Study Desk

Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king."

"Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless.

"For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.

"Furthermore, as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way.

"Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty-two years over Israel.

Now Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of whom two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each to his tent.

When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people kept themselves hidden in caves, in crevices, in cliffs, in crypts, and in pits.

And some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him, trembling.

Now he waited for seven days, until the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.

But Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for the LORD would now have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

"But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

The charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to fix the cattle goads.

Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, "Come, and let's cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; perhaps the LORD will work for us, because the LORD is not limited to saving by many or by few!"

"But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; and this shall be the sign to us."

So the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, "Come up to us and we will inform you of something." And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has handed them over to Israel."

Then Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For at that time the ark of God was with the sons of Israel.

Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have avenged myself on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

"How much more, if only the people had freely eaten today of the spoils of their enemies which they found! For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great."

"For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall assuredly die!" But not one of all the people answered him.