22 Now Eli was very old; and 'he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the 23 door of the 'tent' of 'meeting!. And

he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil deal24 ings from all this people. Nay, my

sons; for it is no good report that I hear ye make the LORD's people to 25 transgress. If one man sin against

another, "God' shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD 26 would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with

27

men.

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I 'reveal myself! unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's 28) house? And did I choose him out

of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up unto mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 °Wherefore 10kick ye at my sacrifice

and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall 31 be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house,

that there shall not be an old man in 32 thine house. And thou shalt behold 11the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel and there shall not be an old 33 man in thine house for ever. 012 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die 18in the flower 34 of their age. And this shall be 'the' sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both 35 of them. And I will raise me up a

faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine 36 anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread

31 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no 15open vision. 2 °And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to wax 3) dim, that he could not see,) and the lamp of God 'was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the LORD, where the 4 ark of God was; that the LORD

called Samuel: and he said', Here 5 am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay 6 down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down 7 again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the 8 LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou

tion

Icalledst' me. And Eli perceived that 9 the LORD had called the child. "Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel

10 went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said', Speak; for thy 11 servant heareth. And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli

all that I have spoken concerning his house, 'from the beginning even unto 13 the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be 'purged with sac15 rifice nor offering for ever. °And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew 16 Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. 17 And he said', Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he 18 'spake unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words 20 fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a 21 prophet of the LORD. And the LORD

appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in 41 Shiloh by the word of the LORD. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines 2 pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philis

tines and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. 3)°And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, 'and' save us 4 out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, 'and' they 'brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which 6sitteth upon the 'cherubim' and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of 5 the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang 6 again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into 7 the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a 8 thing heretofore. °Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilder9 ness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves 10 like men, and fight. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent : and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand 11 footmen. And the ark of God was

taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hoph12 ni and Phinehas, were slain. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and 13 with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the way side watching for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and 14 told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise

of this tumult? And the man 'hasted, 15 and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not 16 see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, 'How went the matter, my 17 son? And he that brought the tidings answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark 18 of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. 19 And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains 20 came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast brought forth a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard 21 it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father 22 in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken. 51 Now the Philistines had taken

the ark of God, and they brought it 2 from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of 3 Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground! before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in 4 his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay1

cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 °Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.

6

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with Itumours, even Ashdod and the 'bor7 ders' thereof. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God 9 of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture! : and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and 'tumours brake 10 out upon them. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us 11 and our people. They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people for there was a deadly 'discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men that died not were smitten with the tumours and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

61

And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven 2 months8. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? 'shew us wherewith we 3 shall send it to its place. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a "guilti offering: then ye shall be healed, and it

shall be known to you why his hand 4 is not removed from you. Then said they, What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to him? And they said', Five golden tumours, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on 1you all, and on 5 your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your 'tumours!, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten. his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. 6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had 2wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they 7) departed? Now therefore take and prepare you a new cart, and two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: 8 and take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a guilt offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it 9 may go. And see, if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to 10 us.

And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home: 11 and they put the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their 12 'tumours. "And the kine took the straight way by the way to Bethshemesh; they went along the high way, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of 13 Beth-shemesh. And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and re14 joiced to see it. And the cart came into the field of Joshua 'thel Bethshemite, and stood there, where there

1 Heb. them.

Or, Imade a mock of

3 Heb. one raised way.

So the Sept. and Targum. The

was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered up the kine for a burnt offering unto the 15 LORD. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto 16 the LORD. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17

And these are the golden tumours! which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon' one, for Gath one, for Ekron (18 one; and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities and of country villages even unto the great stone, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua the (19) Beth-shemite. 05And he smote of

the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people Iseventy men, and fifty thousand 'men and the people 'mourned', because the LORD had smitten the peo20) ple with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? and to whom shall he go 21 up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of 'Kiriath'jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. 71°And the men of Kiriath -jearim

2

came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

And it came to pass, 'from the day that the ark abode in 'Kiriath1-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. 3 °And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your heart', then

they saw the ark of the LORD; and he smote among them seventy men, and fifty thousand men. Or, Gibeah!

Or, kwas drawn together

put away the strange gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and 1prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. 4 Then the children of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to 'Mizpah', and I will pray for you 6 unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of 7 Israel in Mizpah. And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to 'Mizpah', the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were 8 afraid of the Philistines. And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save' us out 9 of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the 10 LORD answered' him. And as Samu

el was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten 11 down before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah', and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped 13 us. So the Philistines were subdued,

and they came no more within' the border of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all 14 the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the 'border thereof did Israel deliver out of the 'hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the 15 Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel 16 all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el,

81

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges 2 over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, 'Abijah: they were judges 3 in Beer-sheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgement.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to 5 Samuel unto Ramah: and they said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all 6 the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over 8 them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, 'in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, 9 so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit thou shalt protest solemnly unto them, and shalt shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

10

And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked 11 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 appoint them unto him', for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run be12 fore his chariots: and he will appoint

'them unto him for captains of1 thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will set 'some to 'plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and Ithe instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, 14 and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and

VERSION OF 1611. 12 Mizpeh; 13 into.

* Or, Iperfumersi See Ex. xxx. 25.

VIII. 2 Abiah; 7 reign; 8 where[24]