chief of the people; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. For, 39 as the LORD liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one 40 side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. Therefore Saul said unto the LORD 41 God of Israel, Give a just lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken; but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between 42 me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul said to Jonathan, 43 Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and, lo, I must die. And 44 Saul answered, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. And 45 the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? That cannot be as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not. Then Saul 46 went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

SO Saul took the kingdom over Israel, 47 and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them. And he 48 gathered a host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who spoiled them.

Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, 49 and Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: and the 50 name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. And Kish was the 51 father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

15

And there was sore war against the Phi- 52 listines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him. Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore bearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, 1 remem- 2 ber that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he

3 came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

4

And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand 5 men of Judah. And Saul came to the city 6 Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the 7 Amalekites. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to 8 Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with 9 the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10

Then came the word of the LORD unto 11 Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the 12 LORD all night. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a pillar, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD; I have performed the command14 ment of the LORD. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the 15 oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly de16 stroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17

And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD 18 anointed thee king over Israel? And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until 19 they be consumed. Wherefore then dids: thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in 20 the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have ut21 terly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto 22 the LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heark23 en than the fat of rams. For rebellion is

as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sin- 24 ned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, 25 pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. And Sa- 26 muel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as 27 Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The 28 LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, who is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will 29 not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. Then he said, I 30 have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God. So 31 Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to 32 me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him trembling. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made 33 women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul 34 went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to see Saul un- 35 til the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul:

And the LORD repented that he had 16 made Saul king over Israel. And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. And 2 Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And call Jesse 3 to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town hastened to meet him, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And 5 he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And when they 6 were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and s made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen him. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by.