sacrifices of peace offerings be that brought your fathers up out fore the LORD; and there Saul of the land of Egypt. and all the men of Israel rejoiced 7 Now therefore stand still, that greatly.

I may reason with you before

the Lord of all the righteous CHAP. XII.

acts of the LORD, which he did

to you, and to your fathers. SAMUEL'S INTEGRITY.

8 When Jacob was come into AND Samuel said unto all Egypt, and your fathers cried Israel, Behold, I have hearken- unto the LORD, then the LORD ed unto your voice in all that sent Moses and Aaron, which ye said unto me, and have made brought forth your fathers out a king over you.

of Egypt, and made them dwell 2 And now, behold, the king in this place. walketh before you: and I am 9 And when they forgat the old and gray-headed; and, be-Lord their God, he sold them hold, my sons are with you: and into the hand of Sisera, captain I have walked before you from of the host of Hazor, and into my childhood unto this day. the hand of the Philistines, and

3 Behold, here I am: witness into the hand of the king of against me before the LORD, Moab, and they fought against and before his anointed: whose them. ox have I taken? or whose ass 10 And they cried unto the have I taken? or whom have I Lord, and said, We have sindefrauded? whom have I op- ned, because we have forsaken pressed? or of whose hand have the LORD, and have served I received any bribe to blind Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now mine eyes therewith? and I will deliver us out of the hand of our restore it you.

enemies, and we will serve thee. 4 And they said, Thou hast not 11 And the LORD sent Jerubdefrauded us, nor oppressed us, baal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, neither hast thou taken aught of and Samuel, and delivered you any man's hand.

out of the hand of your enemies 5 And he said unto them, | on every side, and ye

dwelled The LORD is witness against safe. you, and his anointed is witness 12 And when ye saw that Nathis day, that ye have not found hash the king of the children of aught in my hand. And they Ammon came against you, ye answered, He is witness. said unto me, Nay; but a king 6 And Samuel said unto the || shall reign over

when people, It is the LORD that ad- the LORD your God was your vanced Moses and Aaron, and king.

13 Now therefore behold the people, Fear not: ye have done king whom ye have chosen, and all this wickedness : yet turn whom ye have desired! and, not aside from following the behold, the LORD hath set a LORD, but serve the LORD with king.over you.

all your heart; 14 If ye will fear the LORD, 21 And turn ye not aside: for and serve him, and obey his then should ye go after vain voice, and not rebel against the things, which cannot profit nor commandment of the LORD, deliver: for they are vain. then shall both ye and also the 22 For the LORD will not for. king that reigneth over you, con- sake his people for his great tinue following the LORD your name's sake: because it hath God:

pleased the Lord to make you 15 But if ye will not obey the his people. voice of the LORD, but rebel 23 Moreover, as for me, God against the commandment of the forbid that I should sin against Lord, then shall the hand of the the Lord in ceasing to pray for Lord be against you, as it was you: but I will teach you the against your fathers.

good and the right way: 16 Now therefore, stand and see 24 Only fear the LORD, and this great thing, which the serve him in truth with all your LORD will do before your eyes. heart: for consider how great

17 Is it not wheat harvest to things he hath done for you. day? I will call unto the Lord, 25 But if ye shall still do wick. and he shall send thunder and edly, ye shall be consumed, rain; that ye may perceive and both ye

and

your king. see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the

CHAP. XIII. sight of the Lord, in asking

SAUL REPROVED. you a king.

18 So Samuel called unto the SAUL reigned one year; and LORD; and the Lord sent thun when he had reigned two years derand rain that day: and all the over Israel, people greatly feared the LORD 2 Saul chose him three thouand Samuel.

sand men of Israel ; whereof 19 And all the people said un- two thousand were with Saul in to Samuel, Pray for thy servants Michmash and in mount Bethunto the Lord thy God, that el, and a thousand were with we die not: for we have added Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjaunto all our sins this evil, to ask min: and the rest of the peous a king

,

the Philistines, and that Israel Ii And Samuel said, What

3 And Jonathan smote the gar- a burnt-offering to me, and rison of the Philistines that was peace-offerings. And he offered in Geba; and the Philistines the burnt-offering. heard of it. And Saul blew 10 And it came to pass, that the trumpet throughout all the as soon as he had made an end land, saying, Let the Hebrews of offering the burnt-offering, hear.

behold, Samuel came ; and Saul 4 And all Israel heard say that went out to meet him, that he Saul had smitten a garrison of might salute him.

11 also was had in abomination hast thou done? And Saul said, with the Philistines. And the Because I saw that the people people were called together af- were scattered from me, and ter Saul to Gilgal.

that thou camest not within the 5 And the Philistines gather-days appointed, and that the ed themselves together to fight Philistines gathered themselves with Israel, thirty thousand cha- together at Michmash; riots, and six thousand horse- 12 Therefore said I, The Phimen, and people as the sand | listines will come down now which is on the sea-shore in upon me to Gilgal, and I have multitude; and they came up, not made supplication unto the and pitched in Michmash, east- LORD: I forced myself thereward from Beth-aven.

fore, and offered a burnt-offer6 When the men of Israel saw || ing. that they were in a strait (for 13 And Samuel said to Saul, the people were distressed,) Thou hast done foolishly: thou then the people did hide them- | hast not kept the commandment selves in caves, and in thickets, of the LORD thy God, which and in rocks, and in high pla- he commanded thee : for now ces, and in pits.

would the Lord have establish7 And some of the Hebrews ed thy kingdom upon Israel for went over Jordan to the land of ever. Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, 14\But now thy kingdom shall he was yet in Gilgal; and all the not continue : the Lord hath people followed him trembling. sought him a man after his own

8 And he tarried seven days, heart, and the Lord hath comaccording to the set time that manded him to be captain over Samuel bad appointed : but Sa- his people, because thou hast muel came not to Gilgal; and not kept that which the Lord the people were scattered from commanded thee. him.

15 And Samuel arose, and gat 9 And Saul said, Bring hither | him up from Gilgal unto Gibe

ah of Benjamin. And Saul || Jonathan his son was there numbered the people that were found. present with him, about six hun- 23 And the garrison of the dred men.

Philistines went out to the

pas16 And Saul, and Jonathan his sage of Michmash. son, and the people that were present with them, abode in

CHAP. XIV. Gibeah of Benjamin : but the

SAUL'S VICTORIES. Philistines encamped in Michmash.

NOW it came to pass upon 17 And the spoilers came out a day, that Jonathan the son of of the camp of the Philistines Saul said unto the young man in three companies : one com- that bare his armour, Come, pany turned unto the way that and let us go over to the Philisleadeth to Ophrah, unto the land tines' garrison, that is on the of Shual :

other side. But he told not his 18 And another company turn- father. ed the way to Beth-horon : and 2 And Saul tarried in the utanother company turned to the termost part of Gibeah under a way of the border that looketh pomegranate-tree, which is in to the valley of Zeboim toward Migron: and the people that the wilderness.

were with him were about six 19 Now there was no smith hundred men : found throughout all the land of 3 And Ahiah the son of Ahi. Israel : (for the Philistines said, tub, I-chabod's brother, the son Lest the Hebrews make them of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the swords or spears :)

LORD's priest in Shiloh, wear20 But all the Israelites wenting an ephod. And the peodown to the Philistines, to sharp-ple knew not that Jonathan was en every man his share, and his gone. coulter, and his axe, and his

4 And between the passages, mattock.

by which Jonathan sought to go 21 Yet they had a file for the over unto the Philistines' garmattocks, and for the coulters,rison, there was a sharp rock on and for the forks, and for the the one side, and a sharp rock axes, and to sharpen the goads. | on the other side: and the name

22 So it came to pass in the of the one was Bozez, and the day of battle, that there was name of the other Seneh. neither sword nor spear found 5 in the hand of any of the peo- situate northward over against ple that were with Saul and Jo- || Michmash, and the other southnathan : but with Saul and with ward over against Gibeah.

nd 5 The fore-front of the one was

6 And Jonathan said to the 13 And Jonathan climbed up young man that bare his armour, upon his hands and upon his Come, and let us go over unto feet, and his armour-bearer afthe garrison of these uncircum- ter him : and they fell before cised : it may be that the LORD Jonathan ; and his

| armourwill work for us : for there is bearer slew after him. no restraint to the LORD to 14 And that first slaughter, save by many or by few.

which Jonathan and his armour7 And his armour-bearer said bearer made, was about twenty unto him, Do all that is in thine men, within as it were an half heart : turn thee ; behold, I acre of land, which a yoke of am with thee according to thy oxen might plough. heart.

15 And there was trembling 8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, in the host, in the field, and we will pass over unto these men, among all the people: the garand we will discover ourselves rison, and the spoilers, they also unto them.

trembled, and the earth quak9 If they say thus unto us, Tar- ed: so it was a very great tremry until we come to you ; then bling. we will stand still in our place, 16 And the watchmen of Saul and will not go up unto them. \ in Gibeah of Benjamin looked ;

10 But if they say thus, Come and, behold, the multitude meltup unto us; then we will go up: ed away, and they went on beatfor the Lord hath delivered ing down one another. them into our hand : and this 17 Then said Saul unto the shall be a sign unto us.

people that were with him, 11 And both of them disco-Number now, and see who is vered themselves unto the gar- gone from us. And when they

| rison of the Philistines; and had numbered, behold, Jonathe Philistines said, Behold, the than and his armour-bearer were Hebrews come forth out of the not there. holes where they had hid them- 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah, selves.

Bring hither the ark of God. 12 And the men of the gar- (For the ark of God was at that rison answered Jonathan and his time with the children of Isarmour-bearer, and said, Come rael.) up to us, and we will shew you a 19 And it came to pass, while thing. And Jonathan said unto Saul talked unto the priest, that his armour-bearer, Come up the noise that was in the host after me: for the LORD hath of the Philistines went on, and delivered them into the hand of incrcascd : and Saul said unto Israel.

the priest, Withdraw thine hand,