LORD: "the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.

36 ¶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.

37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But y he answered him not that day.

38 And Saul said, 'Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day: 39 For, "as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

40 Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. 41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, 13bGive a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people 4 escaped.

14

C

42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was

taken.

e

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

44 And Saul answered, 'God do so and

Saul sent to destroy Amalek.

46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

47 So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them."

sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them

i ch. 11. 11.

b Ex. 17. 8, 14. Num. 24. 20, Deut. 25. 17, Josh. 6. 17, 21.

e

not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and

ass.

4 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and 'laid wait in the valley.

d

6¶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for 'ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Ꮒ Havilah until thou comest to 'Shur, that is over against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and 'utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

2

m

9 But Saul and the people " spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

10 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11 "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

Or, fought. d Num. 24. 21. Judg. 1. 16. & 4. 11. e Gen. 18. 25. & 13. 12, 14. Rev. 18. 4. f Ex. 18. 10, 19. Num. 10. 29, 32. g ch. 14. 48. 1 Gen. 2. 11. & 25. 18. i Gen. 16. 7. k See 1 Kings 20. 34, 35, &c. I See eh. 30. 1. 15. "Or, of the second sort. n ver. 35. Gen. C. 6, 7. 2 Sam. 24. 16. o Josh. 22. 16. 1 Kings 9. 6. p ch. 13. 13, ver. 3, 9. q ver. 35. ch. 16. 1. r Josh. 15. 55. 8 Gen. 14. 19. Judg.

m ver. 3,

for his disobedience.

this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

and

15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: 'for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

16 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, " When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

3

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, * I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

22 And Samuel said, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

c

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have T sinned: for I have transgressed the com

17. 2. Ruth 3. 10. t ver. 9. 21. Gen. 3. 12. Prov. 28. 13. u ch. 9. 21. Heb. they consume them. x ver. 13. y ver. 15. 7. Ps. 50. 8, 9. Prov. 21. 3. Is. 1. 11, 12, 13, 16, 17. Jer. 7. 22, 23. Mic. 6. 6, 7, 8. Heb. 10. 6, 7, 8, 9. a Ecc. 5. 1. Hos. 6. 6. Matt. 5. 24. & 9. 13. & 12. 7. Mark 12. 33. Heb. divination, Deut. 18. 10. b ch. 13. 14. e See 2 Sam. 12. 13.

mandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

g

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. 29 And also the 'Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

31 So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the LORD.

32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

k

33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

34 ¶ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to 'Gibeah of Saul.

m

35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel "mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king Over Israel.

d Ex. 23. 2. Prov. 29. 25. Is. 51. 12, 13. e See ch. 2. 30. 1 Kings 11. 30. g ch. 28. 17, 18, 1 Kings 11. 31. Or, Victory. h Num. 25. 19. Ez. 24. 14. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Tit. 1. 2. 41. & 12. 43. k Ex. 17. 11. Num. 14. 45. See Judg. 1. 7. m See ch. 19. 24. n ver. 11. ch. 16. 1.

CHAP. XVI.-a ch. 15. 35.

o ver. 11.

He goeth to Beth-lehem.

A

a

ND the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer 'with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and fI will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town "trembled at his coming, and said, 'Comest thou peaceably?

2

5. And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on 'Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him.

m

f See Eternity, or, i John 5. 1 ch. 11. 4.

p 2 Cor. 10. 7.

b ch. 15. 23. c ch. 9. 16. 2 Kings 9. 1.

Heb. in thine hand. h ch. 21. 1.

e ch. 9. 2 Heb. meeting. 1 ch. 17. 13. 1 Chr. n Ps. 147. 10, 11. o Is. 55. 8.

2 Kings 9. 22. k Ex. 19. 10, 14. m 1 Kings 12. 26. Heb. eyes. Jer. 11 20. & 17. 10. & 20. 12. Acts 1. 24. Shimeah, 2 Sam. 13. 3. Shimma, 1 Chr. 2. 13.

q 1 Kings 8. 39. 1 Chr. 28. 9. Ps. 7. 9. r ch. 17. 13. s ch. 17. 13.

10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, 'There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he wasruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

b

So

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD

troubled him.

15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

d

16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and 'a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

8

19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

h

t eh. 17. 12. Cant. 5. 10.

n 2 Sam. 7. 8. Ps. 78. 70.

89. 20.

Heb. fair of eyes.

Heb. round. x ch. 17. 42. y So ch. 9. 17. z ch. 10. 1. Ps. a See Num. 27. 18. Judg. 11. 29. & 13. 25. & 14. 6. ch. 10. 6, 10. Or. terrified. b Judg. 16, 20. ch. 11. 6. & 18. 12. & 28, 15. Ps. 51. 11.

Saul sendeth for David.

20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

k

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

23 And it came to pass, when 'the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

e ver. 23. 2 Kings 3. 15.

e Jug. 9, 23. ch. 18. 10. & 19. 9. 10. 8.

11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

k

i 12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had 'eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

m

13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.

16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

18 And carry these ten cheeses the captain of their thousand, and how thy brethren fare, and take pledge.

unto

look

their

g ch. 11. 1.
h ver. 26. 2 Sam. 21. 21.
k Gen. 35. 19. 1 ch. 16. 10, 11.
n ch. 16. 19.
o Gen. 37. 14.
Or, battle array, or, place of fight.

m ch. 16. 6, 8, 9. 1 Chr. 2. 13.
Heb. captain of a thousand.

Or, place of the carriage, ch. 26. 5.

David cometh to the camp.

19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

8

21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.

22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and 10 saluted his brethren.

23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled "from him, and were sore afraid.

25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of "the living God?

8

X

27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

y

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and