Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken 14 from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the territory thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And 16 he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his 17 return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto Jehovah.

CHAP. VIII.—And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, 1 that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name 2 of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second Abiah they were judges in Beer-sheba. And his sons 3 walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, 4 and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, "Be- 5 hold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give 6 us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed unto Jehovah. And Jehovah said unto Samuel, "Hearken unto the voice of 7 the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they s have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore 9 hearken unto their voice; howbeit solemnly admonish them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them."

And Samuel told all the words of Jehovah unto the 10 people that asked of him a king. And he said, "This will 11 be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains of thousands, 12 and captains of fifties; and will set them to till his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your 13

14 daughters to be perfume-makers, and cooks, and bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vine16 yards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his 17 work. He will take the tenth of your sheep; and ye shall 18 be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen you; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day."

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Nevertheless the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "Nay; but we will have a king over 20 us; that we also may be like all the nations; and that our

king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our 21 battles." And Samuel heard all the words of the people, 22 and he repeated them in the ears of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, "Go ye every man unto his city."

CHAP. IX.-Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, mighty in 2 strength. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants 4 with thee, and arise, go seck the asses.' And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not; then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them 5 not. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, "Come, and let us return; lest my father cease to care for the asses, and take thought 6 for us." And he said unto him, "Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and the man is honoured; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go."

Then said Saul to his servant, "But, behold, if we go, what 7 shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; what have we?" And the servant answered Saul again, and said, s “Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; and I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way." (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of 9 God, thus he spake, "Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet, was beforetime called a Seer.) Then said Saul to his servant, "Thou sayest well; come, let 10 us go." So they went unto the city where the man of God

was.

As they went up the ascent of the city, they found 11 young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, "Is the seer here?" And they answered them, and said, 12 "He is; behold, he is before you; make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to-day in the high place: as soon as ye be come into the city, 13 ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go ye up; for to-day ye shall find him." And they went up into the city: and when they 14 were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out towards them, to go up to the high place.

Now Jehovah had revealed to Samuel, a day before Saul 15 came, saying, "To-morrow about this time I will send thee 16 a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him ruler over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.' And when 17 Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him, "Behold the man of whom I said unto thee, 'This man shall reign over my people.'"

Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, 18 "Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is." And 19 Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to-day, and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. And as for thine asses that were lost 20 three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And for whom is every desirable thing in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father's house?" And Saul answered 21

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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 guest-chamber, and gave them a place at the head of those that were invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said unto the cook, "Bring the portion which I 24 gave thee, of which I said unto thee, 'Set it by thee."" 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 reserved! 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.

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And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel conversed with Saul upon the house-top. 26 And they arose early; and it came to pass about the dawning of the day, that Samuel called unto Saul to the housetop, saying, "Arise, that I may send thee away." And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

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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 may shew thee the word of God."

1 CHAP. X.-Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "Is it not because Jehovah hath anointed thee ruler 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 cast away the matter of the asses, and taketh thought for you, 3 saying, What shall I do for my son?' Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three cakes of bread, and another carrying a skin of 4 wine; and they will salute thee, and give thee two cakes of 5 bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. After that thou shalt come to Gibeah-elohim, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art

of

come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy; and the spirit of Jehovah will come upon 6 thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And when these signs are come unto 7 thee, do thou what thy hand shall find; for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, 8 I will come down unto thee to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee, and make known to thee what thou shalt do."

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go 9 from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither 10 to Gibeah, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass, when all that knew him before- 11 time saw that, 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 said, 12 "But who is his father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" And when he had 13 made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, 14 "Whither went ye?" And he said, "To seek the asses; and when we found them not we came to Samuel." And Saul's 15 uncle said, "Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you." And Saul' said unto his uncle, "He told us plainly 16 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 unto Jehovah to 17 Mizpeh; and said unto the children of Israel, "Thus saith 18 Jehovah 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 the kingdoms that oppressed you;' and ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved 19 you out of all your evils and your adversities; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands."

And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to 20