And, when the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give, to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;

And her rival used even to cause her great vexation, for the sake of provoking her, - because Yahweh had restrained her from having children.

But as for, Hannah, she, was speaking in her heart, only her lips, were moving, but, her voice, could not be heard, - so Eli thought she had been drunken.

Do not count thy handmaid for an abandoned woman, - for, out of the abundance of my grief and my vexation, have I spoken, hitherto.

But, Hannah, went not up, - for she said to her husband - Not till the boy is weaned, then will I take him, and he shall appear before Yahweh, and abide there evermore.

For this boy, I prayed, - And Yahweh hath given me my petition which I asked of him.

Then prayed Hannah, and said, My heart hath leaped for joy in Yahweh, My horn is exalted in Yahweh, My mouth is opened wide, o'er my foes, Because I rejoice in thy salvation.

Do not multiply words, so loftily - loftily, Nor let arrogance proceed from your mouth, - For, a GOD of knowledge, is Yahweh, And, for himself, are great doings made firm.

The sated, have, for bread, taken hire, But, the famished, have left off their toil, - So that, the barren, hath given birth unto seven, While, she that hath many sons, languisheth:

Raiseth, from the dust, the poor, From the dunghill, uplifteth the needy, To give them a dwelling with nobles, And, a throne of glory, to make them inherit. For, to Yahweh, belong the pillars of the earth, And he setteth thereon the habitable world.

The feet of his loving ones, he doth guard, But, the lawless, in darkness shall be silent, - For, by strength, shall no man prevail.

As for Yahweh, - they shall be shattered who contend with him, Over him, in the heavens will he thunder, Yahweh, will judge the ends of the earth, - That he may give strength to his King, And exalt the horn of his Anointed One.

and would strike it into the boiler, or into the trough, or into the kettle, or into the pot, all that the fork would bring up, the priest took for himself. Thus and thus, used they to do unto all Israel, who came thither, in Shiloh.

Also, before any could make perfume with the fat, the priests young man would come in and say to the person who was sacrificing, Come! give flesh for the priest's roastings, - for he will not take of thee boiled flesh - only raw.

And so it was, that, the sin of the young men, was exceeding great, before Yahweh, - for men scorned the offerings of Yahweh.

But, as for Samuel, he was ministering before Yahweh, - a boy girded with an ephod of linen.

Also, a little robe, used his mother to make for him, and bring it up to him, from year to year, - when she came up with her husband, to offer the sacrifice of the year.

So he said to them, Wherefore should ye do such things as these? for I keep hearing of your wicked doings, from all these people.

Nay, my sons! for it is no good report that I do hear: leading into transgression the people of Yahweh.

If one man sin against another, God will interpose, but, if, against Yahweh, a man sin, who will intercede, for him? But they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for Yahweh was pleased to put them to death.

And there came a man of God, unto Eli, - and said unto him - Thus, saith Yahweh, I, did indeed reveal myself, unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, as servants unto the house of Pharaoh;

Wherefore have ye been kicking at my sacrifices, and my presents, which I commanded, to serve for a home, - and shouldest have honoured thy sons more than me: fattening yourselves, with the first of every present of Israel, before me?

Hence, the oracle of Yahweh God of Israel, I, said, that, thy house, and the house of thy father, should go to and fro in my presence, unto times age-abiding: But, now, (is the oracle of Yahweh) - Be it far from me! For, them who honour me, will I honour, but, they who despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.

And, this, for thee is the sign, which shall come upon thy two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas, - In one day, shall they, both of them, die;

And I will raise me up a faithful priest, According to that which is in my heart and in my soul, will he do; Therefore will I build for him an assured house, and he shall go to and fro in presence of mine Anointed, all the days.

And it shall be, that, any that is left in thy house, shall come bowing down to him for a small coin of silver, and for a cake of bread, and shall say: Appoint me, I pray thee, to one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.

So he ran unto Eli and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, return - Its down. So he went, and lie down.

And again Yahweh called once there - Samuel! Then rose Samuel, and went unto Eli, and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. And he said - I called not, my son, return - lie down.

And again Yahweh called - Samuel! a third time. Then he arose, and went unto Eli, and said - Behold me! for thou calledst me. Then did Eli perceive, that, Yahweh, was calling the boy.

So Eli said to Samuel - Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call unto thee, that thou shalt say - Speak, Yahweh, for thy servant is listening. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place.

Then came Yahweh, and stood, and called as time after time - Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant is listening.

Therefore do I tell him, that I am about to judge his house unto times age-abiding, for the iniquity which he knoweth, in that his sons are cursing God, and he hath not rebuked them.

Thus did Yahweh again appear in Shiloh, - for Yahweh had revealed himself unto Samuel in Shiloh, in the word of Yahweh.

And the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and, when the battle spread, then was Israel smitten before the Philistines, - and there were slain of the army in the field about four thousand men.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said - God hath come into the camp. And they said - Woe to us! for there hath not happened the like of this, heretofore.

And, when he entered, lo! Eli was sitting upon his chair, by the wayside, watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God, - and, the man, entered to tell the news in the city, and all the city made outcry.

And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backwards, at the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died, for, old, was the man, and, heavy, - and, he had judged Israel forty years.

Now, his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was with child, ready to give birth, and, when she heard the tidings, as to the taking of the ark of God, and the death of her father-in-law, and her husband, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains had seized her.

And, about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said: Do not fear, for, to a son, hast thou given birth. But she neither answered nor regarded.

So she said - Exiled is the glory from Israel, - For the ark of God hath been taken.

For this cause, do not the priests of Dagon, nor any that enter into the house of Dagon, tread upon the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, - until this day.

And, when the men of Ashdod saw that, so, it was, then kept they saying, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for, hard, is his hand upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said - Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and restore it to its own place, that it slay not me, and my people. For there had come a deadly consternation, throughout all the city, heavy exceedingly, was the hand of God there.

And, the men who died not, were smitten with the tumours, - so the cry of the city for help, ascended the heavens.

Then called the Philistines for the priests and for the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Let us know, wherewith we shall send it to its own place.

And they said - What shall be the guilt-offering, that we shall return to him? And they said - By the number of the lords of the Philistines, five tumours of gold, and five mice of gold, - for, one plague, was on you all, and on your lords.

Wherefore, then, should ye make your heart dull, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh made their heart dull! When he had done his great doings upon them, did they not let them go, and they departed?

And the kine went straight along the road, on the way to Beth-shemesh, yea, along the main highway, they went, lowing as they went, turning not aside, to the right hand or to the left. And, the lords of the Philistines, went along after them, as far as the bounds of Beth-shemesh.

Now, these, are the golden boils which, the Philistines returned as a guilt-offering unto Yahweh, - For Ashdod, one, for Gaza, one, for Ashkelon, one, for Gath, one, for Ekron, one;

And, when he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked into the ark of Yahweh, yea smote of the people seventy men and fifty thousand men, the people mourned, for that Yahweh had smitten the people with a great smiting.

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel unto Mizpah, - that I may pray for you, unto Yahweh.

And, when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered themselves together unto Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel, - and, when the sons of Israel heard it, they shrank with fear, from the face of the Philistines.

So Samuel took one sucking lamb, and offered it up, as an entire ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh, - and Samuel made outcry unto Yahweh, for Israel, and Yahweh answered him.

And the men of Israel went forth out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, - and smote them as far as under Beth-car.

And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even as far as Gath; even the boundaries thereof, did Israel rescue out of the hand of the Philistines, - thus came there to be peace between Israel and the Amorites.

And, his returning, was to Ramah, for, there, was his house, and, there, judged he Israel, - so he built there an altar unto Yahweh.

and said unto him - Lo! thou, art old, and, thy sons, walk not in thy ways: Now, appoint for us a king to judge us, like all the nations.

And Yahweh said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people, in all that they shall say unto thee, - for, not thee, have they rejected, but, me, have they rejected, from being king over them.

And he said, This, will be the manner of the king who will reign over you, - Your sons, will he take and appoint for himself, as his charioteers and as his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariots;

and he will appoint for himself, princes of thousands, and princes of fifties, - and to plough his fields, and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war, and the instruments of his chariots;

Then will ye make outcry, in that day, because of your king whom ye have chosen for yourselves, - and Yahweh will not answer you, in that day.

They, had come into the land of Zuph when, Saul, said to his young man who was with him, Come! and let us return; lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be concerned for us.

Then said Saul to his young man: Behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man, for, the bread, hath failed from our sacks, and, present, there is none to bring to the man of God, - what is there with us?

Beforetime, in Israel, thus, said a man when he went to enquire of God, Come and let us go as far as the seer, - for, the prophet of to-day, used to be called, beforetime, the seer.

And the young women answered them and said: He is, lo! before you now, even as, to-day, hath he entered the city, for the people have a sacrifice, to-day, in the high place.

As ye enter the city, so, shall ye surely find him, ere yet he shall go up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he hath come, for, he, doth bless the sacrifice, after that, will they eat who have been bidden. Now, therefore, go up, for, about this very time, shall ye surely find him.

About this time to-morrow, will I send unto thee, a man out of the land of Benjamin, whom thou shalt anoint, to be leader over my people Israel, and he shall save my people, out of the hand of the Philistines, - for I have looked upon the oppression, because their outcry hath come in unto me.

And, as for the asses that went astray from thee three days ago, do not regard them, for they are found, - but to whom belongeth all that is desirable in Israel? is it not to thee, and to all the house of thy father?

And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and placed it before Saul, and said - Lo! the part reserved! Set it before thee and eat, for, unto the time appointed, hath it been kept for thee, since the time that I said, The people, have I bidden. So Saul did eat with Samuel, on that day.

And, when they had come down from the high place into the city, he spread a couch for Saul upon the house-top, and he lay down.

When thou departest, to-day, from me, then shalt thou find two men by the grave of Rachel, within the boundary of Benjamin, in Zelzah, - and they will say unto thee, The asses are found, which thou wentest to seek, and lo! thy father hath abandoned caring for the asses, and is concerned for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

Then shalt thou pass on quickly from thence onwards, and come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there shall find thee there, three men going up unto God, at Bethel, - one, carrying three kids, and, another, carrying three cakes of bread, and, another, carrying a skin of wine;

And it shall be, when these signs shall come unto thee, then act thou for thyself, as thou shalt find occasion, for, God, is with thee.

And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, for lo! I am coming down unto thee, to offer up ascending-offerings, to sacrifice peace-offerings, - seven days, shalt thou tarry, until I come unto thee, then will I let thee know what thou shalt do.

Then responded one of that place, and said, But who is, their father? For this cause, it became a proverb, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?

And Nahash the Ammonite said unto them, Hereby, will I solemnise a covenant with you by digging out for you, every one's right eye, - and laying it for a reproach, upon all Israel.

But Saul said, There shall not be put to death a man, this day, - for, to-day, hath Yahweh wrought deliverance in Israel.

Now, therefore, lo! the king going to and fro before you, But, I, am old and grey-headed, and, my sons, lo! they are with you, - But, I, have gone to and fro before you from my youth until this day.

Now, therefore, lo! the king whom ye have chosen, for whom ye have asked, - lo! therefore, Yahweh hath set over you a king.

Is it not wheat harvest, to-day? I will cry unto Yahweh, that he may give forth thunderings and rain, - know ye then and see, that, your wrong, is great which ye have done in the sight of Yahweh, in asking for yourselves, a king.

And all the people said unto Samuel - Pray for thy servants, unto Yahweh thy God, and let it not be that we die, - For we have added, to all our sins, a wrong, in asking for ourselves a king.

Then said Samuel unto the people - Do not fear, ye, have done all this wrong, - nevertheless, do not turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh, with all your heart;

For Yahweh will not give up his people, because of his great name, for Yahweh was minded to make you his people.

As for me also, far be it from me, that I should sin against Yahweh, by ceasing to pray for you, - but I will direct you, in the good and right way.

Only, revere Yahweh, and serve him in truth, with all your heart, - for see, what great things he hath done with you.

And, the Philistines, gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, a people also like the sand that is on the sea-shore for multitude, - and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

So, the men of Israel, saw they were in a strait, for the people had been harassed, - and the people had hidden themselves in caves, and in thickets, and among cliffs, and in holes, and in pits.

And Samuel said unto Saul - Thou hast shewn thyself foolish, - thou hast not kept the commandment of Yahweh thy God, which he commanded thee, for, now, would Yahweh have established thy kingdom unto Israel until times age-abiding;

Whereas, now, shall thy kingdom not be established, - Yahweh hath sought out for him a man after his own heart, and Yahweh hath commanded him to be leader over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Yahweh commanded thee.

Now, a smith, could not be found, throughout all the land of Israel - for the Philistines had said, Lest the Hebrews make sword or spear.

Howbeit they had a file for the sickles, and the mattocks, and the three-pronged forks, and the axes, - and for setting the goads.

So Jonathan said unto the young man bearing his armour - Come! and let us cross over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised, peradventure, Yahweh may work by us, - for there is no restraint with Yahweh, to save by many, or by few.

And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart, - decide for thyself (lo! I am with thee!), according to thine own heart.

but, if thus, they say, Come up unto us, then will we go up; for Yahweh hath delivered them into our hand, - This, then, is our sign.

And the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said - Come up unto us, and we will let you know a thing. Then said Jonathan unto his armour-bearer - Come up after me, for Yahweh hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.

And the first smiting wherewith Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote, was about twenty men, - within, as it were, half a furrow's length of a yoke of land.

Then said Saul unto Ahijah, Bring near the ark of God; for the ark of God was, on that day, in the midst of the sons of Israel.

And Saul and all the people that were with him gathered themselves together, and came as far as the host, - and lo! the sword of every man was against his fellow, an exceeding great confusion.

How much more if haply the people had, eaten freely, to-day of the spoil of their enemies, which they found? for, now, would not the smiting of the Philistines have been, mighty?

For, by the life of Yahweh, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, yet shall he, die. But there was none ready to answer him, of all the people.