Revised Version 1885 (RV1885)

1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse saith, and the man who was raised on high saith, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:

2 The spirit of theLordspake by me, and his word was upon my tongue.

3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, that ruleth in the fear of God,

4 He shall beas the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds;whenthe tender grassspringethout of the earth, through clear shining after rain.

5 Verily my house is not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for it is all my salvation, and allmydesire, although he maketh it not to grow.

6 But the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away, for they cannot be taken with the hand:

7 But the man that toucheth them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire intheirplace.

8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:

10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and theLordwrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agce a Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and theLordwrought a great victory.

13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And David was then in the hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem.

15 And David longed and said, Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Beth-lehem which is by the gate!

16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto theLord.

17 And he said, Be it far from me, OLord, that I should do this:shall I drinkthe blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did the three mighty men.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.

19 Was he not most honourable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: howbeit he attained not unto thefirstthree.

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he slew the twosons ofAriel of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

21 And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men.

23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to thefirstthree. And David set him over his guard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem;

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite;

26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite;

27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite;

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite;

29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin;

30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash;

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite;

32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan;

33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite;

34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite;

35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite;

36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite;

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armourbearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah;

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite;

39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

1 And again the anger of theLordwas kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah.

2 And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now to and fro through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the sum of the people.

3 And Joab said unto the king, Now theLordthy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?

4 Notwithstanding the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and unto Jazer,

6 then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and round about to Zidon,

7 and came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beer-sheba.

8 So when they had gone to and fro through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto theLord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: but now, OLord, put away, I beseech thee, the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 And when David rose up in the morning, the word of theLordcame unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

12 Go and speak unto David, Thus saith theLord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of theLord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

15 So theLordsent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, theLordrepented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay thine hand. And the angel of theLordwas by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 And David spake unto theLordwhen he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done perversely: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.

18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto theLordin the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

19 And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as theLordcommanded.

20 And Araunah looked forth, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

21 And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar unto theLord, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, the oxen for the burnt offering, and the threshing instruments and the furniture of the oxen for the wood:

23 all this, O king, doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, TheLordthy God accept thee.

24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will verily buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto theLordmy God which cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And David built there an altar unto theLord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So theLordwas entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

2 and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto theLordof hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto theLord, were there.

4 And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters portions:

5 but unto Hannah he gave a double portion: for he loved Hannah, but theLordhad shut up her womb.

6 And her rival provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because theLordhad shut up her womb.

7 Andashe did so year by year, when she went up to the house of theLord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

8 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door post of the temple of theLord.

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto theLord, and wept sore.

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, OLordof hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto theLordall the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before theLord, that Eli marked her mouth.

13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

14 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.

15 And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before theLord.

16 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto.

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

18 And she said, Let thy servant find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no moresad.

19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before theLord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and theLordremembered her.

20 And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Samuel,saying, Because I have asked him of theLord.

21 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto theLordthe yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

22 But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband,I will not go upuntil the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before theLord, and there abide for ever.

23 And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only theLordestablish his word. So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of theLordin Shiloh: and the child was young.

25 And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

26 And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto theLord.

27 For this child I prayed; and theLordhath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 wherefore I also have granted him to theLord; as long as he liveth he is granted to theLord. And he worshipped theLordthere.

1 And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in theLord, mine horn is exalted in theLord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.

2 There is none holy as theLord; for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for theLordis a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased: yea, the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children languisheth.

6 TheLordkilleth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.

7 TheLordmaketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, he also lifteth up.

8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, he lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are theLord’S, and he hath set the world upon them.

9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

10 They that strive with theLordshall be broken to pieces; against them shall he thunder in heaven: theLordshall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto theLordbefore Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not theLord.

13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

15 Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

17 And the sin of the young men was very great before theLord: for men abhorred the offering of theLord.

18 But Samuel ministered before theLord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, 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, TheLordgive thee seed of this woman for the loan which was lent to theLord. And they went unto their own home.

21 And theLordvisited Hannah, and she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before theLord.

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make theLord’S people to transgress.

25 If one man sin against another, God shall judge him: but if a man sin against theLord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because theLordwould slay them.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with theLord, and also with men.

27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith theLord, Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egyptin bondageto Pharaoh’s house?

28 and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?

29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded inmyhabitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Therefore theLord, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now theLordsaith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

32 And thou shalt behold the affliction ofmyhabitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33 And the man of thine,whomI shall not cut off from mine altar,shall beto consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

34 And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

35 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 for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto theLordbefore Eli. And the word of theLordwas precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see,)

3 and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid downto sleep, in the temple of theLord, where the ark of God was;

4 that theLordcalled Samuel: and he said, Here am I.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6 And theLordcalled yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know theLord, neither was the word of theLordyet revealed unto him.

8 And theLordcalled Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that theLordhad called the child.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak,Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And theLordcame, and stood and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11 And theLordsaid to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end.

13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not.

14 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 theLord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here Am I.

17 And he said, What is the thing thattheLordhath spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he spake unto thee.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is theLord: let him do what seemeth him good.

19 And Samuel grew, and theLordwas with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of theLord.

21 And theLordappeared again in Shiloh: for theLordrevealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of theLord.

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath theLordsmitten us today before the Philistines? Let as fetch the ark of the covenant of theLordout of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of theLordof hosts, which sitteth upon the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of theLordcame into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

6 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 theLordwas come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the way side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man hasted and came and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see.

16 And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he said, How went the matter, my son?

17 And he that brought the tidings 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, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his 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.

19 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 brought forth; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

22 And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.

1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.

2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of theLord. 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 theLord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his handslaycut off upon the threshold; onlythe stump ofDagon was left to him.

5 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 theLordwas heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumours, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

7 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 as, and upon Dagon our god.

8 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 they carried the ark of the God of Israel aboutthither.

9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of theLordwas against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and tumours brake out upon them.

10 So 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 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city, the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 And the men that died not were smitten with the tumours: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1 And the ark of theLordwas in the country of the Philistines seven months.

2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of theLord? shew us wherewith we shall send it to its 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 guilt offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

4 Then said they, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumours, and five golden mice,according tothe number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your tumours, 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 from off your land:

6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go and they departed?

7 Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

8 and take the ark of theLord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a guilt offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of its own border 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 shut up their calves at home:

11 and they put the ark of theLordupon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumours.

12 And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they 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 Beth-shemesh.

13 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 the Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for a burnt offering unto theLord.

15 And the Levites took down the ark of theLord, 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 offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto theLord.

16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17 And these are the golden tumours which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering unto theLord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

18 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, whereon they set down the ark of theLord,which stone remainethunto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

19 And he smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of theLord, even he smote of the people seventy men,andfifty thousand men: and the people mourned, because theLordhad smitten the people with a great slaughter.

20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before theLord, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of theLord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

1 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of theLord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of theLord.

2 And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after theLord.

3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto theLordwith all your heart, then put away the strange gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto theLord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

4 Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served theLordonly.

5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto theLord.

6 And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before theLord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against theLord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

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

8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto theLordour God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering unto theLord: and Samuel cried unto theLordfor Israel; and theLordanswered him.

10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but theLordthundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Israel.

11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath theLordhelped us.

13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel: and the hand of theLordwas against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

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

15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

17 And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar unto theLord.

1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

3 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 Samuel unto Ramah:

5 and they 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 displeased Samuel; when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto theLord.

7 And theLordsaid 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 be king over them.

8 According to all the works which they 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.

9 Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly unto them, and shalt shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10 And Samuel told all the words of theLordunto the people that asked of him a king.

11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots:

12 and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; andhe will set someto plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 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 vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and ye shall be his servants.

18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and theLordwill not answer you in that day.

19 But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

20 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 ears of theLord.

22 And theLordsaid 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.