^7:1Then the people¹ of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.

Further Conflict with the Philistines

^7:2It was quite a long time—some twenty years in all—that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people² of Israel longed for³ the Lord. ^7:3Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth.⁴ Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you⁵ from the hand of the Philistines.” ^7:4So the Israelites⁶ removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.

^7:5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” ^7:6After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed⁷ there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led⁸ the people of Israel at Mizpah.

^7:7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. ^7:8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep⁹ crying out to the Lord our¹⁰ God so that he may save us¹¹ from the hand of the Philistines!” ^7:9So Samuel took a nursing lamb¹² and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

^7:10As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel.¹³ But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by¹⁴ Israel. ^7:11Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.

^7:12Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen.¹⁵ He named it Ebenezer,¹⁶ saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” ^7:13So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

^7:14The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control¹⁷ of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. ^7:15So Samuel led¹⁸ Israel all the days of his life. ^7:16Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel,¹⁹ Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. ^7:17Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged²⁰ Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

Israel Seeks a King

^8:1In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ^8:2The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. ^8:3But his sons did not follow¹ his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.²

^8:4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. ^8:5They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead³ us, just like all the other nations have.”

^8:6But this request displeased Samuel, for⁴ they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. ^8:7The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you.⁵ For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. ^8:8Just as they have done⁶ from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. ^8:9So now do as they say.⁷ But seriously warn⁸ them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.”⁹

^8:10So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ^8:11He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. ^8:12He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties,¹⁰ as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. ^8:13He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. ^8:14He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. ^8:15He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators¹¹ and his servants. ^8:16He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. ^8:17He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. ^8:18In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.”¹²

^8:19But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning.¹³ Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! ^8:20We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us¹⁴ and fight our battles.”

^8:21So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.¹⁵^8:22The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say¹⁶ and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”

Samuel Meets with Saul

^9:1There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person. ^9:2He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.

^9:3The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off,¹ so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go² look for the donkeys.”³^9:4So Saul⁴ crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

^9:5When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” ^9:6But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.⁵ Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.”⁶^9:7So Saul said to his servant, “All right,⁷ we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” ^9:8The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel⁸ of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.”⁹^9:9(Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) ^9:10So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea!¹⁰ Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.

^9:11As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” ^9:12They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. ^9:13When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for¹¹ this is the time when you can find him!”

^9:14So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction¹² to go up to the high place. ^9:15Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told¹³ Samuel: ^9:16“At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate¹⁴ him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”

^9:17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said,¹⁵ “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” ^9:18As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

^9:19Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking.¹⁶^9:20Don’t be concerned¹⁷ about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?”¹⁸

^9:21Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”

^9:22Then Samuel brought¹⁹ Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. ^9:23Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you—the one I asked you to keep with you.”

^9:24So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel²⁰ said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’ ” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

^9:25When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ^9:26They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of…

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Footnotes

1 Heb “men.”
2 Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
3 Heb “mourned after”; “mourned and sought after”; , “lamented after”; “turned to”; “began to follow … again.”
4 Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity. The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. The presence of Ashtarot in Israel is a sign of pervasive pagan and idolatrous influences; hence Samuel calls for their removal. See 1 Sam 31:10, where the Philistines deposit the armor of the deceased Saul in the temple of the Ashtarot, and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13, where Solomon is faulted for worshiping the Ashtarot.
5 Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
6 Heb “the sons of Israel.”
7 Heb “said.”
8 Heb “judged”; “began to judge”; “settled disputes among.”
9 Heb “don’t stop.”
10 The reads “your God” rather than the ’s “our God.”
11 After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
12 Heb “a lamb of milk”; “an unweaned lamb”; “a suckling lamb”; “a baby lamb.”
13 Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
14 Heb “before.”
15 Cf. , , “Jeshanah.”
16 The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. ); adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
17 Heb “hand.”
18 Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
19 For location see ; ; ; ; .
20 Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. “would hear cases there”; “administered justice there”).
1 Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).
2 Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
3 Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).
4 Heb “when.”
5 Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”
6 Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”
7 Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”
8 The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.
9 Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”
10 The numbers of v. 12 are confused in the Greek and versions. For “fifties” the has “hundreds.” The has “heads of thousands and heads of hundreds and heads of fifties and heads of tens,” perhaps reflecting influence from Deut 1:15.
11 Or “eunuchs” (so ); “officials”; , , , “officers.”
12 The adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
13 Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”
14 Heb “and go out before us.”
15 Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the Lord.”
16 Heb “listen to their voice.”
1 Heb “became lost.”
2 Heb “and arise, go.”
3 The includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
4 Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
6 Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
7 Heb “look.”
8 A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
9 Heb “our way.”
10 Heb “your word is good.”
11 The has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the here, with the suggested translation “for him just now—you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, .
12 Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
13 Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
14 Heb “anoint.”
15 Heb “responded.”
16 Heb “all that is in your heart.”
17 Heb “do not fix your heart.”
18 Heb “and all the house of your father.”
19 Heb “took and brought.”
20 Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.