Study Desk

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth on his head.

And he came and saw that Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

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

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came on her.

And those of Ashdod arose early on the next day, and saw Dagon fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

And they arose early in the morning on the next day, and saw Dagon fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh; 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.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is intense on us, and on Dagon our god.

And they said, If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, 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 Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

And see; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

And the men of Kiriath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of Yahweh, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Yahweh.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

And his return was to Ramah, for his house was there; and there he judged Israel: and he built there an altar to Yahweh.

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Now the name of his first-born was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

And his sons didn't walk in his ways, but turned aside after greed for monetary gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that 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 himself 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.

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his slaves.