Study Desk

When he came, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for he was very worried about the special box of God. The man told the news in the city, and all the city cried out.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were weak so that he could not see.

When he told about the special box of God, Eli fell back off the seat by the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was going to have a child and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the special box of God was taken and that her father-in-law and husband had died, she started to give birth, for her pains came upon her.

When the Ashdodites got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the special box of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

But when they got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground in front of the special box of the Lord. And Dagon's head and both his hands were cut off and lying in the doorway. Only the body of Dagon was left.

When the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The special box of the God of Israel must not stay with us. For His hand is hard on us and on our god Dagon."

And they said, "If you send away the special box of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But be sure to return to Him a sin gift. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand does not turn away from you."

And watch. If it goes on the way to its own land, to Bethshemesh, then He has done this very bad thing to us. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that destroyed us. It will have just happened for no reason."

The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the special box of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They set apart his son Eleazar to keep the special box of the Lord.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there. He judged Israel there also, and built an altar to the Lord.

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

The name of his first-born son was Joel. And the name of his second son was Abijah. They were men who judged in Beersheba.

But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside to get money. They took pay to do things that were not right and fair.

He said, "This will be the way the king will rule over you. He will take your sons and make them drive his war-wagons, be his horsemen, and run in front of his war-wagons.

He will choose leaders of thousands and of fifties. He will choose men to plow his ground, gather his grain, and make objects for war and for his war-wagons.

He will take the best of your fields and vines and olives, and give them to his servants.

He will take a tenth part of your grain and your vines to give to his leaders and his servants.

He will take your men servants and your women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys, and use them for his work.