e 4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept. 5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly. 7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the Samuel testifieth to his integrity. Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever Samuel testifieth to Israel his integrity. 6 He recounteth God's cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent. dealings with their fathers; 16 and, by means of thunder in harvest, convinceth them of their sin in asking a king; 20 but comforteth them in the hope of God's mercy, if obedient. [B. C. 1095.] 8 And when he numbered them in AND Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, * Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad. a I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. d с 2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. 3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tofwhose ox have I taken? or whose ass have. morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you. 11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. 12 And the people said unto Samuel, I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. 2 g 6 T And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore stand still, that I may 'reason with you before the LORD of all the 'righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.. 5 8 m When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers "cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. 9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 10 And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, "and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. x y a 11 And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe. Exhortation to obedience. q 19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20 ¶ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 And turn ye not aside: "for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people "for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. r Judg. s Jer. 16. 19. 8 Judg. 3. 12. y c ch. 8. 5, 19. d Judg. 8. 23. g Hos. 13. 11. e ch. 10. 24. h Josh. 24. 14. Deut: 28. 15, &c. x Judg. b ch. 11. 1. f ch. 8. u Josh. 7. 9. 2. Mal. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 3. Prov. 4. 11. Ps. 81. Josh. Jer. 6. 16. b Ecc. 12. 13. c Is. 5. 12. d Deut. 10. 21. Ps. 126. 2, 3, e Josh. 24. 20. 5. & 9. 20. 13, 14. Heb. be after. 24. 20. k ver. 9. Heb. mouth. i Lev. 26. 14, 15, &c. a 1 Kings 8. 36. 2 Chr. 6, 27. Or. what a great thing, &e. f Deut. 28. 36. Saul's select band. 3 He calleth the Israelites to Gilgal against the Philistines. 5 The great host of the Philistines. 6 The distress of the Israelites. 8 Saul, weary of staying for Samuel, Their defenceless state. offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt sacrificeth. 11 Samuel reproveth him. 17 The three bands of offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. the Philistines. 19 The Philistines suffer no smith in Israel. [B. c. 1095.] T SAUL 'reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent. b 2 3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear. с 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. 7 And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had ap pointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt 11 ¶ And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 15 And Samuel arose, and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were present with him, ' about six hundred men. 7 i 16 And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 8 17 And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual: 18 And another company turned the way to Beth-horon: and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of "Zeboim toward the wilderness. The Philistines' garrison n I. SAMUEL, XIV. 19 Now there was no smith found ¶ throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears: 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock. 9 21 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and 10 to sharpen the goads. 22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found. 23 And the "garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash. CHAPTER XIV. surprised and smitten. side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The 2 forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. 7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. 8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them. 3 9 If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them. 10 But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up for the LORD hath Philistines. 17 Saul and his men come to the battle. 24 is delivered them into our hand; and this Jonathan, unknown to his father, surpriseth a garrison of the unadvised adjuration distresseth_the_people. 26 Jonathan, through ignorance, transgresseth. 32 Saul restraineth the people from eating blood. 36 For his transgression, Jonathan is condemned to die by his father; 45 but is rescued by the people. 47 Saul's wars. 49 His family. [B. c. 1087.] shall be a sign unto us. 11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves. 12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel. 13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him. 4 14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plough. 15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trem Ahimelech, h Heb. tooth. c ch. 4. 21. d ch. 2. 28. e ch. 13. 23. f Judg. 7. 4. 7. 2 Chr. 14. 11. Heb. Be still. g See Gen. 24. 14. Judg. 7. 11. Or, half a furrow of an acre of land, Judg. 7. 21. h2 Kings 7.7. Job 18. 11. i ch. 13. 17. 5 bled, and the earth quaked: so it was ka very great trembling. 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another: 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there. 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God: for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. 19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the "noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand. 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, "every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture. 21 Moreover, the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. The trespass of Jonathan. 26 And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people 8 were faint. 29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their 30 How much more, if haply the people enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? 31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon and the people were very faint. 32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them "with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have 'transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day. 34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox 10 with him that night, and slew them there. 35 And Saul built an altar unto the |