Study Desk

And Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.

"But today you have rejected your God, who Himself saves you from all your disasters and distresses; yet you have said, 'No! Set a king over us.' Now then, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your families (clans)."

Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen by lot; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

But some worthless men said, "How can this man save and rescue us?" And they regarded Saul with contempt and did not bring him a gift. But he ignored the insult and kept silent.

But Nahash the Ammonite told them, "I will make a treaty with you on this condition, that I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and make it a disgrace upon all Israel."

But Saul said, "No man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has brought victory to Israel."

"But when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of Hazor's army, and into the hand of the Philistines and of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

"They cried out to the LORD, saying, 'We have sinned because we have abandoned (rejected) the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now rescue us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve You.'

"But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites had come against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us'—although the LORD your God was your King.

"But if you do not listen to the LORD'S voice, but rebel against His command, then the hand of the LORD will be against you [to punish you], as it was against your fathers.

Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have [indeed] done all this evil; yet do not turn away from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

"Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

"But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away [to destruction]."

Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel; of whom 2,000 were with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each one to his own tent.

Now Saul waited seven days, according to the appointed time which Samuel had set, but Samuel had not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering away from Saul.

But Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Since I saw that the people were scattering away from me, and that you did not come within the appointed time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,

"But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man (David) after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as leader and ruler over His people, because you have not kept (obeyed) what the LORD commanded you."

So it came about on the day of battle that neither sword nor spear was found in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan; but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to his young armor bearer, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

"But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us."