Study Desk

But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord .

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

The servant answered him again. "Look," he said, "I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take."

"Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.'" And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"—and the servant did so—"but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God."

A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" So it became a saying: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.' So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans."

So they inquired further of the Lord , "Has the man come here yet?" And the Lord said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies."

But Nahash the Ammonite replied, "I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel."

The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you."

The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

The people then said to Samuel, "Who was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?' Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death."

So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord . There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord , and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

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

Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

Then Samuel called on the Lord , and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

The people all said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king."

So all Israel heard the news: "Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines." And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.