 Chapter 15 After words when the time of wheat harvest came Samson visited his wife with a goat's kid and said, I wish to go to my wife's chamber, but her father would not allow him to enter. Her father also remarked, I said to myself he hates her, so I have given her to your friend, is not her younger sister handsomer than she, I will give her to you instead of her. Samson however replied to him, I will be revenged this time on the Philistines for doing me wrong, and went out and caught three hundred foxes and took torches and tied their tails together, and fixed a torch between the two tails, then fired the torches and sent them amongst the corn fields of the Philistines, and burnt the shocks and standing corn and the olive yards. When the Philistines inquired, Who has done this? they were told, Samson, the son-in-law of the Thym Knight, because he took his wife and gave her to his companion. The Philistines therefore went up and burned her and her father with fire, but Samson said to them, Because you have done this, I will be revenged upon you, and then I will cease. So he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter, then he went and occupied a cavern in the precipice of Aitan. The Philistines afterwards went up and encamped in Judah and advanced to Balki, when the men of Judah asked, Why have you advanced against us? they replied, You must hand over to us Samson for us to do what we intend to him. Three thousand men therefore went from Judah to the cavern in the precipice of Aitan, and said to Samson, Do you not know that the Philistines govern us? Then why have you done this to us? When he replied, As they did to me, I have done to them. But they answered him, We have come to bind you and give you to the hands of the Philistines. Samson only said to them, Swear to me that you will not assail me yourselves. So they replied to him, Saying, We will only bind you and deliver you to their hands, and we will not kill you. Then they bound him with two new ropes and hoisted him down from the cliff. But when they came to Lekhi, and the Philistines shouted at his approach, and enthusiasm fell upon him, and he smashed the manacles that were upon his arms, like burnt flax, and snapped the cords off his hands, and finding the fresh jawbone of an ass, he put out his hand and seized it, and killed a thousand men with it. Then Samson exclaimed, With the jawbone of an ass, I have made them asses. With the jawbone of an ass, I slain a thousand men. And as he ceased speaking, he threw the jawbone from his hand, and named the place Jaw Hill. Then he was terribly exhausted, and cried to the ever-living, and said, You have given this great victory to the hand of your servant, and now I shall die for thirst or fall by the hand of the uncircumcised. Then God opened the well at Baalchi, and water came from it, and he drank, and his spirit returned to him, and he survived. Before he called its name, Prayer Well, which is in Baalchi to this day. He afterwards judged in Israel during the Philistine period, twenty years. CHAPTER XVI Samson once went to Gaza, and saw a woman, a harlot, and went to her. The Gazaites said, Samson has come! So they surrounded and laid an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city, and waited all the night, saying, At dawn of day we will kill him! But Samson lay down till midnight. Then he arose at midnight, and pulled up the doors of the city gate with the two posts and the crossbar, and placed them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that is opposite Hebron. And after this he loved a woman in the veil of Shorak, and her name was Delilah. So the lords of the Philistines went to her, and said, Pump him, and find out in what his great strength consists, and in what way we can master and chain him to destroy him, and we will each give you one thousand one hundred shekels. Delilah consequently said to Samson, Tell me now, in what your strength consists, and in what way they can bind and destroy you? And Samson answered her, If they bind me with seven wet ropes that have never been dried, I shall become feeble like an ordinary man. So the lords of the Philistines brought to her seven wet ropes that had never been dried, and she bound him with them while an ambush hid in her chamber. Then she exclaimed to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. But he snapped the ropes as he would snap a thread of tow burnt in the fire. Consequently his power was not discovered. Therefore Delilah said to Samson, I see you are laughing at me and telling me lies. Tell me now, how can I bind you? So he replied to her, If I am bound with fresh willows that have not been used in any work, I shall become feeble and be like a common man. Delilah accordingly took fresh willows and bound him with them, and then exclaimed to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. And an ambush was laid in the chamber. But he snapped them off his arms like a thread. Delilah afterwards said to Samson, So far you have laughed at me and told me lies. Tell me, how can I bind you? And he answered her, If the seven plates of my hair are woven in a loom. So she fastened them to the loom and exclaimed to him, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. When he awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pins of the loom with the web. Then she exclaimed, What? Do you say you love me when your heart is not mine? These three times you have laughed at me and not told me in what your great strength consists. So when she had worn him out by talking every day and worried and exhausted his life to death, he told her the whole of his heart and said, A razor has never gone upon my head, for I was devoted to God from birth. If I were shaved, then my strength would leave me, and I should become feeble like another man. Then Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, and she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up now, for he has told me all his heart. The lords of the Philistines consequently went up to her, and they brought the money with them. And she laid him asleep on her lap, and called to a man who cut off the seven plates of his head, and broke and degraded him, and his strength went from him. Then she exclaimed, The Philistines are upon you, Samson. Then he awoke from his sleep and said, I will go out for once, for a time, and refresh myself. But he did not know that the ever-living had left him. The Philistines then seized him and put out his eyes and took him down to Gaza and bound him in chains, and he ground at the mill in the prison with slaves. But he awaited the growing up of the hair of his head that had been shaved. Meantime the lords of the Philistines prepared to sacrifice a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to triumph, for they said, Our god has given Samson our enemy into our power. They therefore showed him to the people and praised their god, for they said, Our god has given our enemy into our power, who wasted our country and who caused us much trouble. And when their hearts were delighted, they exclaimed, Bring Samson and let him make sport for us. So they brought Samson from the slaves' prison, and he made sport before them, and they placed him between the pillars. Then Samson sent to the warder who had him by the hand, Come near to me, and place me by the pillars upon which the building is supported, that I may rest myself on them. Now the building was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there, and about three thousand men and women looking at the sport of Samson. Then Samson prayed to the ever-living and said, Ever-living god, remember me now and strengthen me this time also, my god, and I shall be at once revenged for my two eyes upon the Philistines. Then Samson grasped the two central pillars upon which the building was supported, one with his right and the other with his left hand, and Samson exclaimed, Parish my life with the Philistines, and bent with might, and the building fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it, so the dead whom he killed with his death were more than he had killed in his life. His relatives and all the house of his father descended, however, and carried him away, and buried him between Zahra and Eshtahol in the tomb of Mano, his father, but he judged in Israel twenty years. CHAPTER XVII There was a man in Mount Ephraim named Micah, who said to his mother, Those eleven hundred of silver which were taken from you and about which you cursed and swore in my hearing, I have your money, I stole it, and his mother replied, The ever-living bless you, my son. So he returned the eleven hundred of money to his mother when she said to him, I had consecrated that money to the ever-living on account of my son to make an image and a shrine, but now I will give it to you. He, however, returned it to his mother, but he took two hundred of the money and gave it to a silversmith who made an image and a shrine, and it was in the house of Micah, and Micah made it a house of gods and made an ephod and a tariff, and also set aside one of his sons, and he was the priest to it. There was no king in Israel in those days. Each did what was right in his own eyes. There was also a youth of Bethlehem Judah in the clan of Judah, but he was a Levite who resided there, and the man went from the village of Bethlehem Judah to settle where he might find a home, and he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah in making his journey, when Micah asked him, From where do you come? And he answered, I am a Levite from Bethlehem Judah, and I am going to settle in Asher. But Micah said to him, Stay with me as a father and a priest, and I will pay you ten silvers a year and a suit of robes and your board. So the Levite consented, and the Levite was content to settle with the man Micah, and the youth became to him as one of his sons. Micah also appointed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. Consequently Micah said, Now I know that the ever-living will prosper me, because I have got a Levite for a priest. CHAPTER 18 There was no king in Israel in those days. Each did what was right in his own eyes. At that time the tribe of Dan was seeking itself a district for settlement, for it had not obtained until that period a district amongst the tribes of Israel. The Danites consequently sent five men from their clan, all of them bold fellows, from Zahra and Eshtahol, to examine the country and search it, and said to them, Go, search the country! So they came to Mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. While they were in the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite, and were attracted by it, and said to him, When did you come here, and what do you do here, and for how much? And he answered them, Micah does this and that for me, and hires me, and I am his priest. When they replied to him, Inquire now of God, and learn the result of the journey that we are going upon. And the priest answered them, Go in peace, the ever-living accompanies the way you are going. So the five men went and arrived at Lasha, and saw that the people inhabited it in security under the government of Zayden, quietly and securely, and there were no soldiers in the country. It was controlled and administered from Zayden, and they had no troubles for themselves. When they arrived to their relatives at Zahra and Eshtahol, they asked, What about them? When they replied, Come on and let us assail them, for we have seen the country and it is very beautiful. Go, you idlers, do not delay to march and go to cease the country, for you will come to a quiet people and a land of extensive forests which God will give to your hands, a place where there is no want of anything that is upon earth. Consequently from the clan of the Danites they marched from Zahra and Eshtahol, six hundred men, all of them skilled warriors, and they advanced and encamped at Kirith Jarim in Judah. Before they called that place Dan's Camp to this day, it is behind Kirith Jarim. From there they crossed Mount Ephraim and proceeded to the house of Micah. There the five men who had gone to spy the country of Lasha remarked to their companions, Do you know that there is amongst these houses an Ephod and a pterothem and an image and a shrine? So now you know what to do. They consequently turned aside and came to the house of the young Levite near the house of Micah and wished him peace, while the six hundred men of the Danites armed with warlike weapons stood before the door, and the five men who had been to spy out the country entered and took the image and the Ephod and the pterothem and the shrine. But the priest asked, What are you doing? When they answered him, Be quiet, put your hand on your mouth and go with us, and be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the family of one man or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel? So the heart of the priest was satisfied, and he took the Ephod and the pterothem and the image and went along with the army, who faced about and marched and placed the children and baggage and precious things in front of them. When they had proceeded to a distance from the house of Micah, the people who were employed in Micah's family shouted and followed the Danites and called to the Danites who turned on them and said to Micah, What is the matter with you that you are shouting? And he replied, You have stolen the God I made for myself and the priest and marched off, so what have I left, and yet you ask me, What is the matter with you? But the Danites replied to him, Don't let us hear your noise, for fearsome rough fellows should rush out on you and take your life and the lives of your family. Then the Danites went along their way and Micah, seeing they were stronger than himself, faced about and returned to his own house. Thus they stole what Micah had made and the priest who had come to him and went to Lasha to a people peaceable and quiet, and assailed them and burnt their city with fire, and there was no deliverance, for they were far from Zidun and had no intercourse with any person. They afterwards settled in the Vale of Beth-Rikob, where they built a town and called it Dan-town, after the name of their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel, but the name of the place was formerly Lasha. The Danites also set up for themselves the image, and Jonathan Ben-Gersham Ben-Masha, he and his sons, were priests to the tribe of Dan until the time of removing from the country, and they worshipped the image that Micah made all the period that the house of God was at Shiloh. CHAPTER XIX It was also in the period when there was no king in Israel that a certain Levite resided at the back of Mount Ephraim, and he married a woman of Bethlehem Judah as a second wife. But this second wife deserted him and went from him to the house of her father at Bethlehem Judah, and was there for a period of four months. Then her husband arose and went after her to speak to her heart, to cause her to return and attend him. So he mounted his ass and went to the house of her father, and saw the girl's father, who was glad to meet him. And his father-in-law, the father of the girl, comforted him, and he stayed with him three days, and they ate and drank, and rested there. When the fourth day came they got up in the morning, and he arose to depart, but the father of the girl, his father-in-law, said, Refresh your heart with a little bread, and go after that! So he stayed, and both of them ate together and drank. Then the father of the girl said to the man, Be content now, and stay, and let your heart enjoy itself. But the man arose to go. After his father-in-law pressed him, so he sat down and stayed there. However he got up in the morning of the fifth day to go, when the father of the girl said, Comfort your heart, and delay till the turn of the day. So they ate and drank. Then the man arose to go, he and his wife and servant, but his father-in-law, the father of the girl, said, See now, the day is stretching towards dusk. Lodge now here pleasantly today. Rest then, and enliven your heart, and get up tomorrow morning for your journey, and go to your own home. The man, however, was unwilling to stay, but arose and went, and arrived opposite to Jebus, that is, Jerusalem, where his saddled asses broke down with him and his wife, when they were near Jebus, and the day was nearly ended. So the attendant said to his master, Let us go now and turn into this city of the Jebusai, and lodge there. But his master said to him, I will not turn to a town of foreigners where there are none of the children of Israel. Let us pass over to Gibeah. Therefore, he added to the lad, Come, let us enter one of these places, for we will lodge in Gibeah, or in Rama. So they passed on, and marched, and came to the south side of Gibeah of Benjamin, and they turned towards it to go and lodge in Gibeah, and went and sat in the square of the town, but no person invited them to his house to lodge. At last an old man came from his work in the fields, at dusk, a man from Mount Ephraim, who was a resident in Gibeah, but his wife was a native of Benjamin. Raising his eyes he saw the man at a distance in the square of the town, and the old man said, Where do you go, and when do you come? And they replied to him, We are crossing from Bethlehem, Judah, to the back of Mount Ephraim, from where I am, but I came to Bethlehem, Judah, and I am returning to the house of the everliving. But no man has invited me to his house, although we have straw and provinder for our asses, and food and wine for myself and my waiting woman and lad, we want nothing at all except shelter. Then the old man said, Peace be with you, bring your asses with you to me, only do not lodge in the street. So he took them to his house, and foddered the asses, and washed their feet, and they ate and drank. They were cheering their hearts when the men of the town, sons of Belial, surrounded the house, knocked at the doors, and said to the master of the house, the old man, bring out the man who has come to your house, that we may outrage him. But the master of the house went out to them and said, No my friends, do not inflict wrong upon me, I pray, since this man has come to my house, do not commit this wickedness. I have two maiden daughters and his servant wife, I will bring them out to you, and you can outrage them and do to them what pleases you, but to this man do not such a loathsome thing. But the men would not listen to him, so the man seized his servant wife and sent her out to them outside, and they outraged her, and maltreated her all the night until daybreak, but went away from her at the departure of darkness. Then at the arrival of dawn the woman came, and fell before the doorway of the man's house, where she had been outraged until daylight. Her master also arose at daybreak, and opened the doors of the house, and came out to proceed on his journey, and saw the woman and his servant wife fallen before the house with her hands upon the doorstep. And he said to her, Get up and come along! But she spoke not. Then he brought the ass and lifted the woman up and went to his place, and entered his house, where he took a knife and seized his servant wife, and divided her corpse into twelve pieces, and sent to all the countries of Israel, and all who saw it said, There has not been, nor has there been seen anything like this from the time the children of Israel came up from the Mitzarayim until this day. Apply yourselves to it, consult, and speak. CHAPTER XX All the children of Israel then went out and assembled the parliament unanimously, from Dan to Bershiba, and the country of Gilad, to the ever-living at Mizvah, where the chiefs of the people of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves as an assembly of the people before God, with four hundred thousand men, disciplined soldiers. The Benjaminites, however, heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizvah, where the children of Israel asked, Who has committed this crime? And the Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, answered, and said, I and my servant wife came to Gibya of Benjamin to Lodge, when the black guards of Gibya rose upon me, and surrounded the house at night, purposing to murder me, and they outraged my wife until she died. So I took my wife and cut her to pieces, and sent her to all the land possessed by Israel, because they had committed such a crime in Israel. Now, sons of Israel, apply to the matter, and consult about it. Then all the parliament arose as one man, and exclaimed, Let no man go to his home, nor any man return to his house, for this is what shall be done to Gibya. We will assail it by lot, and we will select ten men in a hundred from every tribe of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, as a provisional draft of the army for action, and send them against Gibya of Benjamin, because of the great crime they have committed in Israel, and all the people of Israel shall approach the town as if united in one man. However, the tribes of Israel sent officers to all the tribe of Benjamin to inquire, What crime is this which has occurred amongst you? Therefore now give up those men, sons of Belial, who are in Gibya, and we will execute them and burn out the crime from Israel. The Benjaminites, however, would not listen to the voice of their countrymen the children of Israel, but assembled from their villages to Gibya, to prepare for war with the children of Israel, and the Benjaminites at that period could collect from their towns twenty-six thousand disciplined men, besides the inhabitants of Gibya, and they amounted to seven hundred chosen men. These seven hundred skillful men were more than a numerous force. All of them were both handed at slinging stones to a hair's breadth, and never missed. But Israel stood up, without Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, all of them disciplined soldiers, men of war, and they arose and advanced to Bethel, and inquired of God, where the children of Israel asked, Who of us shall go up to open the war with the Benjaminites? When the Lord replied, Judah shall open it. The children of Israel accordingly arose at Don, and camped before Gibya, and the leader of Israel advanced to fight with Benjamin, and the Israelites proceeded from the camp towards Gibya. But the Benjaminites came out from Gibya, and left Israel that day twenty-two thousand men on the ground. The army of the men of Israel, however, were bold, and continued to prosecute the war from the spot they had advanced to on the first day. The children of Israel also went up and wept before the ever-living until the evening, and inquired of the ever-living, asking, Shall we continue to pursue the war with the Benjaminites, our countrymen? And the ever-living replied, Go up against them. The Israelites consequently approached the Benjaminites on the second day, and Benjamin came out to meet them from Gibya, and they destroyed of the children of Israel on the field, eighteen thousand men, all of whom were trained soldiers. So all the Israelites therefore went up, and all the army came to Bethel, and they wept and sat there before the ever-living. The children of Israel also inquired of the ever-living, and placed the Ark of the Covenant of God at their right hand, and Phineas, a descendant of Alliezer Ben-Aaron, stood before it on the right hand of them, and said, Continue still to go to war with the Benjaminites, your countrymen, until defeated. The ever-living also says, Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your power, but Israel must place ambushes around Gibya. So the children of Israel advanced against the Benjaminites for the third time, and they approached to Gibya step by step, and the Benjaminites came out to meet the force which drew off from the town, and waited for the attack from the victorious armies step by step to the highway which leads to the ascent of Bethel, and adjoins to the field of Gibya, losing about thirty men of Israel. Then the Benjaminites said, We are driving them before us as formerly, but the children of Israel said, We will retreat and draw them from the town to the highway, then let all the army of Israel arise from their place, and advance from Baal Thamar, and the ambush of Israel, placed at the locality of the hill Morland, must advance from the south to Gibya with twelve thousand men, the bravest of all Israel, and fight boldly, and they will not know that the stroke of their crime is upon them. So the ever-living discomforted the Benjaminites before Israel, and the Israelites disabled on that day twenty five thousand one hundred men of Benjamin, all disciplined soldiers, for the Benjaminites fancied that they retreated, and that the Israelites gave way to the Benjaminites, but those relied upon the ambush which they had placed on the hill, for the ambush guard kept quiet and lay down upon the hill until they rushed and attacked the whole town with the sword, and it had been arranged with the men of Israel by the commander of Israel, if the ambush succeeded, to send up a cloud of smoke from the town. Consequently the Israelites retreated to the camp, and the Benjaminites, who were encouraged to the attack, wounded about thirty of the Israelites, for, they said, they certainly fly before us as in the former battles. So they continued their retreat until the ascent from the town of the pillar of smoke. Then Benjamin faced round, and saw it ascending to the sky from all the town. The commander of Israel also turned front, and the Benjaminites were terrified, for they saw the punishment of their crime was upon them, and turned from the face of the Israelites to the way of the desert, and were defeated in the battle, and those who were in the town were destroyed in the midst of it. But the Benjaminites turned their flight from the level way to the refuge of the hills on the west, and their fellow Benjamin eighteen thousand men, all of them brave fellows. Thence they turned and fled towards the desert to the cliffs of Rimon, and five thousand men went up to the cliffs, but they were followed to Gidim, and two thousand of them slain. Thus all of Benjamin who fell on that day were twenty-five thousand men, disciplined soldiers, all of them strong men. But there turned and fled to the desert to the cliff of Rimon, six hundred men, and they held the cliff of Rimon four months. Then the Israelites turned upon the Benjaminites, and they struck with a sword thoroughly from man to beast, and every town they captured they set on fire. After twenty-one, then all Israel swore in Mitzvah, saying, No man among us shall give his daughter as a wife to Benjamin. Afterwards all the people came to Bethel, and sat there before the ever-living until the evening, and lifted up their voice, and wept a great weeping, and asked, Why ever-living God of Israel, has this come to Israel, to destroy today one of the tribes of Israel? But when next day came the people got up and built an altar, and offered a burnt offering and peace offerings. Then the children of Israel asked, Who has not come up to the assembly of all the tribes of Israel before the ever-living, for a great oath has been sworn that whoever came not up to the ever-living at Mitzvah shall be put to death? The children of Israel also grieved for Benjamin their brother, and said, Today a tribe has been blotted from Israel. What shall we do for them to provide them wives since we have sworn not to give them a supply of wives? So they asked, Is there a single tribe of Israel which has not come up to the ever-living at Mitzvah? And found that No man had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilad to the assembly. They therefore reviewed the army, and did not find there a Jabesh site from Jabesh Gilad. The parliament consequently sent there twelve thousand chosen men, and commanded them, saying, Go and assail the Jabeshites of Jabesh Gilad with the sword, both men and boys, but act in this way, you shall destroy every male and every female who has had connection with a man. But they found of the population of Jabesh four hundred girls, maidens, who had not known man by connection with a male, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan. Then all the parliament sent and addressed the Benjaminites who were on the cliff of Rimon and proclaimed peace with them. So the Benjaminites returned, and they gave them the women who came from Jabesh Gilad, but they were not found sufficient. The people therefore grieved for Benjamin, because the ever-living had made a breach in the tribes of Israel. The lords of the parliament also said, What shall we do to supply wives, for we have destroyed the women of Benjamin? So they said, Let Benjamin seize upon the unwilling rather than a tribe should be blotted from Israel, for we are not able to give them wives from our daughters, because the children of Israel have sworn imposing a curse on whoever gives a wife to Benjamin. They then made a feast of several days to the ever-living in Shiloh, which is at the north of Bethel towards the sunrise, on the highway leading up from Bethel to Shechem and near to Libna, and they also instructed the Benjaminites, saying Go and hide yourselves in the vineyards and watch, and when you see the girls come out from Shiloh to dance in the dances, then come out from the vineyards and each of you catch a wife for himself from the girls of Shiloh, and take them to the country of Benjamin. And if their fathers should come, or their brothers, to complain to us, we will command them to be lenient with you for taking each one his wife by force, because we cannot give to you as at ordinary times. The Benjaminites accordingly did so, and carried off wives to the number of those deficient who stole and went off and returned to their estates, where they rebuilt their villages and settled in them. The Israelites also marched from there at the same time to their tribes and clans, so everyone came from there to his home. In those days there was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes. The end of chapters 15 through 21 and the end of the Book of Judges. Chapter 1 through 6 There was a certain man of Ramathayim Zofim in Mount Ephraim, whose name was Al-Kana Ben-Jarkham, Ben-Aliyaha, Ben-Toko, Ben-Suf, the Aphorothite, and he had two wives, the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second Penayna, and Penayna had children, but Hannah had none. This man went up yearly from his village to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh, where two sons of Eli, Kafni and Finicus, were priests to the ever-living. When it was Al-Kana's day for sacrifice he gave to Penayna his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions, but to Hannah he only gave a single portion, although he loved Hannah, for the ever-living had closed her womb. So she was vexed, anguished, and labored with rage because the ever-living shut up her womb. He did this year after year when he went up to the house of the ever-living, so she was vexed and would not eat. Al-Kana therefore said to her, Wife Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart bad? Am I not better to you than ten sons? Hannah, however, arose after eating and drinking in Shiloh, and Eli the priest sat upon the chair at the door of the temple of the ever-living, for her soul was bitter, and she prayed to the ever-living and weeping she wept. She also vowed a vow, and said, Lord of hosts, if you will look on the anguish of your handmaid and remember me and not forget your handmaid, but grant to your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the ever-living all the days of his life, and a razor shall not go over his head. But while she continued to pray before the ever-living, Eli watched her mouth. Hannah, however, spoke from her heart, only moving her lips and no sound was heard. Consequently Eli thought she was drunk. Eli therefore said to her, Why have you made yourself drunk? Cast the wine from you! But Hannah answered him, No, my lord, I am only a woman of depressed spirit. I have not drunk wine nor strong drink, but I am pouring out my soul before the ever-living. Do not consider your handmaid as a daughter of Belial, because I speak so much, for I have uttered my many griefs and sorrows so far. Then Eli replied and said, Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you the request you ask from him. And she answered, May your servant find favor in your sight. The woman then went away and ate, and afterwards her face was not the same. In the morning they got up and worshipped before the ever-living, and then returned to their home at Ramaph, where Al-Khanna knew Hannah his wife, and the ever-living remembered her, and at the end of the year Hannah conceived and bore a son and called his name Samuel. Because I have asked him from the ever-living? When the man Al-Khanna and all his family went up to sacrifice to the ever-living at the yearly sacrifice and for his vows, Hannah went not up with him. For, she said to her husband, Not until I wean the boy, and take him up to the ever-living, then he shall always stay there. So Al-Khanna replied to his wife, Dua seems good to you. Stay until you wean him, and may the ever-living confirm his promise to you. Consequently the woman remained and nursed her son until she had weaned him. Then she went up with him, when he was weaned, making three bowls and an effa, a flower, and a skin of wine, and arrived at the house of the ever-living in Shiloh with the lad, and killed the bowl, and brought the lad to Eli, and said, My Lord, let your soul live. I, sir, am the woman who stood here at the door to pray to the ever-living. I prayed for this lad, and the ever-living granted to me the request I asked. So now as I asked him from the ever-living, I myself dedicate him to the ever-living all the days of his life, and he shall worship the ever-living here. CHAPTER II Then Hannah gave thanks, and said, My heart rejoices in the Lord. By the Lord my horn is exalted, my face triumphs over my foes, for I rejoice in your salvation. None is sacred like you, Lord, for there is none beside you, nor fortress like our God. Increase not your proud speech. Pride comes badly from your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, though trifles are not weighed. The bows of strength are broken, and the feeble girt with might, the pampered beg for food, but the hungry now have rest. The childless has borne seven, and the many sinned has want. The Lord kills, and he revives, brings to the grave, and raises. The Lord makes poor and rich, bows down, and again exalts. He lifts the depressed from dust, exalts the poor from dung hills, to sit along with princes, to inherit the throne of power. For the earth's supports are the Lord's, and upon them he rests the world. He guards the feet of his saints, but the wicked destroys in gloom, for man is not strong by wealth, but they fail who strive with him. When the Lord thunders from heaven, he rules to the bounds of the earth, and gives his chosen leader power, and exalts his anointed's horn. Al-Khana afterwards returned to his home at Ramaph, but the lad served the everliving with Eli, the priest. The sons of Eli, however, were profligates. They did not recognize the everliving, although the priests governed the people. Whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a lad came from the priest when the flesh was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and stuck it into the cauldron, or boiler, or kettle, or pot. All that came up on the fork the priest took for himself. They did the same to every Israelite who came to Shiloh. Also, before the time that they burnt the fat, the priests lad came and said to the man sacrificing, Give the priest meat from the ribs, for he will not accept boiled meat from you. It must be raw. If the person replied to him, Let the fat be burnt first, then take what you desire. He would answer him, Give it at once, and if not, I shall take it by force. The young men were also very great sinners against the everliving, for they corrupted the women who brought offerings to the everliving. But Samuel served before the everliving as an assistant, girded with an ephod. His mother also made him an embroidered robe, and brought it up to him every year when she went with her husband to sacrifice the yearly sacrifice. Then Eli blessed Al-Khanna and his wife, and said, The everliving granted you an heir from this woman in answer to her request from the everliving. Then they returned to their village, and now the everliving favored Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. But the lad Samuel grew up with the everliving. When Eli became very old, he heard of all the doings of his sons to all Israel and how they corrupted the women who came to worship at the door of the Hall of Assembly. So he said to them, What are these things that you do, which I have heard of, the vile practices towards all these people? Refrain, my sons, for it is not a good report that I hear of your practices against the everliving, if a man sins against a man they intercede with God, but if a man sins against the everliving, who can intercede for him? But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the everliving had decided to kill them. But the young man Samuel advanced and became great and good, both with the everliving and also with men. A man of God therefore was sent to Eli and said to him, Thus says the everliving, I revealed myself to the house of your fathers when you were among the Mitsarayim and I chose it from all the tribes of Israel to myself as a priesthood to offer incense upon my altar and to wear an ephod before me and I gave to the house of your fathers all the gifts of the children of Israel. Then why do you despise my sacrifices and offerings which I commanded for frailty and respect your sons more than me by letting them fatten themselves with the best of all the offerings of my people Israel? Therefore the everliving God of Israel says, I promised that your house and the house of your fathers should walk before me forever, but now the everliving has said to me tonight whoever honors me I will honor and whoever degrades me shall be degraded. Now the time has come when I will break your necks and the heirs of the house of your fathers from being noble in your house and you may expect suffering instead of pleasantness from all that gives Israel pleasure for there shall not be a noble in your house for all time however I will not cut off every one of your descendants forever at my altar to exhaust your eyes and make your soul languish yet great man shall die from your house and this shall be the proof your two sons Kaphnei and Finnehas shall both of them die in one day. Then I will appoint for myself a faithful priest who will do according to my own heart and soul and I will build him a perfect house and cause him to walk before my Messiah for all time and then all the remnant of your house shall come and bow to him for a penny of money and for a piece of bread and say I beg you to admit me to a priest's office that I may eat a mouthful of food. CHAPTER III Meanwhile the young man Samuel served the everliving before Eli, but a word from the everliving came seldom in those days. There was no frequent vision at that time. And when Eli was in bed in his residence and his eyes were becoming heavy he was not able to see and the lamp of God was becoming dim and Samuel was in bed in the temple of the everliving where the Ark of God was. Then the everliving called to Samuel and he replied I am here and ran to Eli and said I am here for you called me but he answered I did not call you return to bed so he went and laid down. Then the everliving called again Samuel and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said I am here for you called me but he replied I did not call my son return to bed. Samuel however was beginning to recognize the everliving and the word of the everliving was beginning to be revealed to him so the everliving again called Samuel for the third time and he arose and went to Eli and said I am here for you did call me then Eli perceived that the everliving had called to the young man therefore Eli said to Samuel go lie down and if he calls to you then say speak Jehovah for your servant listens so he lay down in his chamber then the everliving confirmed it and called as before Samuel Samuel at which Samuel replied speak Jehovah for your servant listens then the everliving said to Samuel I will now do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of all hearing shall tingle on that day I will keep upon Eli all that I have said concerning his house the strong and the weak for I will display myself to him as I myself will punish his family forever on account of the outrageous of his sons whom he did not restrain and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sin of the house of Eli shall not be expiated by sacrifice or gift forever but Samuel lay still until dawn when he opened the doors of the house of the everliving for Samuel feared to report the vision to Eli but Eli called Samuel and said Samuel my son and he replied I am here then he asked what was the thing that was told to you hide it not for me tell me every word which was told to yourself Samuel consequently reported to him the whole communication and hid nothing from him to which he replied it was the everliving let him do what is good in his sight thus Samuel became great and the everliving was with him and none of his words fell to the ground and all Israel recognized from Dan to Beersheba that Samuel was a true teacher from the everliving the everliving also continued to appear in Shiloh for the life revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the everliving the word of Samuel penetrated all Israel afterwards Israel went to meet the Philistines in war and encamped at Ebenezer and the Philistines encamped in Afec then the Philistines disposed themselves to meet Israel and opened out to the battle and Israel was routed before the Philistines and they slew in the open field about four thousand men so when the army returned to the camp the judges of Israel asked why has the everliving routed us before the Philistines today let us take the ark of the everliving with us from Shiloh and go to oppose them and it will save us from the clutch of our enemies the army therefore sent to Shiloh and brought the ark of the covenant of the lord of hosts who rests between caribam from there but the two sons of Eli Kofni and Finnehas went with the ark of the covenant of God and when the ark of the covenant of the everliving came to the camp and the children of Israel saw it they shouted aloud so that the earth shook and the Philistines heard the sound of the shouting and asked what is the noise of this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews and they were informed that the ark of the everliving had come to the camp then the Philistines were afraid for they said God has come to their camp and exclaimed woe to us who can deliver us from the hand of this splendid god of theirs the god who defeated the mitzerites with such a total defeat in the desert let us harden ourselves and be men Philistines for fear they should enslave you as you enslaved them so be men and warriors the Philistines consequently fought and routed the Israelites and each man fled to his home for the defeat was very great there fell also thirty thousand regular troops of Israel and the ark of God was captured and the two sons of Eli Kofni and Finnehas were killed but a man of Benjamin fled from the battle and came to Shiloh on the same day with his clothes torn and earth on his head and when he arrived Eli was sitting on his chair beside the road to mitzvah for his heart was troubled about the ark of God and the man came to report to the town and he called to all the village when Eli heard the sound of wailing he asked what means this noise in the crowd so the man hastened and came and told it to Eli now Eli was ninety eight years old and his eyes were fixed so that he was not able to see so the man said I have come from the battlefield I have fled from the battlefield today then he asked what was the result my son when the reporter answered and said Israel has fled before the Philistines and there is a great panic on the army and your two sons are killed Kofni and Finnehas and the ark of God has been captured but when the ark of God was mentioned he fell off the chair backwards towards the side of the gate and broke his neck for he was an old man and heavy he had ruled in Israel forty years the wife of Finnehas was near being delivered of a child when she heard the report of the capture of the ark of God and of the death of her father-in-law and husband and she fell down and brought forth for her grief overwhelmed her but at the moment of her death the attendance who stood by her said never mind for you have borne a son she answered not for her heart moved not they consequently called the lad Iqabad meaning that the glory has gone from Israel by the capture of the ark of God and the death of her father-in-law and her husband therefore they wailed God is the glory of Israel for the ark of God has been captured chapter five when the Philistines had captured the ark of God they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashtad and then the Philistines took it to the temple of Dagon and said it beside Dagon but when the Ashtadites arose on the morrow they saw Dagon had fallen on his face to the earth before the ark and the head of Dagon and the two palms of his hands cut off at the wrists were on the threshold only a stump of Dagon was left to himself consequently the priest of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon step over the threshold of Dagon in Ashtad to this day then the hand of the everliving was heavy upon the Ashtadites and he desolated them and afflicted them with tumors in their extremities the people of Ashtad consequently were terrified and said the ark of the God of Israel shall not remain with us for his hand is hard upon us and upon Dagon our God they therefore sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and asked what shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel they said Gath shall hold the ark of the God of Israel and have the custody of the ark of the God of Israel but after they received it the hand of the everliving brought very great confusion and afflicted the inhabitants of that city from the least to the greatest and they broke out in tumors then they sent the ark of God to Akron but when the ark of God arrived at Akron the Akronites cried out exclaiming why do you send the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people so they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said send away the ark of the God of Israel and return it to its place and do not kill us and our people for there has been deadly suffering in all the city the hand of that God has been very heavy here even the people who are not killed are afflicted with tumors and the shrieks of the city have ascended to the heavens Chapter 6 The ark of the everliving was in the country of the Philistines seven months then the Philistines summoned their priests and diviners to inquire what must we do with the ark of the everliving inform us how we must send it back to its place and they replied if you send back the ark of the God of Israel you should not send it back empty but you must return to him an offering so that he may cure you and inform you why he did not turn his hand from you then they asked what is the offering that we must return to him and they replied five tumors of gold the same as the number of the lords of the Philistines and five mice of gold for the same plague was upon you and your lords make also representations of the tumors and of the mice that have ravaged the country and pay honor to the God of Israel perhaps then he will lift his hand from upon you and from your gods and from your country for why should you stupefy your hearts as the mitzerites and pharaohs stupefied their hearts so that they would not allow them to go up from them yet when he had afflicted them they sent them away and they went so now set to work and prepare a new cart and select two heifers who are suckling calves who have not had yokes upon them and harness the heifers to the cart but put their young back to the stable then take the ark of the everliving and put it upon the cart with the things of gold which you send to him as an offering put them in a box beside it and send it away and let it go but watch if it goes up the road to Beth Shemesh then he has sent these great sufferings to us but if not then we shall know that his hand has not struck us it will have been an accident those men consequently did so and took two nursing heifers and harnessed them to the cart but kept their young in the stable they also placed the ark of the everliving upon the cart with the chest and the mice of gold and the representations of their tumors and the heifers went straight in a track for the road to Beth Shemesh by the highway from the first going along they bellowed but did not turn to the right or the left and the lords of the Philistines followed after them to the borders of Beth Shemesh now the harvesters of Beth Shemesh were reaping wheat on the plain and they looked up and saw the ark and were glad of the sight then the cart came to the farm of Joshua the Beth Shemeshite and stood there where there was a great stone so they broke up the wood of the cart and offered the heifers as a burnt offering to the everliving the Levites however took down the ark of the everliving and the chest which was with it in which were the things of gold and placed it upon the great stone and the people of Beth Shemesh burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the everliving whilst the five lords of the Philistines looked on and then returned to Akron these were the tumors of gold which the Philistines returned as an offering to the everliving for Ashtad one for Gaza one for Ascalon one for Gath one for Akron one with mice of gold equal to the number of all the cities of the Philistine for the five lordships for fortresses and open villages and the great stone upon which the ark of the everliving rested can be seen on the farm of Joshua the Beth Shemeshite to this day but the everliving punished some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark he punished 70 persons and 50 bollocks so the men murmured among the people for the everliving struck the people with a great stroke the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh consequently asked who is able to stand before the holy lord god and to what purpose has he come up to us they therefore sent messengers to the people of Chris Jerem to say the Philistines have sent us the ark of the everliving come down and take it to yourselves the people of Chris Jerem consequently came and took the ark of the everliving and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill and he devoted his son Al-Azhar to take care of the ark of the everliving the ark of the everliving however remained in Chris Jerem for a long period 20 years altogether and the whole house of Israel mourned after the everliving the end of chapters one through six of the first book of Samuel recording by Mark Penfold chapters seven through twelve of the first book of Samuel from the holy bible in modern english this liprivox recording is in the public domain recording by Mark Penfold the holy bible in modern english translated by Ferrar Fenton the first book of Samuel chapters seven through twelve chapter seven the people of Chris Jerem consequently came and took the ark of the everliving and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill and he devoted his son Al-Azhar to take care of the ark of the everliving the ark of the everliving however remained in Chris Jerem for a long period 20 years altogether and the whole house of Israel mourned after the everliving then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel saying if you turn to the everliving with your whole heart fling out the foreign gods from among you and fling your heart to the everliving and serve him alone and he will redeem you from the hands of the philish dim the children of Israel consequently expelled the bailim and the asteroths and served the everliving alone then Samuel said collect the representatives of Israel to mitzvah and pray for yourselves to the everliving they therefore assembled at mitzvah and drew water and poured it out before the everliving and fasted on the same day and said we have sinned against the everliving after that Samuel judged the Israelites in mitzvah but the philish dim heard that the Israelites had assembled in mitzvah so the lords of the philish dim went up to the children of Israel and when the Israelites perceived it they were in terror before the philish dim the children of Israel consequently said to Samuel work for us with a cry to the everliving our god then he may save us from the hand of the philish dim Samuel therefore took a fat young lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the everliving Samuel also cried to the everliving on account of Israel and the everliving answered for while Samuel was offering the burnt offering and while the philish dim advanced to battle with Israel the everliving thundered with a loud roar on that day over the philish dim and defeated them and routed them before Israel then the leaders of Israel advanced from mitzvah in pursuit of the philish dim and defeated them at mitzvah kath and at beth kahr therefore Israel took a stone pillar and fixed it between mitzvah and hashen and named it aben azair saying so far the everliving has relieved us thus the philish dim were beaten and did not repeat their advance to the borders of Israel for the hand of the everliving was against the philish dim during the period of Samuel and he recovered to Israel the towns that the philish dim had taken from Israel except akron and gaff he also delivered the borders of Israel from the power of the philish dim and made peace between Israel and the amorites Samuel consequently judged in Israel during the whole time of his life and he traveled continually year by year in circuit through Bethel and Gilgal and mitzvah and administered justice in all those districts then returned to Ramaph for his home was there and there he administered justice to Israel and there he built an altar to the everliving chapter eight but when Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges in Israel and the name of his eldest son was joal and the name of the second abaya they were judges in Barshiba his sons however did not follow his ways but extorted taxes and took bribes and perverted justice consequently all the judges of Israel assembled and came to Ramaph and said to him you are old now and your sons do not walk in your ways therefore appoint a leader to organize us like all the nations but the proposal was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel because they said give us a leader to organize us so Samuel prayed to the everliving and the everliving replied to Samuel listen to the voice of the people as to all they ask from you for they have not rejected you but have rejected me their leader it is like all the doings they have done from the day I brought them up from Mitsarayim to this day for they rejected me and served other gods so they do also to you listen therefore now to their voice you shall also confer solemnly with them and explain to them the constitution for the leader who is to govern over them Samuel consequently reported all the commands of the everliving to the people who demanded a leader from him and said this will be the constitution by which he will rule over you he will take your sons for his chariots and horsemen and to run before his carriage he will appoint kernels of regiments for himself and captains of companies also as mechanics in his workshops as reapers of his harvest and to make weapons for his soldiers and appliances for his chariots he will also take your daughters for confectioners and cooks and bakers and he will take the best of your farms and vineyards and olive yards and give them to his ministers and he will tithe your corn and wine and give it to his officers and ministers and your men's servants and maids and your best cattle and asses he will take and use them for his messengers he will take your sheep and make you his servants and then you will shriek at the sight of your leader whom you have chosen for yourselves but the everliving will not answer you at that day the people however refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and replied no he will only be a leader over us and we shall then be like the other nations and our leader can organize us and can lead us out and fight our battles so Samuel listened to all the utterances of the people and reported them in the ears of the everliving and the everliving replied listen to their voice and select a leader for them Samuel however said to the judges of Israel go each to his own village. CHAPTER IX Now there was a man of the tribe of Benjamin named Kish, Ben Abayal, Ben Zeror, Ben Bikoraf, Ben Afrak, Ben Ari, a Benjaminite of great power who had a son named Saul, big and handsome, and there was not a man in the nation of Israel handsomer than he was, taller than any man by the shoulders and upwards, and Kish, Saul's father, had lost some asses so Kish said to Saul his son, take with you one of the servants and arise, go and seek those asses. He therefore went over Mount Ephraim and searched in the country of Shilcha and did not find them. Then he examined the district of Shalim and they were not there, so he passed to the district of Jamen and found them not. Thence they went to the country of Suf, when Saul said to his attendant, Where will this journey take us to? Let us return, or my father will leave grieving for the asses and fret about us. But he replied to him, There is a man of God in this town, and a man to be respected. All he says happens. Let us go to him now. Perhaps he may tell us the way we should follow. Saul, however, answered to his lad, Well, if we should go, how could we make the man to construct, for our stock of bread is exhausted. So we have no present to bring to the man of God. What have we? The youth continued in answer to Saul, Look, I have found in my pocket a quarter shekel of silver. We will give that to the man of God, and he will inform us about our journey. Formerly in Israel a man said when going to inquire of God, Let us go to the seer, for the instructor of today was formerly called a seer. Then Saul replied to the youth, You have spoken well. Let us go. They went accordingly to the top of the town, and met girls coming out to draw water, and asked them, Is there a seer in this place? And they answered them and said, He is now before you on the hill, for he has today come to the town, for he sacrifices for the people on the height. So if you go into the village you will meet him before he goes to the height to eat. The people will not eat before he comes, for he will bless the sacrifice. After that they will eat the festival. So now go, for this is the day to meet him. They therefore went up the village until they came to the center of the town, and then Samuel came to meet them at the ascent of the height, for the everliving had opened the understanding of Samuel that very day before the coming of Saul, saying, At this time tomorrow I shall send to you from the district of Benjamin the man whom you must consecrate as the leader of my people Israel. He will deliver my people from the power of the Philistim, and he shall shepherd my people for its cries have come to me. When Samuel saw, Saul, the everliving sent to him, That is the man of whom I spoke to you. He will organize my people. Then Saul approached Samuel in the midst of the square and said, Can you inform me the way to the house of the seer? And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer. Go before me to the height, and dine with me today, and I will send you off in the morning. I will inform you about all that is upon your mind. And as for your lost asses which you have hunted for three days, rest your mind about them, for they have been found. But now upon whom is the thought of all Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house? Saul, however, answered and said, Am I not a Benjaminite of the smallest tribe in Israel, and of a clan less distinguished than any of the clans of the tribes of Benjamin? So why do you speak to me of such an honor? Samuel then took Saul and his attendant and brought them to the dining room, and put them at the head of the guests of whom there were about thirty. Then Samuel said to the attendant, Serve up the dish which I entrusted to you, the one I told you to reserve by you. So the attendant took the leg and lifted up and placed it before Saul. Then he said, This is the portion that was to be placed before you, eat, for it has been specially reserved for you, and I told the people I had invited. So Saul dined with Samuel that day, and when they descended from the height of the village, he talked with Saul on the veranda. Then they returned to But when the darkness had gone, Samuel invited Saul to go up to the top of the veranda, saying, Rise up, and I will take leave of you. So Saul arose and both went out, he and Samuel into the street. When they had descended to the outskirts of the village, Samuel said to Saul, Order the lad to go on before us. So he went forward. But you stand awhile, and listen to the command of God. Chapter 10 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not you whom the ever living has consecrated over his inheritance to lead it? When you go today from accompanying me, two men will meet you at the tomb of Rachel on the borders of Benjamin at Zeldzok, and will say to you, The asses which you went to seek are found, and your father has now left off the matter of the asses and troubles about you, and says, What shall I do for my son? And when you have gone from there a little way, and come to alor Tabor, three men coming up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three baskets of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine, who will wish you health and give you two cakes which you must accept from them. After that you must go to the hill of God, where there is a garrison of the Phyllishtim, and when you come near the village you will encounter a band of reciters descending from the height, and in front of them a piper, a drummer, and a flute, and harper, and they will be reciting. Then the spirit of the ever living will seize you, and you will recite with them and dance in unison, and when these sights come to you, go and use what you have found for yourself, for God is with you. Afterwards proceed me to Gilgal, and then I will come down to you, to offer a burnt offering, and sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Wait for seven days until I come, and inform you what you are to do. When he had turned his back from walking with Samuel, God entirely changed his heart when all these proofs came to him on that day. For when he came to the hill a band of reciters met him, and the divine spirit seized upon him, and he recited with them. When all who had known him formerly saw them, and how he was reciting with the reciters, all the people who were his neighbors exclaimed, What has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the reciters? But a man from them answered and said, And who is their father? Consequently it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? When he ceased reciting he went to the height, when Saul's uncle asked him and his attendant, Where have you been? And he replied, To seek the asses. When I found them not I went to Samuel. Then the uncle of Saul asked, Tell me, what did Samuel say to you? And Saul replied to his uncle. He informed us that the asses were found, but he did not tell him a word about the leadership of which Samuel had spoken. Samuel afterwards convoked the people to the ever-living at Mitzvah, and said to the children of Israel, That says the ever-living God of Israel, I brought Israel up from Mitzvah and delivered them from the hand of the Mitzvahites and from the hand of all the kingdoms that assailed them. But you now reject the God who recovered you from all your sufferings and distresses and asked for a leader to place over you. So now present your tribes and regiments before the ever-living. Then Samuel advanced all the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. Then he advanced the tribe of Benjamin by clans and the clan of Matri was selected. Then Saul the son of Kish was selected, so they sought him, but could not find him. Consequently he inquired again of the ever-living whether that man had come, and the ever-living answered, He is here, but has hidden himself among the baggage. So they ran and took him from there and placed him in the center of the people, and he was taller than anyone from the shoulders and upwards. Then Samuel said to the people, You see whom the ever-living has chosen for himself, that there is not his equal in all the nation. And all the people cheered and exclaimed, Long live the leader. Samuel then related to the people the constitution of the leadership which he had written in a book, and then confirmed it before the ever-living, and then he dismissed all the assembly to their homes. And Saul also went to his home in Ghibia, and a force whose hearts God had touched went with him. But some sons of Belial said, How can this fellow save us, and abused him and brought him no presence? But he kept silent. CHAPTER XI. When Nakash the Ammonite came up and besieged Jabesh Gilad, all the chiefs of Jabesh said to Nakash the Ammonite, Make a treaty with us and we will serve you. But Nakash the Ammonite replied, This is what I will do to you. I will put out all your right eyes, and make it a reproach to all Israel. Then the magistrates of Jabesh said to him, Grant us seven days that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel, then if there is no deliverance for us, we will come out to you. The messengers consequently went to Ghibia to Saul and reported the matter in the hearing of the people. When all the people lifted up their voice and wept. But just then Saul came in after his oxen from the farm, and Saul asked, What is the matter with the people that they are weeping? So they repeated the words of the chiefs of Jabesh. Then the spirit of God seized Saul upon hearing it, and he was very furious, and took the pair of oxen, and cut them up, and sent to all the districts of Israel by the hands of the messengers to say, Whoever will not come after Saul and join Samuel, this shall be done to his oxen. The terror of the everliving consequently fell upon all the people, and they came like one man. Then he organized them in Bazek, and there were three hundred thousand men of the children of Israel, and the men of Judah thirty thousand, and they said to the messengers who had come, Say thus to the people of Jabesh Gelad, Tomorrow we will be with you to rescue you before the noon. The messengers accordingly went and informed the chiefs of Jabesh, and they were glad. So the chiefs of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us what seems good in your eyes. In the morning, however, Saul divided his forces into three divisions, and advanced to the center of the camp in the morning watch, and assailed the Ammonites until noon of the day, and they were broken to pieces and fled, and no two of them held together. Then the force asked of Samuel, who said Saul should not be leader over us. Give those men to us that we may kill them. Saul, however, replied, Not a man shall be killed today, for today the everliving has made a great deliverance for Israel. And Samuel said to the force, March and let us go to Gilgal and renew the leadership there. All the force accordingly marched to Gilgal, and they elected Saul leader there before the everliving in Gilgal, and sacrificed sacrifices of Thanksgiving before the everliving, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced very greatly. CHAPTER XII Samuel afterwards said to all Israel, You see I have listened to your voice and all you have asked me, and have appointed a leader over you, so now your leader can march before you, but I will govern in civil affairs, as for my sons, look, they are among you, and for myself I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am. Answer me before the everliving and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken to be as a cover and blind to my eyes from any man? If I have, I will return it to you." And they replied, You have neither defrauded us nor oppressed us, and you have never extorted anything whatever from the hand of anyone. Then he said to them, The everliving is a witness, and his anointed is a witness with you this day that I have not taken anything whatever from my own hand. And they answered, He is witness. So Samuel responded to the people. It was the everliving who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers from the land of Mitsarayim. Therefore now station yourselves, and I will relate to you before the everliving all the beneficences of the everliving which he has done for you and for your fathers from the time when Jacob came to the Mitsarayim until when your ancestors cried to the everliving, and the everliving sent Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers from the Mitsarayim and fixed them in this place. Yet they forgot their everliving God, so he sold them to the hand of Cicera, the general of the army of Cotzor, and to the hands of the Philistim, and to the hand of the king of Moab, who fought with them. Then they cried to the everliving and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken the everliving and served the Balim and Ashtarov, but now deliver us from the power of our enemies, and we will serve you. So the everliving sent Jerubal and the Danite and Jephtha and Samuel and delivered you from the power of your enemies all around and restored you to security. You have yourself seen how Nakash, king of the Ammonites, came upon you when you said to me, We have no leader over us, though the everliving God was your leader. So now see the leader you have chosen, for whom you asked. The everliving has now placed a leader over you. If you reverence the everliving and serve him, and listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the utterance of the everliving, then you and your leader who directs you will be in union with your everliving God. But if you do not listen to the voice of the everliving, but rebel against the direction of the everliving, then the hand of the everliving will be against you as it was against your fathers. Stand therefore now and see the great event which the everliving will affect in your sight. Is it not wheat harvest at present? I will call to the everliving, and he will send out the thunder and rain that you may recognize and see how great a sin you committed in the sight of the everliving when you asked for a leader. Then Samuel called to the everliving, and the everliving sent thunder with rain at once, and all the people saw the greatness of the everliving end of Samuel. Consequently, all the assembly said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to your everliving God that we may not be killed, although we have added to all our offenses the sin of demanding a leader for ourselves. But Samuel replied to the people, Fear not, although you have done this wrong. Only do not turn away from the everliving, but serve the everliving with all your heart, and turn not after phantasms which cannot benefit or protect, for they are phantasms. The everliving, however, will never forsake his people because of his great name, for the everliving undertook to make you his people. As for myself, it would be a shame for me, a sin against the everliving if I ceased to pray for you and direct you in the way of honor and straightforwardness. So remember the everliving and serve him in truth with all your heart, for you see it is this which will make you great, but if you sin, then both you and your leader will decay. The end of chapters 7 through 12 of the First Book of Samuel, Recording by Mark Penfold Chapters 13 through 18 of the First Book of Samuel, from the Holy Bible in Modern English. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by Mark Penfold The Holy Bible in Modern English, translated by Farrar Fenton. The First Book of Samuel, Chapters 13 through 18 Chapter 13 When he had been leader over Israel to the second year, Saul himself selected three regiments from Israel, and two regiments were retained with Saul in McMash and in the hill of Bethel, and one regiment went with Jonathan to Gibeah of Benjamin, the remainder he sent away to their homes. Jonathan then attacked a garrison of the Phyllishtim, who were in Gibeah, and the Phyllishtim heard of it. Saul consequently proclaimed by trumpet to all the country, saying, Let the Hebrews hear! So all Israel heard the news that Saul had defeated a garrison of the Phyllishtim, and the people collected after Saul in Gilgal. The Phyllishtim also prepared for war with Israel, thirty thousand charioteers, and six regiments of cavalry, and infantry-like sand on the seashore for number, and they advanced and encamped at McMash to the east of Beth-Aven. Then the man of Israel saw that there was trouble for them, because the army was cowed, and the people hid themselves in holes and caves and on cliffs, and in watchtowers and in bushes, and some flying away crossed over the Jordan to the country of Gad and Gilad. Yet Saul continued in Gilgal, and all his army trembled behind him. So he waited seven days for the arrival of Samuel, but Samuel came not, and the people deserted from him. Saul consequently said, Bring me the burnt offering and peace offerings! And he offered the burnt offering, but when he had finished burning the offerings, then Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to ask him for his blessing. Samuel, however, exclaimed, What have you done? And Saul replied, Because I saw that the army was deserting from me, and you did not come to the periodical meeting, and that the Phyllishtim had collected in McMash, I said, Now the Phyllishtim will come down upon me in Gilgal, and I have not approached the presence of the everliving, so I forced myself and offered the burnt offering. But Samuel answered Saul, You have acted like a fool! You have not obeyed the command of your everliving god which he commanded you! But if you had, the everliving would have fixed the leadership over Israel to you absolutely! But now your leadership shall not be confirmed! The everliving will seek himself a man after his own heart, and the everliving will appoint him as leader over his people, because you have not regarded what the everliving commanded you! Then Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul, however, mustered what force remained with him, but it was only about six hundred men. Consequently, Saul and Jonathan, his son, and the force with them, retreated to Gibeah of Benjamin, but the Phyllishtim encamped at McMash. Thence Phyllishtim plunderers went out from the camp in three divisions. One division turned to the direction of Afra in the lowlands, and another advanced towards Beth Koran, while the third advanced along the borders of the cliffs overlooking the plain of Ceboyim in the desert. At that time a smith was not allowed anywhere in Israel, for the Phyllishtim said, The Hebrews might make themselves swords or spears! Everyone in Israel therefore went down to the Phyllishtim to repair his colter and plowshare, or axe or chisel. But they were allowed files for the colters and plowshares, and for the three pronged forks and billhooks, and to sharpen the prickers. Now, however, it was a time of war, yet no sword or spear was found in the hands of all the force who were with Saul and Jonathan, except that Saul and Jonathan his son had procured them. Thus the army of the Phyllishtim had advanced beyond the environs of McMash. Chapter 14 But one day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to the squire, his armor-bearer, Let us go and pass over to the garrison of the Phyllishtim that is on the other side of Laz. But he did not inform his father, for Saul was posted on the back of the hills, in the caves, the hollows that are in the cliffs, and the force with him was only about six hundred men, with Akhaya, Ben Akaitub, brother of Aikabad, Ben Phineas, Ben Eli, the priest of the ever-living in Shiloh, who carried the Ifad. So the force knew not that Jonathan had gone out. Now on the pass by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the garrison of the Phyllishtim, there was a rock projecting into the pass on this side, and a rock projecting on the other side, and the name of the first was Betzetz, and the name of the other Sana. The one projection was from the rock on the north opposite McMash, and the other was from the south opposite the hill. So Jonathan said to the squire who carried his arms, Let us go and cross over to the garrison of these black guards, perhaps the ever-living will help us, for there is no difference to the ever-living saving by many or few, and his arms bearer answered him, Do all that is in your heart, I will go with you as your heart desires. When Jonathan replied, You see, we wish to pass over to these men and to capture them. If therefore they say thus to us, Keep quiet until we come down to you, then we will stand still below and not go up to them. But if they say, Come up to us, then we will go up, for the ever-living will give them into our hand, and that shall be the sign of it to us. When the two approached the garrison of the Phyllishtim, and the Phyllishtim cried out, See, the Hebrews are coming from the holes where they have hidden themselves! And the men of the garrison shouted out to Jonathan and his arms bearer and said to them, Come up to us, and we will teach you something! So Jonathan said to Esquire, Come up after me, for the ever-living has given them into the hand of Israel. Jonathan therefore climbed up on his hands and feet with his squire after him, and they fell back before Jonathan and his squire, as if death followed after them. This was a great defeat when Jonathan and his squire slew some twenty men in an enclosure of about half an acre of ground. There was also a trembling in the camp and in the ground and in all the troops of the army, and the plunderers themselves also trembled, and there was an earthquake, for it was a divine terror. The watchmen with Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin also perceived the rumbling with horror and staggered and were as in a dream. Then Saul said to the force with him, Muster now, an ascertain who has gone from us! They consequently mustered and did not find Jonathan and his squire. Therefore Saul said to Abaya, Approach the ark of God, for there was an ark of God in those days with Israel, and while Saul was speaking to the priest, a roaring came from the camp of the Felishtim, and it rolled and rolled and raged. Then Saul said to the priest, Take away your hand! And Saul and all the force who were with him cheered and advanced, and when they arrived at the camp, they saw the sword of each was against his companion in excessive confusion. For the Hebrews who served formerly with the Felishtim had mutinied and joined themselves with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the men of Israel who had hidden in Mount Ephraim heard that the Felishtim had fled and were routed, they also advanced to the battle, for the ever-living rescued Israel on that day. Thus the fighting passed on to Beth Avann, but the men of Israel were exhausted by that time. Saul therefore bound the army saying, A curse would be the man who eats food before dark, and who does not accompany me against my enemies. So none of the army tasted food. All the country was woodland, honey lay openly on the ground, and the army came into the wood and saw the honeycomb, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the curse. Jonathan, however, had not heard the curse of his father to the army, so he extended the end of the club that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened. But a man from among the forces remarked, Your father bound the army and said, A curse would be the man who eats food today, although the army was exhausted. But Jonathan answered, My father troubles the army. Look now how my eyes are brightened by tasting this bit of honey. Indeed, why should not the army have eaten today of the spoil of its enemies, which it found? For then would not the defeat of the Philistim have been increased? However, they fought the Philistim that day from Mickmash to Ilon, and the forces were greatly exhausted, so the men rushed on the booty and seized sheep and cows and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground, and they ate with the blood. But it was reported to Saul, Look, the people are offending the ever-living by eating with the blood! And he replied, Prevent it! Roll to me at once a big stone! Then Saul added, Serve out to the men and command every man to bring his bullock to me, or his sheep and kill them here and eat, without offending the ever-living by eating with the blood! So everyone brought his bullock along with him that night and slaughtered it there. Saul also built an altar to the ever-living, for he had promised to build an altar to the ever-living. Then Saul said, Let us follow after the Philistim by night and assail them at dawn of the morning and not leave a man of them! And they replied, Do whatever seems right to you! But the priest said, You must inquire about that of God! Saul therefore inquired of God, Should I follow after the Philistim? Will you deliver them to the hand of Israel? But he did not answer at that time. Consequently, Saul exclaimed, Let every squadron of the army come here to be examined and show who has offended today! For by the life of the Lord who has saved Israel, if it should be Jonathan my son, he shall be put to death! But there was no response from the whole force. Then he commanded all Israel, You shall pass as one, and I and Jonathan my son shall be as one to pass! And the army answered Saul, Do what is good in your sight! Saul therefore said, Ever-living God of Israel, Give a decision! Then Jonathan and Saul failed, but the army came out. Consequently, Saul said, Cause it to fall between me and my son, Jonathan! And Jonathan failed, Therefore Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done! So Jonathan told him and said, I tasted from the end of the club I had in my hand a little honey, and I must die! And Saul replied, God do the same to me and more than this if Jonathan is not put to death! But the army exclaimed to Saul, Shall Jonathan be put to death who has won this great victory for Israel tonight? As the Lord lives, not a hair shall fall from his head to the ground, for God worked today! And thus the army rescued Jonathan, so he did not die. Saul consequently went up from following the philishtim, and the philishtim returned to their quarters. Saul in this way won the leadership over Israel and fought around with all his enemies, with Moab and the Benai Amon, and with Edom and with the kings of Zobah, and with the philishtim, and whoever stood up against him, he conquered. He also formed an army and defeated Amalek and delivered Israel out of the power of its ravages. And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishur, and Malkaishua, and the names of his two daughters were Mirab, the eldest, and Mikal, the youngest, and the name of Saul's wife was Akinam, the daughter of Akimatz, and the names of the commanders of his armies, Abinir, Ben-Nir, Uncle of Saul, and Kish, the father of Saul, and Nair, Abai Abner, Ben-Abiel, and there was fierce war with the philishtim all the time of Saul, so if Saul saw any brave man or any capable man, he took him to himself. Chapter 15 For Samuel had said to Saul, The ever-living sent me to you to anoint you as a leader over his people Israel, so now listen to the sound of the words of the ever-living. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel when he placed himself in the path of their going up from the Mitsarayim. Therefore go and assail the Amalekites and destroy all belonging to them, and you shall not pity over it, but kill both man and woman, both child and nurse, both ox and sheep, both camo and ass. So Saul and the forces obeyed and mustered in Talayim two hundred thousand regulars and ten thousand of the men of Judah, and Saul advanced to the city of Amalek and fought at the brook. Then Saul said to the Kenites, Go from among the Amalekites, for fear I should account you as their allies, although you showed kindness to all the children of Israel on their assent from the Mitsarayim. The Kenites accordingly departed from the Amalekites. Then Saul conquered Amalek from Kavila to the passage of the wall which is along the border of the Mitsarayim. He also captured Agag the king of Amalek alive, but he destroyed all the army by the edge of the sword. Saul and the forces, however, spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, and weathers and fat lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them, but they destroyed all the worthless and poor cattle. Consequently a message came from the Everliving to Samuel to say, It grieves me that I appointed Saul as leader, for he has turned from following me and he does not stand by my command. But it hurt Samuel, and he cried to the Everliving all night. Samuel, however, got up in the morning to meet Saul, for it had been reported to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel and fixed a garrison for himself, then turned aside and had gone to Gilgal. And when Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, Give thanks! I have stood by the command of the Everliving! But Samuel replied, Then what is this bleeding of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle which I hear? And Saul answered, They come from the Amalekites, since the armies spared the best of the sheep and cattle for the purpose of sacrificing to your Everliving God, but we destroyed the rest. Samuel, however, exclaimed to Saul, Stop! And I will tell you what the Everliving said to me last night! And he replied, Tell it! So Samuel said, Were you not little in your own eyes, you head of the tribes of Israel, when the Everliving anointed you to be leader over Israel? And the Everliving sent you on a journey and said, Go and destroy those sinners the Amalekites and fight with them to destruction! Now why have you not listened to the voice of the Everliving? You have pounced upon the plunder and done wrong in the sight of the Everliving! But Saul replied to Samuel, I did listen to the voice of the Everliving and went on the journey the Everliving sent me and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, but I have destroyed the Amalekites, the army however made prize of the best sheep and cattle to be devoted as a sacrifice to your Everliving God in Gilgal! Samuel, however, said to Saul, Is it more pleasing to the Everliving to have offerings and sacrifices than to listen to the voice of the Lord? Look! To listen is better than sacrifice and to obey than the fat of rams! For the result of your idea is rebellion and delusion and stubborn idolatry! You have repudiated the command of the Everliving and he repudiates you from being leader! Then Saul exclaimed to Samuel, I have sinned because I have passed by the command of the Everliving and your command, but I feared the army and I listened to their voice, yet now I pray you to pardon my fault and come along with me and I will humble myself to the Everliving! But Samuel answered Saul, I will not go with you, for you repudiated the command of the Everliving, so the Everliving has repudiated you from being leader over Israel! Then Samuel turned to go, but he seized him by the hood of his cloak and it tore, and Samuel exclaimed, The Everliving has torn the leadership of Israel from off you today and has given it to your neighbor a better than you! He who presides over Israel does not lie and does not alter, for he is not a man that he should alter! Still he replied, I have sinned, yet honor me in the presence of the officers of my army and in the presence of Israel and come along with me and I will bow to your Everliving God! Samuel consequently went with Saul and Saul bowed to the Everliving. Samuel afterwards said, Bring Agag the king of Amalet to me! and Agag advanced tottering to him, and Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death has passed! But Samuel answered, As your sword has made women childless, so your mother shall be childless among women! Then Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Everliving in Gilgal. Samuel afterwards went to Ramath and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul, and Samuel ceased to visit Saul to the day of his death, for Samuel was grieved at Saul and the Everliving was sorry for the rule of Saul over Israel. Chapter 16 The Everliving consequently said to Samuel, How long will you grieve about Saul? Although I have rejected him from the leadership over Israel, fill your horn with oil and go! I send you to Jesai of Bethlehem, for I have selected a leader for myself from among his sons. But Samuel replied, If I go and Saul hears, he will murder me! The Everliving however answered, Take and heifer from the herd with you and say I have come to sacrifice to the Everliving, and invite Jesai to the sacrifice when I will instruct you what to do, then anoint for me whoever I tell you! Samuel accordingly did what the Everliving told him and went to Bethlehem, and the magistrate of the town came to meet him and asked, Do you come with peace? And he replied, With peace! I have come to sacrifice to the Everliving! Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice! Let Jesai and his sons also purify themselves! Thus he invited them to the sacrifice, and when they came he looked on Eliab and thought, Ah, he must be consecrated before the Everliving! But the Everliving said, Do not bend to look at his great stature, for I reject him for what a man does not see, because a man looks with his eyes, but the Everliving looks with his heart. Then Jesai called Abinadab and passed him before the face of Samuel when he said, Him also the Everliving does not choose. Then Jesai passed seven of his sons before Samuel, when Samuel said to Jesai, The Everliving has not chosen any of these, but Samuel asked of Jesai, Are these all your lads? And he replied, All except the youngest, and he is shepherding with the sheep. Samuel, however, said to Jesai, Zend, and bring him, for I will not dine until he comes here. So he sent and brought him, and he was ruddy with handsome eyes and beautiful to look at. Then the Everliving said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Samuel, therefore, took the horn of oil and consecrated him in preference to his brothers, and the spirit of the Everliving came upon David from that day forward. Samuel afterwards arose and returned to Ramaph. The spirit of the Everliving then went away from Saul, and he was terrified by an evil spirit away from the Lord. The ministers of Saul consequently said to him, Now that the spirit of God has gone, an evil spirit terrifies you. Let our Lord then command your personal servants to seek a man skillful in playing on the harp, and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he can play with his hand and ease you. Saul consequently replied to his ministers, Look out then for me a man with proficiency in music, and bring him to me. I have seen a son of Jesai of Bethlehem, a skillful musician, a fine dancer, a gentleman, and a good reciter, and a handsome man, and the Everliving is with him. Saul therefore sent messengers to Jesai and said, Send your son David who goes with the flock to me. So Jesai put on an ass bread and a skin of wine with a kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul. When David came to Saul and was presented to him, he admired him greatly and he became one of his attendants, and Saul sent to Jesai to say, Let David attend me, for he has found favour in my sight. When therefore the spirit from God came upon Saul, David took his harp and played with his hand, and relieved Saul and soothed him, so that the evil spirit went from him. CHAPTER XVII But the Felishtim assembled in their camps for war. They advanced to Suka which is in Judah, and were encamped between Suka and Asuka in Afes Damim. Saul and the Israelites also collected and encamped on the plane of Hala, and they prepared for battle at the challenge of the Felishtim. But the Felishtim occupied the hill beyond with the veil between them, and there came out from the camp of the Felishtim a man, one of the twins, whose name was Goliath of Gaff. His height was six cubits and a half, a brass helmet was on his head, and he was clothed in a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shepherds of brass, with brass greaves on his legs, and brazen javelins at his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and the spike of his spear weighed six hundred shekels of iron. A shield-bearer marched in front of him. Thus he stood and called from a distance to the regiments of Israel, and said to them, Why do you come out arrayed for battle? Am not I a Felishtim, and you slaves of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come to me. If he is able to fight me and beat me, then we will be your slaves. But if I overpower him and beat him, then you shall be slaves for us. The Felishtim also said, I defy all the regiments of Israel today. Give me a man that we may fight together. And Saul and all Israel listened to these words of the Felishtim, and were depressed and terribly afraid. A man of Ephra, of Bethlehem Judah whose name was Jesse, had eight sons, one of them David, and the man in the Daves of Saul was looked on as a great man by the people. The three elder sons of Jesse had gone and marched with Saul to the war, Eliab the eldest, and the second Abinadab, and the third Shama. David was the youngest, so the three elder marched after Saul, for David had returned and left attending Saul to shepherd the flock of his father at Bethlehem. The Felishtim had thus approached and stationed himself morning and afternoon for forty days, when Jesse said to David his son, Take now for your brothers and ifa of this oatmeal and these ten cakes, and run to the camp to your brothers. Present also these ten rolls of butter to the colonel of the regiment, and wish your brothers health, and take their returns. Saul and all the army of Israel were then on the plain of Halah, at war with the Felishtim. David consequently arose at dawn and entrusted the flock to the keeper, and started, and went as Jesse had ordered, and came to the wagon station when the forces were going out in battle array and were cheering for the fight. Both Israel and the Felishtim were arrayed for fight ready for the challenge, so David entrusted the baggage he had brought with him to the care of the baggage guard, and ran to the ranks, and went and wished his brother's health, and while he was in talk with them he saw the champion of the Felishtim, named Goliath of Gath, approach from the side of the Felishtim, and saw what he did, and David listened. But all the Israelites were afraid of the man, and fled before him in great terror, and a soldier of Israel was saying to the lookers on, Do you see this man who is coming up there, who comes up to defy Israel? But should a man be able to defeat him, the king will enrich him with great wealth, and give him his daughter, and make his father's family tax-free in Israel? So David asked of the men who stood around him. Say, what will be done to the man who defeats that Felishtim, and removes his insults from Israel? For who is this Felishtim blackguard who defies the armies of the living God? When the people replied to him to this effect, saying, Thus it will be done to the man who defeats him. But Eliab, his elder brother, listened to his talking with the men, and Eliab was furious with David, and exclaimed, For what have you come down here, and to whom have you entrusted those few sheep in the desert? I know your pride and the bravado of your heart. You have come for the sake of seeing the battle. David, however, answered, What have I done now? Is there not a cause? And he turned from beside him, and went a little backward, and asked to the same effect, and the people returned him word for word as at first. But the inquiries that David made were heard, and were reported to Saul, and he had him fetched. David said to Saul, Let no man's heart drop because of him. Your servant will go and fight this Felishtim. But Saul replied to David, You are not fit to go against this Felishtim to fight with him, for you are a lad, and he has been a man of war from his youth. David, however, answered Saul. Your servant was a shepherd of the flock to his father, and a lion came, and a bear, and carried off some of the flock. But I went out after them, and beat them, and delivered them from their mouth. Then they leaped upon me, but I seized them by the mane, and beat and killed them. Your servant beat both the lion and the bear, and it will be with this filthy Felishtim the same as with them. For he defies the regiments of the living God, and David added, The ever living who delivered me from the paw of the lion, and the paw of the bear can deliver me from the hand of this Felishtim. Then Saul said to David, Go, and the ever living be with you. And Saul clothed David in his own armor, and put a helmet of brass on his head, clad him in a coat of mail, and girt David with a sword from his own arms. Then he tried to walk, but he was not able. David therefore said to Saul, I am not able to walk in these, for I have never been used to them. Consequently David stripped them off him, took his sling in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them into a shepherd's bag that he had. So with the sling and staff in his hand he approached the Felishtim. The Felishtim also himself marched and advanced against David, with the man carrying a big shield in front of him. But when the Felishtim bent forward and saw David, he despised him, for he was a lad and ruddy with a beautiful face. So the Felishtim said to David, I am a dog, that you come to me with sticks. Then the Felishtim cursed David by his god. The Felishtim also exclaimed to David, come to me, and I will give your carcass to the fowls of the sky, and to the beasts of the field. But David replied to the Felishtim, you come against me with sword and spears, and in armor, but I come against you with the name of the lord of hosts, the god of the regiments of Israel, whom you have defied. The lord will shut you up today for my hand, and I will beat you and cut off your head, and give the carcass of the champion of the Felishtim today, to the birds of the sky, and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the world shall know that there is a god for Israel, and all the crowd shall recognize that the everliving saves neither by sword or spears, for the lord controls the war, and will give you into our hands. Then the Felishtim braced himself up, and advanced to challenge David, but David was quick and ran from the ranks to attack the Felishtim, and thrusting his hand into his bag, David took out a stone and slung it, and hit the Felishtim on the forehead, and the stone entered his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David was victorious over the Felishtim with a sling and a stone, and struck the Felishtim, and killed him. But there was no sword in David's hand, so David ran and stood by the Felishtim, and seized his sword, and drew it from his sheaf, and killed him, and cut his head off with it. When the Felishtim saw that their hero was dead, they fled. Then the generals of Israel and Judah arose, and cheered, and pursued the Felishtim to the end of the valley, and to the gates of Akron, and the wounded of the Felishtim fell on the road of the double gates, both of Gaph and Akron. Then the Israelites returned from the pursuit after the Felishtim, and plundered their camp. David ultimately took the head of the Felishtim, and brought it to the house of peace, and placed his armor in the hall. But Saul, watching David going to challenge the Felishtim, said to Abner, the commander of his army, "'Whose son is that lad, Abner?' and Abner answered, "'By your soul's life, leader, if I know.' Then the leader said, "'Enquire yourself, whose son the youth is.'" So when David returned from defeating the Felishtim, Abner took him before Saul, the head of the Felishtim, being in his hand, and Saul asked him, "'Whose son are you, my lad?' David replied, "'The son of your servant Jesai of Bethlehem.'" Chapter 18 And as he finished speaking with Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan admired him like his own self. Saul also took to him at that time, and would not permit him to return to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a treaty to love each other as their own life, and Jonathan took off the cloak that he had on him, and put it upon David with his armor, and sword, and bow, and belt. And David went wherever Saul sent him, and was successful, and pleasing to Saul above all the officers of the army, and he was delightful in the eyes of all the people, and also in the eyes of the ministers of Saul. It happened, however, that once when David was returning from defeating the Felishtim, that women came out from all the towns of Israel with song and dances to meet King Saul, with tambourines, tom-toms, and triangles, when the women answered to the music and sung, Saul has defeated his thousands, and David his ten thousands, but Saul was very angry, and the refrain was hateful in his ears. So he exclaimed, They have given the ten thousands to David, and the thousands to me. What is there more for him, except the leadership? Saul consequently became irritable with David from that time forward. Then some time after the evil spirit from God seized upon Saul, as he was walking through his palace, and David was playing on his harp as he did daily, and Saul had javelins in his hand. So Saul threw javelins, exclaiming, I will pin David to the wall, but David escaped them twice. Then Saul became frightened at the presence of David, for the everliving had come to him and gone away from Saul. Therefore Saul removed him from near himself and appointed him colonel of a regiment, and he went out and came in with the forces. David, however, went on his way successfully, for the everliving was with him, and Saul saw that he was very successful and was afraid of him, for all Israel and Judah admired David, for he went out and came back before them. Saul consequently said to David, You know my elder daughter, Mirab, I will give her to you for a wife, and you shall become my most powerful son, and fight the battles of the everliving. But Saul intended not that he should become powerful, but that he might be brought into the power of the Felishtim. David, however, replied to Saul, Who am I, and what is the clan of my father in Israel that I should become son-in-law to the chieftain? But when the time came for giving Mirab, Saul's daughter to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel, the Mecholothite. But Mechol, Saul's daughter, loved David and told it to Saul, and it seemed right in his opinion, so Saul said, I will promise her to him, and she shall be a trap for him, that he may be got into the hands of the Felishtim. Saul, therefore, said to David a second time, You shall be my son-in-law now. Saul also ordered his ministers to speak to David privately and say, The leader is now your friend, and all his ministers like you, so now become son-in-law to the chieftain. Therefore the ministers of Saul whispered their ideas to David. But David replied, Is it a little matter in your sight to be son-in-law to the leader, when I am a common and ordinary man? So his ministers reported to Saul himself how David had replied to the matter. Saul accordingly answered, Say this to David. The leader does not care for a dowry, but wishes for a hundred foreskins of the Felishtim as a revenge on the king's enemies. But Saul was plotting to throw David into the hands of the Felishtim. His ministers, therefore, reported this speech to David, and the idea to be son-in-law to the chieftain was capital in David's view. But the opportunity did not arrive. Therefore David prepared and marched he and his men, and killed two hundred persons of the Felishtim, and David brought their foreskins, thus satisfying the leader, and thus justifying his being made his son-in-law. Saul then gave him Mikal his daughter as a wife. Saul also saw and acknowledged that the ever-living was with David and that Mikal his daughter loved him. Saul, however, still continued to be afraid of David, and Saul was an enemy to David all the time. When the Felishtim generals advanced, David's strategy was more skillful against them than that of any of the officers of Saul, so his name became famous. The End of Chapters Thirteen through Eighteen of the First Book of Samuel Recording by Mark Penfold