And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

For this child I prayed; and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him:

And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give you offspring of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

And this shall be a sign unto you, that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall both of them die.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What is the meaning of the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there has not been such a thing before this.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is the meaning of the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

And see, if it goes up by the way of its own land to Bethshemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us: it was by chance that it happened to us.

And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, on which they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remains unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall it go up from us?

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, with which they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto you.

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says comes surely to pass: now let us go there; perhaps he can show us our way that we should go.

As soon as you are come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he comes, because he does bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat who are bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time you shall find him.

Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come unto me.

And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spoke to you of! this same shall reign over my people.

And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before you, and eat: for unto this time has it been kept for you since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

And you have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

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

And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for today the LORD has wrought salvation in Israel.

And now, behold, the king walks before you: and I am old and gray headed; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes.

And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for your servants unto the LORD your God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.

And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: you have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;

But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

Then answered one of the people, and said, your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food this day. And the people were faint.

Then said Jonathan, My father has troubled the land: see, I ask you, how my eyes have been brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, you have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.

And Saul said, Draw you near here, all you leaders of the people: and know and see what this sin has been this day.

And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he died not.

And Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell you what the LORD has said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

And Samuel said unto him, The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one.

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one.

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for your brethren an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brethren;

And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man that has come up? surely to defy Israel has he come up: and it shall be, that the man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?

And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that kills him.

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.

And Saul said to David, you are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

Your servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.

David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with you.

This day will the LORD deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the commander of the army, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As your soul lives, O king, I cannot tell.

And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, you shall this day be my son-in-law.

And the servants of Saul told him, saying, In this manner spoke David.

And he said unto him, God forbid; you shall not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it to me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

And David swore again, and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father tomorrow about this time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto you, and show it to you;

And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them; then come you: for there is peace to you, and no hurt; as the LORD lives.

And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us for these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Have I need of mad men, that you have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that shows me that my son has made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or shows unto me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

And Saul said unto him, Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for your servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.

And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.

Behold, this day your eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered you today into my hand in the cave: and some bade me kill you: but my eye spared you; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.

And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this your voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.

And you have shown this day how that you have dealt well with me: for when the LORD had delivered me into your hand, you killed me not.

For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? therefore the LORD reward you with good for what you have done unto me this day.

Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he has repaid me evil for good.

And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let your handmaid, I pray you, speak in your audience, and hear the words of your handmaid.

Let not my lord, I pray you, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I your handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom you did send.

And now this blessing which your handmaid has brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

That this shall be no grief unto you, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember your handmaid.

And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me:

And blessed be your advice, and blessed be you, who has kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with my own hand.

Then said Abishai to David, God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day: now therefore let me strike him, I pray you, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not strike him the second time.

This thing is not good that you have done. As the LORD lives, you are worthy to die, because you have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head.

And Saul knew David's voice, and said, Is this your voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

Now therefore, I pray you, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do you harm, because my soul was precious in your eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

And, behold, as your life was precious this day in my eyes, so let my life be precious in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day: therefore Ziklag has belonged unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing.

Because you obeyed not the voice of the LORD, nor executed his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore has the LORD done this thing unto you this day.

Then said the princes of the Philistines, What are these Hebrews doing here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he deserted unto me unto this day?

And the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for with what should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favor you not.

And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what have you found in your servant so long as I have been with you unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for you shall surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

And David said to him, Can you bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that you will neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this company.

And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other cattle, and said, This is David's spoil.

For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goes down to the battle, so shall his part be that waits by the supplies: they shall part alike.

And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.