Study Desk

But if you refuse to obey what Adonai says and rebel against Adonai 's orders, then Adonai will oppress both you and your leaders.

Sh'mu'el answered the people, "Don't be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet now, just don't turn away from following Adonai ; but serve Adonai with all your heart.

while some of the Hebrews crossed the Yarden to the territory of Gad and Gil‘ad. But Sha'ul was still in Gilgal, where all the people were eager to follow him.

He waited seven days, as Sh'mu'el had instructed; but Sh'mu'el didn't come to Gilgal; so the army began to drift away from him.

But as it is, your kingship will not be established. Adonai has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and Adonai has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you did not observe what Adonai ordered you to do."

One day Y'honatan the son of Sha'ul said to the young man carrying his armor, "Come, let's go across to the garrison of the P'lishtim on the other side. But he didn't tell his father.

But if they say, ‘Come up to us,' we'll go on up; and that will be the sign that Adonai has given us victory over them."

But while Sha'ul was talking to the cohen, the uproar in the camp of the P'lishtim continued and kept getting louder. Sha'ul said to the cohen, "Put your hand down."

Sha'ul and the entire force with him assembled and went to battle, but they found the P'lishtim all fighting each other in utter confusion.

Isra'el's soldiers had been driven to exhaustion that day; but Sha'ul issued this warning to the people: "A curse on any man who eats any food until evening, when I will have finished taking vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people even tasted food.

When the people had entered the forest, they saw there the honeycomb with honey dripping out; but no one put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath.

But Y'honatan hadn't heard his father charging the people with the oath, so he put out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it in the honeycomb and raised it to his mouth; whereupon his eyes lit up.

But one of the people said in response, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, ‘A curse on any man who eats any food today'; even though the people are fainting with hunger."

That day they had attacked the P'lishtim from Mikhmas to Ayalon; but the people were very exhausted.

Sha'ul said, "Let's go after the P'lishtim by night. We'll plunder them until dawn; we won't leave one of them alive." They answered, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the cohen said, "Let's approach God here."

Sha'ul consulted God: "Should I go down in pursuit of the P'lishtim? Will you hand them over to Isra'el?" But he didn't answer him that day.

For, as Adonai Isra'el's deliverer lives, even if it proves to be Y'honatan my son, he must be put to death." But no one among all the people answered him.

But the people said to Sha'ul, "Must Y'honatan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Isra'el? Heaven forbid! As Adonai lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground; because he worked with God today!" In this way the people rescued Y'honatan, so that he didn't die.

Now go and attack ‘Amalek, and completely destroy everything they have. Don't spare them, but kill men and women, children and babies, cows and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"

He took Agag the king of ‘Amalek alive; but he completely destroyed the people, putting them to the sword.