Study Desk

Then the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry.

But they forgot Yahweh their God, so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the hosts of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

"And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, was coming against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king shall reign over us,' although Yahweh your God is your king.

If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not be rebellious against what Yahweh says, and both you and the king who rules over you will follow after Yahweh your God, all will be well.

Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God so that we will not die, because we have added to all our sins by requesting a king for ourselves."

Then Samuel said to Saul, "You have behaved foolishly! You have not kept the command of Yahweh your God which he commanded you. For then, Yahweh would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring near the ark of God" (for the ark of God was at that time with the Israelites).

Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and let us plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave alive a man among them." So they said, "Do all that is good in your eyes." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."

So Saul inquired of God, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him on that day.

Then Saul said to Yahweh the God of Israel, "Render a decision perfectly." Jonathan and Saul were chosen by lot and the people went out.

Then Saul said, "So may God do to me and more, you will certainly die today, Jonathan!"

But the army said to Saul, "Must Jonathan die, who accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, not a hair from his head will fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the army ransomed Jonathan and he did not die.

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; the troops spared the best of the sheep and the cattle in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God. But the rest we have utterly destroyed."

The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal."

Then he said, "I have sinned! Now please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so that I can worship Yahweh your God."

But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see what man sees, for a man looks on the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks on the heart."

So the servants of Saul said to him, "Look please, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Please, let our lord command your servants who are before you! Let them seek a man skilled in playing on the lyre. When the evil spirit from God is upon you, he can play on it and you will feel better."

So whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the stringed instrument and play it with his hand. Then it would bring relief for Saul; he would feel better and the evil spirit would depart from him.

Now David had spoken to the men who were standing with him, saying, "What will be done for the man who defeats this Philistine and removes the disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he defies the battle lines of the living God?"