Study Desk

THEN Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head and kissed him, and said to him, Behold, the LORD has anointed you to be a ruler over his inheritance.

And it came to pass when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

And a man of the same place answered and said, But who is his father? Therefore it became a byword, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And Sauls uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And they said, To seek the asses; and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel.

And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him.

Then Samuel told the people the law governing the king, and wrote it in a book and laid it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, and they went every man to his house.

And Saul also went to his house at Ramtha; and there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched.

But some of the wicked men said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

And he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whosoever does not follow after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they all came out as one man.

Behold, I am standing before you; testify against me before the LORD and before his anointed; whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Or whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I taken a bribe to look upon him with favor? Tell me, and I will restore it to you.

And he said to them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything wrong with me. And they said, He is witness.

Now therefore stand still that I may judge you before the LORD in all his righteous acts which he did to you and to your fathers.

If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not provoke him, then shall both you and also the king who reigns over you continue following the LORD your God.

For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great names sake; because he is pleased to make you his people.

AND when Saul had reigned one or two years in his kingdom over Israel,

He then chose for himself three thousand men of Israel; two thousand were with him in Michmash and in mount Beth-el, and a thousand were with Jonathan his son in Ramtha of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his house.

But now your kingdom shall not continue; for the LORD has chosen for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be a ruler over his people, because you have not kept all the commandments that the LORD your God gave you.

And Saul and Jonathan his son dwelt in Gibeah of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his sickle and his ploughshare and his axe and his mattock.