Study Desk

They got up early, and as dawn was breaking, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, "Get up, so that I can send you away." So Saul got up and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outside.

As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to pass on before us. When he has passed, you stand here a while, so that I can make known to you the word of God."

So Saul's uncle said to him, "Please tell me, what did Samuel say to you?"

But you today have rejected your God who always delivers you from all of your calamities and your distresses. You have said to him, ‘No, but you must appoint a king over us!' So then present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans."

So Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected by lot.

So they inquired again of Yahweh, "Did the man come here?" And Yahweh said, "Look, he is hiding himself among the baggage."

So they ran and took him from there, and when he took his stand among the people, he was taller than all the people from his shoulders and up.

However, some worthless men said, "How can this man deliver us?" So they despised him and brought no gift to him, but he kept silent.

But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make a treaty with you, by gouging out the right eye of each of you, so that I can make it a disgrace for all Israel."

So the elders of Jabesh said to him, "Leave us alone for seven days so that we may send messengers in all the territory of Israel, and if there is no deliverer for us, then we will come out to you."

Just then, Saul was coming from the field behind the cattle. Saul said, "What is the matter with the people, that they are weeping?" So they recounted to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them into pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, "Whoever is not going out after Saul and after Samuel, so will it be done to his oxen." Then the fear of Yahweh fell on the people and they went out as one man.

And the next day Saul placed the people in three divisions. Then they came into the middle of the camp at the early morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. It happened that the remainder were scattered so that no two among them remained together.

So all the people went to Gilgal and they made Saul king there before Yahweh in Gilgal. They sacrificed fellowship offerings there before Yahweh. Then Saul rejoiced there greatly along with all the men of Israel.

Then Samuel said to all Israel, "Look, I have listened to your voice regarding all that you have said to me, so I have set a king over you.

And so then here is the king walking about before you. Now I am old and gray, but my sons (look at them!) are with you; and I have walked about before you from my youth until this day.

So he said to them, "Yahweh is witness against you, and his anointed one is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." Then they said, "He is witness."

So then take your stand, so that I may judge you before Yahweh with regard to all the deeds of justice of Yahweh that he performed with both you and your ancestors.

"When Jacob came to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to Yahweh, so he sent Moses and Aaron, and they brought your ancestors out from Egypt and settled them in this place.

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.