Study Desk

And watch; if it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance."

And the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord , and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated his son, Eleazar, to have charge of the ark of the Lord .

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Then he would come back to Ramah, for his home was there; he administered justice there to Israel, and built there an altar to the Lord .

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.

Yet his sons did not follow in his ways, but turned aside after gain; they took bribes and perverted justice.

He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots;

and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.

He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers.

He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.

He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work.

He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.

Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the boys with you; go and look for the donkeys."

So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the shrine.

Then Samuel took Saul and his servant-boy and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of whom there were about thirty.

Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, "The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his heritage:

When his prophetic frenzy had ended, he went home.

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

Then they ran and brought him from there. When he took his stand among the people, he was head and shoulders taller than any of them.