1Sa 4, 1Sa 24 | ESV | STEP | And the word of Samuel came to all Israel . Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines . They encamped at Ebenezer , and the Philistines encamped at Aphek .

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at ^aEbenezer, and the Philistines encamped at ^bAphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here ^cfrom Shiloh, that it ^{▼▼Or he} may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, ^ewho is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel ^fgave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 ^gTake courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews ^has they have been to you; be men and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought, ⁱand Israel was defeated, ^jand they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 ^kAnd the ark of God was captured, ^land the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The Death of Eli

12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, ^mwith his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, ⁿEli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old ^oand his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, ^p“How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward ^qfrom his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, ^r“Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child ^sIchabod, saying, ^t“The glory has departed ^{▼▼Or gone into exile; also verse 22} from Israel!” because ^vthe ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, ^wfor the ark of God has been captured.”

1 Samuel 24

David Spares Saul’s Life

1 ^{▼▼Ch 24:2 in Hebrew} ^yWhen Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then Saul took ^zthree thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in ^aato relieve himself. ^{▼▼Hebrew cover his feet} Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts ^acof the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, ^ad“Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward ^aeDavid’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, ^af“The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is ^agthe Lord’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words ^ahand did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

8 Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? 10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. ^aiAnd some told me to kill you, but I spared you. ^{▼▼Septuagint, Syriac, Targum; Hebrew it [my eye] spared you} I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, ^akfor he is the Lord’s anointed.’ 11 See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that ^althere is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though ^amyou hunt my life to take it. 12 ^anMay the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? ^aoAfter a dead dog! ^apAfter a flea! 15 ^aqMay the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and ^arplead my cause and deliver me from your hand.”

16 As soon as David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, ^as“Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, “You are more righteous than I, ^atfor you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. 18 And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. 19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. 20 And now, behold, ^auI know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. 21 ^avSwear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and ^awthat you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.” 22 And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up ^axto the stronghold.