Study Desk

When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off on the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.

When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Yisra'el shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore on us, and on Dagon our god.

They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Yisra'el, don't send it empty; but by all means return him a trespass-offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you."

Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Yisra'el: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beit-Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."

The men of Kiryat-Ye`arim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Avinadav in the hill, and sanctified El`azar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

Shemu'el judged Yisra'el all the days of his life.

His return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Yisra'el: and he built there an altar to the LORD.

It happened, when Shemu'el was old, that he made his sons judges over Yisra'el.

Now the name of his firstborn was Yo'el; and the name of his second, Aviyah: they were judges in Be'er-Sheva.

His sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

He said, This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots;

and he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and [he will set some] to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

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

He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

He will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

The LORD said to Shemu'el, Listen to their voice, and make them a king. Shemu'el said to the men of Yisra'el, Go you every man to his city.

He had a son, whose name was Sha'ul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Yisra'el a better person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.