looked on the ark of Jehovah; and he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men. And the people lamented, because Jehovah had smitten the people with a 20 great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said: Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up from us?

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3

And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying: The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah; come down, and carry it up to you.

ye

And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and carried up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill; and they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the 2 ark of Jehovah. And it came to pass, that while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim the time was long; for it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after Jehovah. And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If do return to Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the strange gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and direct your heart to Jehovah, and serve him only; and he 4 will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. And the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths; 5 and they served Jehovah only. And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you to Jehovah. And they were gathered together to Mizpeh; and they drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day. And they said there: We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh; and the lords of the Philistines. went up against Israel. And the children of Israel heard it 8 and they were afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel: Cease not to cry to Jehovah our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

V. 19.

Because they looked on the ark of Jehovah; profaning the sacred symbol of his presence with the irreverent gaze of idle curiosity.

V. 20. To whom shall he go up from us? To what other people, is meant; answered in the

next verse.

V. 4. The Baals and the Ashtoreths. See the writer's note on Judges 2:13, and on Gen. 14: 5.

9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it whole as a burnt-offering to Jehovah. And Samuel cried unto Jeho10 vah for Israel; and Jehovah heard him. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near for battle against Israel. And Jehovah thundered with a great noise upon the Philistines that day, and discomfited 11 them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, 12 and smote them, as far as below Beth-car. And Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen; and he called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying: Hitherto has Jehovah helped us.

13

And the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel. And the hand of Jehovah was 14 against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron unto Gath; and the borders thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. 15 And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And 16 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Miz17 peh, and judged Israel in all those places. And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar to Jehovah.

1 AND it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made 2 his sons judges over Israel. And the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah. They were 3 judges in Beer-sheba. And his sons walked not in his ways; and they turned aside after gain, and took bribes, and per4 verted judgment. And all the elders of Israel gathered 5 together, and came to Samuel to Ramah. And they said to him: Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations. And the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to Jehovah.

6

V. 12. Ebenezer; meaning, stone of help.

7 And Jehovah said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over 8 them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt unto this day, in forsaking me, and in serving other gods, so do they 9 also to thee. And now hearken to their voice; only, thou shalt solemnly protest to them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10

And Samuel told all the words of Jehovah to the people 11 that asked of him a king. And he said: This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you. He will take your sons, and set them for himself, in his chariot, and on his 12 horses; and they shall run before his chariot. And he will set for himself captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to plough his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and furniture 13 of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be per14 fumers, and cooks, and bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, the best of them, 15 and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, 16 and to his servants. And your men-servants, and your maid

servants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, he 17 will take and put to his work. He will take the tenth of 18 your sheep. And ye shall be his servants. And ye shall

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cry out in that day, because of your king which ye shall have chosen for you; and Jehovah will not hear you in that day.

But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And 20 they said: Nay; but there shall be a king over us; that

we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may 21 judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. And

Samuel heard all the words of the people; and he rehearsed 22 them in the ears of Jehovah. And Jehovah said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Go ye, every man to his city.

1

AND there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish; the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of 2 wealth. And he had a son whose name was Saul, young and goodly. And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he; from his shoulders and upward 3 he was higher than any of the people. And the asses of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost.' And Kish said to Saul his son Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, and they found them not; and they passed through the land of Shalim, and they were not there ; and he passed through the land of the Ben5 jamites, and they found them not. They came to the land of Zuph. And Saul said to his servant that was with him : Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the 6 asses, and be concerned for us. And he said to him: Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says comes surely to pass. Now let us go thither; perhaps he can show us our way that we should go. And Saul said to his servant: And behold, if we go, what shall we bring to the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of 8 God. What have we? And the servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold, there is in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; and I will give it to the man of God, 9 that he may tell us our way. (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: Come, and let us go to the Seer; for he that is now called the Prophet was 10 formerly called the Seer.) And Saul said to his servant: Well said; come, let us go. And they went to the city where the man of God was.

7

11 As they went up by the ascent to the city, they met young maidens coming out to draw water; and they said to them : 12 Is the Seer here? And they answered them, and said: He is; behold, he is before thee. Make haste now, for he came

to-day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to-day 13 on the high place. As soon as ye are come into the city, ye will straightway meet him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are bidden. And now go up; for about this time ye will find 14 him. And they went up to the city. They were coming into the city, and behold, Samuel came out towards them, to go up to the high place.

15

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And Jehovah had told Samuel a day before Saul came, 16 saying: About this time to-morrow I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And Samuel saw Saul; and Jehovah answered him: Behold the man of whom I said to thee: This same shall reign over my people. 18 And Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the Seer. And Samuel answered Saul, and said: I am the Seer. Go up before me to the high place; and ye shall eat with me to-day, and tomorrow I will let thee go, and I will tell thee all that is in 20 thy heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on 21 all thy father's house? And Saul answered and said: Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of 22 Benjamin? And wherefore speakest thou so to me? And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and gave them a place at the head of them that 23 were bidden, who were about thirty persons. And Samuel

said to the cook: Bring the portion which I gave thee, of 24 which I said to thee: Set it by thee. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before

V. 17. Answered; to the prophet's inquiring look, or inward thought. See the writer's note on Job 3:2.