which had two wives, the one called Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

But unto Hannah he gave a portion with a heavy cheer, for he loved her; nevertheless the LORD had made her barren.

For Hannah, she spake in her heart; and her lips did but move only, but her voice was not heard. And therefore Eli took her for drunken,

and said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away from thee the wine that thou hast."

Hannah answered, and said, "Not so, my lord. I am a woman sorrowful in mine heart, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

But Hannah went not up, for she said unto her husband, "I will tarry until the lad be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and there abide forever."

He will keep the feet of his saints but the wicked shall keep silence in darkness. For in his own might shall no man be strong.

But the sons of Eli were unthrifty children, and knew not the LORD. For the manner of the priests with the people was:

and thrust it into the pan, kettle, cauldron or pot. And all that the flesh hook brought up the priest took away. And so they did unto all Israel that came thither to Shiloh.

Yea, and thereto before they had offered the fat, the priest's lad came and said to the man that offered, "Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw."

But the lad Samuel ministered before the LORD girded about with a linen ephod.

And the LORD visited Hannah for that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters. But the boy Samuel grew, dwelling still with the LORD.

If one man sin against another, the judge can redress it. But if a man sin against the LORD, who can redress it?" Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for the LORD's will was to slay them.

But the child Samuel profited and grew, and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel sayeth, 'I said that thine house and the house of thy father should have walked before me forever. But now the LORD sayeth that be far from me: for them that honoureth me I will honour, and they that despise me, shall not be regarded.

Yet will I will not root out every man of thee from mine altar, but that thine eyes may be consumed, and thy soul may be sorry. And a great multitude of thine house shall die young.

And they that are left in thine house, shall come and crouch to him for a little piece of silver and a cake of bread, and shall say: put me, I pray thee, in one office or other among the priests, that I may eat a morsel of bread.'"

But it was before Samuel knew the LORD; and before the word of the LORD was opened unto him.

And Samuel lay till morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD. But Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

and put themselves in array against Israel. And in the end of the battle Israel was put to the worse before the Philistines. And the Philistines slew in array along by the fields, about a four thousand men.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was put to the worse and fled, every man into his tent. And there was a mighty great slaughter, so that there were overthrown of Israel, thirty thousand footmen.

And about the time of her death, the women that stood about her, said unto her, "Fear not for thou hast borne a son." But she answered not, nor regarded it.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof.

They answered, "If you send the ark of the God of Israel home again, send it not empty: But reward it with a trespass offering; and then ye shall be whole, and it shall be known to you, why his hand departeth not from you."

Then take the ark of the LORD and put it in the cart, and put the Jewels of gold - which ye reward him with for a trespass offering - in a forcer by the side thereof and send it away and let it go.

And mark if he go up by the way that leadeth unto his own coast, to Bethshemesh, then it is he that did us this great evil. But and if he do not, then it is not his hand that smote us, but it was a chance that happened us."

And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the forcer that was thereby, wherein the Jewels of gold were and put them on the great stone. And the men of Bethshemesh sacrificed burnt sacrifice and offered offerings that same day unto the LORD.

And Samuel spake unto all Israel, saying, "If ye be come again unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him alone; and so shall he rid you out of the hands of the Philistines."

And then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

And as Samuel offered the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. But the LORD thundered a great thunder the same day upon the Philistines, and turmoiled them, that they were beaten before Israel.

Nevertheless, his sons followed not his steps: but turned aside after lucre and took rewards, and perverted the right.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

And the LORD said unto Samuel, "Hear the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee. For they have not cast thee away, but me: that I should not reign over them.

and he said, "This shall be the duty of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and put them to his chariots and make his horsemen of them and they must run before his chariot,

Nevertheless, the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but did say, "Nay, not so: But there shall be a king over us,

But the LORD had told Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

But Saul answered, and said, "Am not I the son of a Benjaminite of the smallest tribe of Israel, and my kindred the least of all the kindreds of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?"

And the cook took up the shoulder and brought it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold, that which is left: put it before thee and eat, for I kept it for thee of purpose, when I called the people." And so Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

And when they were come almost out of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the lad go before us," - and he went - "but stand thou still a while even now, that I may show thee what God sayeth."

And Saul answered his uncle, "He told us that the asses were found." But of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, told he him not.

When he had brought the tribe of Benjamin by their kindreds, the kindred of Matri was caught: and Saul the son of Kish was caught. And they sought him; but he could not be found.

But the children of Belial said, "How shall he save us?" And despised him and brought him not presents. And he made as though he had not heard it.

And took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall his oxen be served." Then the fear of the LORD fell upon the people, and they came out as it had been but one man.

And on the morrow Saul put the people in three parts. And they came in upon the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites, until the heat of the day. And they that remained, scattered: so that two of them were not left together.

But Saul said, "There shall no man die this day, for today the LORD hath saved Israel."

And see, your king walketh before you. But I am old and grayheaded: and behold my sons are with you and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Then they cried unto the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hands of our enemies and we will serve thee.'

For if ye shall not hearken unto the voice of the LORD, but shall disobey the LORD's mouth: then shall the hand of the LORD be upon you and on your fathers.

Then said Samuel unto the people, "Fear not. And though ye have done all this wickedness, yet depart not from the LORD in any case. But serve him with all your hearts.

Neither turn ye after vain things which can not deliver you, for they are but vanities.

But the LORD will not forsake his people, because of his great name's sake: because the LORD hath begun to make you his people.

But and if ye shall do wickedly: then shall both ye and your king thereto perish."

And the Hebrews went over Jordan unto the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people that followed him were astonished.

And he tarried seven days, as Samuel had appointed. But Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people scattered from him.

But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and hath commanded him to be a captain over his people: because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were found with them, had their abiding in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines had pitched in Michmash.

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears.

But Saul tarried in the utmost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, that was in Migron, and the people that were with him were upon a six hundred men.

And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, was the LORD's priest in Shiloh and bare an ephod. But the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

But and if they so say unto us, 'Come up unto us,' then we will go up, for the LORD hath delivered them into our hands. And this shall be a sign unto us."

But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight.

Then men told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have trespassed. But roll a great stone unto me now,

and go abroad among the people and bid them bring every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood." And the people brought every man his ox in his hand by night and slew them there.

And Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hands?" But he answered him not at that time.

for as truly as the LORD liveth, which hath saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall die for it." But no man answered him of all the people.

But the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, which hath so mightily helped Israel? God forbid. As truly as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day." And so the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.

Now therefore go and smite the Amalekites, and only destroy ye all that pertaineth unto them, and see thou have no compassion on them. But slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, and ox, sheep, camel and ass.'"

But Saul said unto the Kenites, "Go and depart and get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed mercy with Israel when they came out of Egypt." And the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and they left of the sheep and of the oxen and fat things and the lambs and all that was good, and would not destroy them. But all that was nought worth and flaggy, that they destroyed utterly.

But Samuel said to Saul, "Cease, and let me tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night." And he said unto him, "Say on."

And wherefore hast thou now not obeyed the voice of the LORD: But didst turn to the prey and hast wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD?"

But now take away my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD."

Then he said, "I have sinned. But yet honour me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may pray unto the LORD thy God."

But Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, because the LORD repented that he had made him king over Israel.

But Samuel answered, "How shall I go? For Saul shall hear it and will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with thee, and say thou goest to offer to the LORD.

And Samuel did as the LORD bade him. And when he came to Bethlehem, the elders of the town were astonished at his coming, and said, "Betokeneth thy coming peace?"

And he said "Yea, for I am come to offer unto the LORD. Cleanse yourselves and come with me to the offering." And he purified Jesse and his sons, and bade them to the offering.

But the LORD said unto Samuel, "Look not on his fashion nor on the height of his stature, for I have refused him. Because it is not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance: but the LORD beholdeth the heart."

But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul; and an evil spirit, sent of the LORD, vexed him.

And Saul and the men of Israel came and pitched in Oakdale and put themselves in array, to fight against the Philistines.

if he be able to fight with me and to beat me, then we will be your servants. But if I can overcome him and beat him, then ye shall be our servants and serve us."

for Israel and the Philistines had put themselves in array, the one against the other.

Then David put the pannier from him, unto the hands of the keeper of the vessels, and ran into the host and came and saluted his brethren.

And Saul said to David again, "Thou art not able to go unto this Philistine, to fight with him. For thou art but a lad, and he hath been a man of war even from his youth."

And Saul put his raiment upon David, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and put a coat of mail upon him,

and gird David with his own sword upon his raiment. And he assayed to go, for he never proved it. Then said David unto Saul, "I cannot go in these, for I have not been used thereto." And put them off him,

and took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of a brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, and in a poke; and took a sling in his hand, and went to the Philistine.

And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a lad, ruddy and goodly to look upon.

Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword, a spear, and a shield: But I come to thee in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the host of Israel whom thou hast railed upon.

And David put his hand in his poke and took out a stone and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead that the stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell groveling to the earth.

And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem: But he put his armour in his tent.

And Jonathan put off his own coat that was upon him, and gave it David, and thereto his mantle, his sword, his bow and his girdle.

Then was Saul exceeding wroth and that saying displeased him, and he said, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousand, and to me but a thousand. And what more can he have, save the kingdom?"

And Saul had a spear in his hand, and hurled it; intending to have nailed David to the wall. But David avoided out of his presence two times.

And then Saul put David from him and made him a captain over a thousand, and he went out and in before the people.

But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and in before them.

Then said Saul to David, "Behold, my eldest daughter Merab: her I will give thee to wife; only play the man and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines."

And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. But David answered, "Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, when I am a poor man and of small reputation?"

Then said Saul, "This wise say to David: 'The king careth for no other dowry but for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies." For Saul thought to make David fall into the hands of the Philistines.

Then Saul communed with Jonathan his son, and with all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul's son had a great favour to David,