Bible in 90 Days Plan

¹The boy Samuel served the LORD in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the LORD was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.

²One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place.

³Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.

⁴Then the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”

⁵He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸Once again, for the third time, the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy.

⁹He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰The LORD came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

¹¹The LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that everyone who hears about it will shudder.

¹²On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end.

¹³I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God, and he has not stopped them.

¹⁴Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.”

¹⁵Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the LORD’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision,

¹⁶but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel.

¹⁷“What was the message he gave you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.”

¹⁸So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the LORD. Let him do what he thinks is good.”

¹⁹Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.

²⁰All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the LORD.

²¹The LORD continued to appear in Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel by his word.

¹And Samuel’s words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

²The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

³When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD defeat us today before the Philistines? Let’s bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from our enemies.”

⁴So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook.

⁶The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp?” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,

⁷they panicked. “A god has entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, nothing like this has happened before.

⁸Woe to us, who will rescue us from these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

⁹Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!”

¹⁰So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe — thirty thousand of the Israelite foot soldiers fell.

¹¹The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹²That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head.

¹³When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road watching, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out.

¹⁴Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” The man quickly came and reported to Eli.

¹⁵At that time Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes didn’t move because he couldn’t see.

¹⁶The man said to Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. I fled from there today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.

¹⁷The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from the Philistines, and also there was a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her.

²⁰As she was dying, the women taking care of her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay attention.

²¹She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and to the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.

²²“The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “because the ark of God has been captured.”

¹After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

²brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it next to his statue.

³When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

⁴But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. This time, Dagon’s head and both of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.

⁵That is why, still today, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold.

⁶The LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod. He terrified the people of Ashdod and its territory and afflicted them with tumors.

⁷When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because his hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.”

⁸So they called all the Philistine rulers together and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God?” “The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they moved the ark of Israel’s God.

⁹After they had moved it, the LORD’s hand was against the city of Gath, causing a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors.

¹⁰The people of Gath then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it got there, the Ekronites cried out, “They’ve moved the ark of Israel’s God to us to kill us and our people!”

¹¹The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. Let it return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!” For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them.

¹²Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

¹When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory for seven months,

²the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners and pleaded, “What should we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we can send it back to its place.”

³They replied, “If you send the ark of Israel’s God away, do not send it without an offering. Send back a guilt offering to him, and you will be healed. Then the reason his hand hasn’t been removed from you will be revealed.”

⁴They asked, “What guilt offering should we send back to him?” And they answered, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice corresponding to the number of Philistine rulers, since there was one plague for both you and your rulers.

⁵Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel’s God, and perhaps he will stop oppressing you, your gods, and your land.

⁶Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When he afflicted them, didn’t they send Israel away, and Israel left?

⁷“Now then, prepare one new cart and two milk cows that have never been yoked. Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up.

⁸Take the ark of the LORD, place it on the cart, and put the gold objects that you’re sending him as a guilt offering in a box beside the ark. Send it off and let it go its way.

⁹Then watch: If it goes up the road to its homeland toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has made this terrible trouble for us. However, if it doesn’t, we will know that it was not his hand that punished us — it was just something that happened to us by chance.”

¹⁰The men did this: They took two milk cows, hitched them to the cart, and confined their calves in the pen.

¹¹Then they put the ark of the LORD on the cart, along with the box containing the gold mice and the images of their tumors.

¹²The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh. They stayed on that one highway, lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh.

¹³The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed to see it.

¹⁴The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people of the city chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD.

¹⁵The Levites removed the ark of the LORD, along with the box containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. That day the people of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD.

¹⁶When the five Philistine rulers observed this, they returned to Ekron that same day.

¹⁷As a guilt offering to the LORD, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.

¹⁸The number of gold mice also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities of the five rulers, the fortified cities and the outlying villages. The large rock on which the ark of the LORD was placed is still in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh today.

¹⁹God struck down the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy persons. The people mourned because the LORD struck them with a great slaughter.

²⁰The people of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand in the presence of the LORD this holy God? To whom should the ark go from here?”

²¹They sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the LORD. Come down and get it.”

¹So the people of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill. They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

²Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the LORD.

³Samuel told them, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the LORD, and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”

⁴So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and only worshiped the LORD.

⁵Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”

⁶When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the LORD’s presence. They fasted that day, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

⁷When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.

⁸The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.”

⁹Then Samuel took a young lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.

¹⁰Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.

¹¹Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

¹²Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The LORD has helped us to this point.”

¹³So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel’s territory again. The LORD’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life.

¹⁴The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.

¹⁶Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations.

¹⁷Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the LORD there.

¹When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

²His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba.

³However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.

⁵They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

⁶When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the LORD.

⁷But the LORD told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.

⁸They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods.

⁹Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰Samuel told all the LORD’s words to the people who were asking him for a king.

¹¹He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots.

¹²He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties, to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

¹³He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

¹⁴He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants.

¹⁵He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants.

¹⁶He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys and use them for his work.

¹⁷He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants.

¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won’t answer you on that day.”

¹⁹The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us.

²⁰Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.”

²¹Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the LORD.

²²“Listen to them,” the LORD told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”

¹There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite.

²He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man. There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.

³One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.”

⁴Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the region of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim  — nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.

⁵When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

⁶“Look,” the servant said, “there’s a man of God in this city who is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true. Let’s go there now. Maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”

⁷“Suppose we do go,” Saul said to his servant, “what do we take the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there’s no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸The servant answered Saul: “Here, I have a little silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us which way we should go.”

⁹Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to inquire of God would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.

¹⁰“Good,” Saul replied to his servant. “Come on, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water and asked, “Is the seer here?”

¹²The women answered, “Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry, he just now entered the city, because there’s a sacrifice for the people at the high place today.

¹³As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately — you can find him now.”

¹⁴So they went up toward the city. Saul and his servant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place.

¹⁵Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had informed Samuel,

¹⁶“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people, for their cry has come to me.”

¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, “Here is the man I told you about; he will govern my people.”

¹⁸Saul approached Samuel in the city gate and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

¹⁹“I am the seer,” Samuel answered. “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart.

²⁰As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago, don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire but you and all your father’s family?”

²¹Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?”

²²Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the thirty or so men who had been invited.

²³Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.”

²⁴The cook picked up the thigh and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.

²⁶They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside.

²⁷As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the servant went on.

¹Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?

²Today when you leave me, you’ll find two men at Rachel’s Grave at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you went looking for have been found, and now your father has stopped being concerned about the donkeys and is worried about you, asking: What should I do about my son?’

³“You will proceed from there until you come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one bringing three goats, one bringing three loaves of bread, and one bringing a clay jar of wine.

⁴They will ask how you are and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

⁵“After that you will come to Gibeah of God where there are Philistine garrisons. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place prophesying. They will be preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres.

⁶The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully on you, you will prophesy with them, and you will be transformed.

⁷When these signs have happened to you, do whatever your circumstances require because God is with you.

⁸Afterward, go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what to do.”

⁹When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all the signs came about that day.

¹⁰When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him, and he prophesied along with them.

¹¹Everyone who knew him previously and saw him prophesy with the prophets asked each other, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

¹²Then a man who was from there asked, “And who is their father?” As a result, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” became a popular saying.

¹³Then Saul finished prophesying and went to the high place.

¹⁴Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” Saul answered. “When we saw they weren’t there, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵“Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”

¹⁶Saul told him, “He assured us the donkeys had been found.” However, Saul did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.

¹⁷Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

¹⁸and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’

¹⁹But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You must set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

²¹Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him.

²²They again inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” The LORD replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”

²³They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else.

²⁴Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people home.

²⁶Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

²⁷But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.

¹Nahash the Ammonite came up and laid siege to Jabesh-gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.”

²Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I’ll make one with you on this condition: that I gouge out everyone’s right eye and humiliate all Israel.”

³“Don’t do anything to us for seven days,” the elders of Jabesh said to him, “and let us send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If no one saves us, we will surrender to you.”

⁴When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul’s hometown, and told the terms to the people, all wept aloud.

⁵Just then Saul was coming in from the field behind his oxen. “What’s the matter with the people? Why are they weeping?” Saul inquired, and they repeated to him the words of the men from Jabesh.

⁶When Saul heard these words, the Spirit of God suddenly came powerfully on him, and his anger burned furiously.

⁷He took a team of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout the territory of Israel by messengers who said, “This is what will be done to the ox of anyone who doesn’t march behind Saul and Samuel.” As a result, the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they went out united.

⁸Saul counted them at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand Israelites and thirty thousand men from Judah.

⁹He told the messengers who had come, “Tell this to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Deliverance will be yours tomorrow by the time the sun is hot.’” So the messengers told the men of Jabesh, and they rejoiced.

¹⁰Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will come out, and you can do whatever you want to us.”

¹¹The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

¹²Afterward, the people said to Samuel, “Who said that Saul should not reign over us? Give us those men so we can kill them!”

¹³But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the LORD has provided deliverance in Israel.”

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let’s go to Gilgal, so we can renew the kingship there.”

¹⁵So all the people went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD’s presence they made Saul king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings in the LORD’s presence, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

¹Then Samuel said to all Israel, “I have carefully listened to everything you said to me and placed a king over you.

²Now you can see that the king is leading you. As for me, I’m old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth until now.

³Here I am. Bring charges against me before the LORD and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged or mistreated? From whom have I accepted a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”

⁴“You haven’t wronged us, you haven’t mistreated us, and you haven’t taken anything from anyone,” they responded.

⁵He said to them, “The LORD is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything in my hand.” “He is a witness,” they said.

⁶Then Samuel said to the people, “The LORD, who appointed Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors up from the land of Egypt, is a witness.

⁷Now present yourselves, so I may confront you before the LORD about all the righteous acts he has done for you and your ancestors.

⁸“When Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD, and he sent them Moses and Aaron, who led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹But they forgot the LORD their God, so he handed them over to Sisera commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. These enemies fought against them.

¹⁰Then they cried out to the LORD and said, ‘We have sinned, for we abandoned the LORD and worshiped the Baals and the Ashtoreths. Now rescue us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you.’

¹¹So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He rescued you from the power of the enemies around you, and you lived securely.

¹²But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No, we must have a king reign over us’ — even though the LORD your God is your king.

¹³“Now here is the king you’ve chosen, the one you requested. Look, this is the king the LORD has placed over you.

¹⁴If you fear the LORD, worship and obey him, and if you don’t rebel against the LORD’s command, then both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.

¹⁵However, if you disobey the LORD and rebel against his command, the LORD’s hand will be against you as it was against your ancestors.

¹⁶“Now, therefore, present yourselves and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.

¹⁷Isn’t the wheat harvest today? I will call on the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain so that you will recognize what an immense evil you committed in the LORD’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves.”

¹⁸Samuel called on the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

¹⁹They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.”

²⁰Samuel replied, “Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the LORD. Instead, worship the LORD with all your heart.

²¹Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or rescue you; they are worthless.

²²The LORD will not abandon his people, because of his great name and because he has determined to make you his own people.

²³“As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way.

²⁴Above all, fear the LORD and worship him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things he has done for you.

²⁵However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”

¹Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty-two years over Israel.

²He chose three thousand men from Israel for himself: two thousand were with Saul at Michmash and in Bethel’s hill country, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He sent the rest of the troops away, each to his own tent.

³Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”

⁴And all Israel heard the news, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison, and Israel is now repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the troops were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵The Philistines also gathered to fight against Israel: three thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, and troops as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

⁶The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble because the troops were in a difficult situation. They hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, and in holes and cisterns.

⁷Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear.

⁸He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him.

⁹So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” Then he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him,

¹¹and Samuel asked, “What have you done?” Saul answered, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn’t come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,

¹²I thought, ‘The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven’t sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³Samuel said to Saul, “You have been foolish. You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. It was at this time that the LORD would have permanently established your reign over Israel,

¹⁴but now your reign will not endure. The LORD has found a man after his own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over his people, because you have not done what the LORD commanded.”

¹⁵Then Samuel went from Gilgal to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul registered the troops who were with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶Saul, his son Jonathan, and the troops who were with them were staying in Geba of Benjamin, and the Philistines were camped at Michmash.

¹⁷Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three divisions. One division headed toward the Ophrah road leading to the land of Shual.

¹⁸The next division headed toward the Beth-horon road, and the last division headed down the border road that looks out over the Zeboim Valley toward the wilderness.

¹⁹No blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise, the Hebrews will make swords or spears.”

²⁰So all the Israelites went to the Philistines to sharpen their plows, mattocks, axes, and sickles.

²¹The price was two-thirds of a shekel for plows and mattocks, and one-third of a shekel for pitchforks and axes, and for putting a point on a cattle prod.

²²So on the day of battle not a sword or spear could be found in the hand of any of the troops who were with Saul and Jonathan; only Saul and his son Jonathan had weapons.

²³Now a Philistine garrison took control of the pass at Michmash.

¹That same day Saul’s son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” However, he did not tell his father.

²Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron on the outskirts of Gibeah. The troops with him numbered about six hundred.

³Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod, was also there. He was the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas, son of Eli the LORD’s priest at Shiloh. But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left.

⁴There were sharp columns of rock on both sides of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh;

⁵one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba.

⁶Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will help us. Nothing can keep the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”

⁷His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. You choose. I’m right here with you whatever you decide.”

⁸“All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us.

⁹If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them.

¹⁰But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the LORD has handed them over to us — that will be our sign.”

¹¹They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!”

¹²The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer. “Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” they said. “Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the LORD has handed them over to Israel.”

¹³Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off.

¹⁴In that first assault Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.

¹⁵Terror spread through the Philistine camp and the open fields to all the troops. Even the garrison and the raiding parties were terrified. The earth shook, and terror spread from God.

¹⁶When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction.

¹⁷So Saul said to the troops with him, “Call the roll and determine who has left us.” They called the roll and saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.

¹⁸Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites at that time.

¹⁹While Saul spoke to the priest, the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.”

²⁰Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there the Philistines were, fighting against each other in great confusion!

²¹There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle.

²³So the LORD saved Israel that day. The battle extended beyond Beth-aven,

²⁴and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath: “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food.

²⁵Everyone went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it because they feared the oath.

²⁷However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb. When he ate the honey, he had renewed energy.

²⁸Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”

²⁹Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look at how I have renewed energy because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”

³¹The Israelites struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash all the way to Aijalon. Since the Israelites were completely exhausted,

³²they rushed to the plunder, took sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate meat with the blood still in it.

³³Some reported to Saul: “Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.” Saul said, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large stone over here at once.”

³⁴He then said, “Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Let each man bring me his ox or his sheep. Do the slaughtering here and then you can eat. Don’t sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood in it.’” So every one of the troops brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.

³⁵Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had built an altar to the LORD.

³⁶Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until morning. Don’t let even one remain!” “Do whatever you want,” the troops replied. But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.”

³⁷So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.

³⁸Saul said, “All you leaders of the troops, come here. Let us investigate how this sin has occurred today.

³⁹As surely as the LORD lives who saves Israel, even if it is because of my son Jonathan, he must die!” Not one of the troops answered him.

⁴⁰So he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” And the troops replied, “Do whatever you want.”

⁴¹So Saul said to the LORD, “God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If the unrighteousness is in me or in my son Jonathan, LORD God of Israel, give Urim; but if the fault is in your people Israel, give Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were selected, and the troops were cleared of the charge.

⁴²Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected.

⁴³Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.” Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!”

⁴⁴Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”

⁴⁵But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? No, as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he worked with God’s help today.” So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die.

⁴⁶Then Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.

⁴⁷When Saul assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies in every direction: against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he caused havoc.

⁴⁸He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who plundered them.

⁴⁹Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab, his firstborn, and Michal, the younger.

⁵⁰The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul’s uncle Ner.

⁵¹Saul’s father was Kish. Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.

⁵²The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.

¹Samuel told Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now, listen to the words of the LORD.

²This is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt.

³Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

⁴Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah.

⁵Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi.

⁶He warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I’ll sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.

⁷Then Saul struck down the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is next to Egypt.

⁸He captured King Agag of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.

⁹Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals, as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.

¹⁰Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel,

¹¹“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my instructions.” So Samuel became angry and cried out to the LORD all night.

¹²Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, “Saul went to Carmel where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal.”

¹³When Samuel came to him, Saul said, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”

¹⁴Samuel replied, “Then what is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle I hear?”

¹⁵Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep, goats, and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we destroyed.”

¹⁶“Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” he replied.

¹⁷Samuel continued, “Although you once considered yourself unimportant, have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel

¹⁸and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’

¹⁹So why didn’t you obey the LORD? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the LORD’s sight?”

²⁰“But I did obey the LORD!” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the LORD gave me: I brought back King Agag of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹The troops took sheep, goats, and cattle from the plunder — the best of what was set apart for destruction — to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

²²Then Samuel said: Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.

²⁴Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them.

²⁵Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”

²⁶Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

²⁷When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

²⁹Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.”

³⁰Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the LORD your God.”

³¹Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the LORD.

³²Samuel said, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek.” Agag came to him trembling, for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.”

³³Samuel declared: As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women. Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

³⁴Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.

¹The LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected a king from his sons.”

²Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’

³Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”

⁴Samuel did what the LORD directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”

⁵“In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the LORD’s anointed one is here before him.”

⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”

⁸Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said.

⁹Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either.”

¹⁰After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The LORD hasn’t chosen any of these.”

¹¹Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.”

¹²So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the LORD said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”

¹³So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the LORD began to torment him,

¹⁵so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

¹⁶Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the LORD is with him.”

¹⁹Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.

²¹When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.

²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me.”

²³Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.