18

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen 19 ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their 21 own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22

Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the 23 congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear 24 of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report 25 that I hear: ye make the LORD's people 4 to transgress. If one man sin against

another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their 26 father, because the LORD would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

27

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were 28 in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings 29 made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings 30 of Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, 31 and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall 32 not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an 33 old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut

off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: 34 and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and 35 Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed 36 for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, 7 Put me, I pray thee, into 8 one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

3

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came 2 to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to 3 wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple 4 of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that 5 the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am 1; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie 6 down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou 7 didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 9 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet 8 revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And 9 Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say,

1 Or, petition which she asked, &c.

2 Heb. assembled by troops. 3 Or, I hear evil words of you.

4 Or, to cry out.

5 Or, the affliction of the
tabernacle, for all the
wealth which God would
have given Israel.
6 Heb. men.

7 Heb. Join.

8 Or, somewhat about the priesthood.

9 Or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him.

B.C. cir. 1141.

1 SAMUEL IV.

Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his 10 place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11

And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which 12 both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: 1 when 13 I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made them14 selves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the 16 LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, 17 and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and 5 more also, if thou hide any thing from me of 18 all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him 7 every whit, and And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth hid nothing from him.

19

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words 20 fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that 21 Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by 4 the word of the LORD. And the word of Samuel 9 10 came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside 2 Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when 11 they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of 12 the army in the field about four thousand men.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us 13 fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it 4 cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, 5 Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted 6 with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not 7 LORD was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. 8 been such a thing 14 heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with 9 all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: 15 quit yourselves like men, and fight.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the 13 same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What 14 city cried out.

1 Heb. beginning and ending.
2 Or, And I will tell him, &c.
3 Or, accursed.

4 Heb. frowned not upon them.
5 Heb. so add.
6 Or, word.

M3

12 Heb. the array.
13 Heb. take unto us.

14 Heb. yesterday, or, the
third day.

15 Heb. be men. 16 Heb. died.

meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could 16 not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I 17 fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, 18 Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came

19

to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for 20 her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered 21 not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child 7 I-chabod, saying,

5

The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and 22 because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

5 AND the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into 2,3 the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the 5 stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed 7 them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon 8 our god. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And 9 they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

10

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay 10 us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction through12 out all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven. 6 And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall 2 we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place. 3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it 4 shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number

1 Heb. stood.

2 Heb. is the thing?

3 He seems to have been a judge to do justice only, and that in South-west Israel.

4 Or, to cry out.

5 Heb. were turned.

6 Heb. set not her heart.

7 That is, Where is the glory?
or, there is no glory.

8 Or, the fishy part.

9 Heb. me, to slay me and my people.

10 Heb. me not, and my peopic.

of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your 5 lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and 6 from off your land. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among 7 them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie 8 the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: and take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it 9 away, that it may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

10

And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and 11 shut up their calves at home: and they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, 12 and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods. And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth13 shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered 15 the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offer16 ings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17

And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, 18 for Gath one, for Ekron one; and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth-shemite.

19

And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the 20 people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? 21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

2

And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the 3 LORD. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: 4 and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children 5 of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. 6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

7

And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And 8 when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And

1 Heb. them. 2 Or, reproachfully.

3 Heb. them. 4 Or, it. 5 Or, great stone,

the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God 9 for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: 10 and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him. And

as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and 12 smote them, until they came under Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it 3 Eben-ezer, saying, 13 Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against 14 the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15, 16

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year 4 in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all 17 those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

8

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was 5Joel; and the name of his second, 3 Abiah: they were judges in Beer-sheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

4 THEN all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to 5 Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. 6 But the thing 6 displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge 7 us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of 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 8 them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken 9 me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. Now therefore 7 hearken unto their voice: 8 howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him 11 a king. And he said, This will 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 12 to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and 13 instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confection14 aries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his 15 servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and 16 give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put 17 them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his 18 servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.

19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, 20 Nay; but we will have a king over 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 battles. 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the 22 ears of the LORD. And the LORD 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.

1 Heb. Be not silent from
us from crying.

2 Or, answered.

3 That is, The stone of
help.

4 Heb. and he circuited.

5 Vashni, 1 Chron. vi. 28.

6 Heb. was evil in the eyes
of Samuel.
7 Ŏr, obey.

8 Or, notwithstanding when thou hast solemnly protested against them, then thou shalt show, &c.

9 Heb. eunuchs.