1 Samuel 8

Israel Demands a King

1When Samuel became old, ahe made his sons judges over Israel. 2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3Yet his sons did not walk in his ways bbut turned aside after gain. cThey took bribes and perverted justice.

4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at dRamah 5and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. eNow appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, ffor they have not rejected you, gbut they have rejected me from being king over them. 8According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them hand show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

Samuel’s Warning Against Kings

10So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. 11He said, iThese will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: jhe will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some kto plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 lHe will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men
Septuagint cattle
and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, nbut the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The Lord Grants Israel’s Request

19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, “No! But there shall be a king over us, 20 othat we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord. 22And the Lord said to Samuel, pObey their voice and make them a king.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

1 Samuel 14

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

1One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah in the pomegranate cave
Or under the pomegranate [tree]
at rMigron. The people who were with him were about ssix hundred men,
3including tAhijah the son of Ahitub, uIchabod’s brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord vin Shiloh, wwearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4Within xthe passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of yGeba.

6Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these zuncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, aafor nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7And his armor-bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish.
Septuagint  Do all that your mind inclines to
Behold, I am with you heart and soul.”
8Then Jonathan said, “Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them. 10But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us.” 11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, Hebrews are coming acout of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” 13Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. 14And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre
Hebrew  a yoke
of land.
15And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even aethe raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.
Or  became a panic from God


16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude agwas dispersing here and there.
Septuagint; Hebrew they went here and there
17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Count and see who has gone from us.” And when they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God went at that time with the people
Hebrew; Septuagint  “Bring the ephod.” For at that time he wore the ephod before the people
of Israel.
19Now ajwhile Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle. And behold, akevery Philistine’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, aleven they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22Likewise, when all the men of Israel amwho had hidden themselves anin the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle. 23 aoSo the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle passed beyond apBeth-aven.

Saul’s Rash Vow

24And the men of Israel had been hard pressed that day, aqso Saul had laid an oath on the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people had tasted food. 25Now when all the people
Hebrew land
came to the forest, behold, there was honey on the ground.
26And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, asso he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were atfaint. 29Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.”

31They struck down the Philistines that day from auMichmash to avAijalon. And the people were very awfaint. 32The people axpounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them aywith the blood. 33Then they told Saul, “Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating azwith the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.”
Septuagint; Hebrew this day
34And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Let every man bring his ox or his sheep and slaughter them here and eat, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night and they slaughtered them there. 35And Saul bbbuilt an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” But bcthe priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” bdBut he did not answer him that day. 38And Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and know and see how this sin has arisen today. 39For beas the Lord lives who saves Israel, bfthough it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.” 41Therefore Saul said, “O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O Lord, God of Israel, give Urim. But if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”
Vulgate and Septuagint; Hebrew Therefore  Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Give Thummim.”
bhAnd Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.
42Then Saul said, biCast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was taken.

43Then Saul said to Jonathan, bjTell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, bk“I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I will die.” 44And Saul said, blGod do so to me and more also; bmyou shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45Then the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! bnAs the Lord lives, bothere shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul Fights Israel’s Enemies

47When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, bpagainst the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of bqZobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48And he did valiantly brand struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

49 bsNow the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was btMerab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. buAnd the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, bvSaul’s uncle. 51 bwKish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of bxAbiel.

52There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, byhe attached him to himself.

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