Study Desk

And Samuel was judge of Israel all the days of his life.

And his base was at Ramah, where his house was; there he was judge of Israel and there he made an altar to the Lord.

Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.

And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.

And he said, This is the sort of king who will be your ruler: he will take your sons and make them his servants, his horsemen, and drivers of his war-carriages, and they will go running before his war-carriages;

And he will make them captains of thousands and of fifties; some he will put to work ploughing and cutting his grain and making his instruments of war and building his war-carriages.

He will take your fields and your vine-gardens and your olive-gardens, all the best of them, and give them to his servants.

He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.

He will take your men-servants and your servant-girls, and the best of your oxen and your asses and put them to his work.

He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.

And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.

Now the asses of Saul's father Kish had gone wandering away. And Kish said to his son Saul, Take one of the servants with you, and get up and go in search of the asses.

Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what are we to take the man? all our bread is gone, and we have no offering to take to the man of God: what are we to do?

Then Saul said to his servant, You have said well; come, let us go. So they went to the town where the man of God was.

When you come into the town you will see him straight away, before he goes up to the high place for the feast: the people are waiting for his blessing before starting the feast, and after that the guests will take part in it. So go up now and you will see him.

So they went up to the town, and when they came inside the town, Samuel came face to face with them on his way to the high place.

Then Samuel took Saul and his servant into the guest room, and made them take the chief place among all the guests who were there, about thirty persons.

Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on his head and gave him a kiss and said, Is not the Lord with the holy oil making you ruler over Israel, his people? and you will have authority over the people of the Lord, and you will make them safe from the hands of their attackers round about them, and this will be the sign for you:

And when they came to Gibeah, a band of prophets came face to face with him; and the spirit of God came on him with power and he took his place among them as a prophet.