Study Desk

The men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, "The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, because his hand is harsh on us and on Dagon our god!"

They said, "If you are sending the ark of the God of Israel away, you must not send it away empty, but by all means return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed and it will become known to you why his hand is not turned aside from you."

You must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that are ravaging the land, and you must give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand on you and on your gods and on your land.

You must watch; if it goes up by the way of its territory to Beth Shemesh, he has caused this great disaster to come on us. But if not, then we will know his hand has not struck us; it was by chance that this happened to us.

The men of Kiriath Jearim came and brought up the ark of Yahweh, and they brought it to the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. They consecrated Eleazer his son to guard the ark of Yahweh.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Then he returned to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he judged Israel, and he built an altar to Yahweh there.

When Samuel grew old he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

He said, "This will be the custom of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.

He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and those to do his plowing and to reap his harvest, and those to make weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

He will take your daughters as his perfume makers and as cooks and as bakers.

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

He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and to his servants.

He will take your male slaves and your female slaves and the best of your young men and your donkeys and will use them for his projects.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants.

Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them." So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, "Each of you go to his own town."

He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man. There was not a man from the Israelites more handsome than he was; from his shoulders up, he was taller than all the people.

Now the female donkeys of Kish the father of Saul got lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, "Please take one of the servants with you and get up; go and seek the female donkeys."