Study Desk

When they were going from there to Gibeah, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God possessed him, and he fell into a prophetic frenzy along with them.

and said to them, "Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said, ‘No! but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans."

Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went warriors whose hearts God had touched.

And the spirit of God came upon Saul in power when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.

But they forgot the Lord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of King Jabin of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

But when you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,' though the Lord your God was your king.

If you will fear the Lord and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord , and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well;

All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves."

Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever,

Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For at that time the ark of God went with the Israelites.

Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave one of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."

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

Then Saul said, "O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If this guilt is in me or in my son Jonathan, O Lord God of Israel, give Urim; but if this guilt is in your people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were indicated by the lot, but the people were cleared.

Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan!"

Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today." So the people ransomed Jonathan, and he did not die.

Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."

But from the spoil the people took sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God."

And Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.