Study Desk

He told Samuel, "Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord , for Your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

"What was the message He gave you?" Eli asked. "Don't hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that He told you."

So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, "He is the Lord . He will do what He thinks is good."

So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe—30,000 of the Israelite foot soldiers fell.

When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord . So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

So they called all the Philistine rulers together and asked, "What should we do with the ark of Israel's God?" "The ark of Israel's God should be moved to Gath," they replied. So the men of Ashdod moved the ark.

The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, "Send the ark of Israel's God away. It must return to its place so it won't kill us and our people!" For the fear of death pervaded the city; God's hand was oppressing them.

So the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab's house on the hill. They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and only worshiped the Lord .

The Israelites said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines."

So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel's territory again. The Lord 's hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel's life.

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.

When they said, "Give us a king to judge us," Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the Lord .

"Good," Saul replied to his attendant. "Come on, let's go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.

So they went up toward the city. Saul and his attendant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place.

Saul responded, "Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel's tribes and isn't my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?"

Samuel took Saul and his attendant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the 30 or so men who had been invited.

The cook picked up the thigh and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, "Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I've invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the attendant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I'll reveal the word of God to you." So the attendant went on.