There was a man of Ramathaimzophim of mount Ephraim, named Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:

And the said man went out of his city every feastful day, to pray and to offer unto the LORD of Hosts: where the two sons of Eli - Hophni and Phinehas - were the LORD's priests.

And it fell on a day, as Elkanah had offered, that he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, "Hannah why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thine heart so troubled? Am not I better to thee, than ten sons?"

And in process of time she conceived and bare a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the LORD.

And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seemeth thee best: tarry until thou hast weaned him, only the LORD make good his saying." And so the woman abode and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.

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

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.

Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they slept with the women that waited in the door of the tabernacle of witness,

Oh, nay my sons: For it is no good report that I hear how that ye make the LORD's people to trespass.

And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: Even in one day they shall die, both of them.

And the LORD called once again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "I am here, thou didst call me." And he answered, "I called thee not my son. Go again and take thy rest."

For I have told him that I will judge his house forever. For the wickedness which he knoweth, how his sons are ungracious, and he was not wroth therewith.

Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here I am."

And the people sent to Shiloh, and fetched from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts which dwelleth between the Cherubims. And there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas with the ark of the covenant of God.

And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were dead.

And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the array and fled out of the host this day." And he said, "How is it fortuned, my son?"

And the messenger answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there is a great slaughter chanced among the people, and thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and thereto the ark of God is taken."

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.

And the men of Kiriathjearim came and set up the ark of the LORD, and brought it unto the house of Abinadab in Gibeah and sanctified Eleazar his son to wait upon the ark of the LORD.

Then Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

The name of his eldest son was Joel, and the name of the second Abiah, which were judges in Beersheba.

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

and said unto him, "Behold, thou art old and thy sons follow not thy ways. Now, therefore, make us a king to judge us, as all other nations have."

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,

Now there was a man of Benjamin named Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man that was a Benjaminite, a man of might:

the same had a son called Saul, a goodly young man, so that among the children of Israel, there was none goodlier than he, and was thereto, from the shoulders upward, higher than all the other people.

And it chanced that the asses of this Kish, Saul's father were lost. Then said Kish to Saul his son, "Take one of the lads with thee and up and go seek the asses."

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 now when thou art departed from me, thou shalt meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the borders of Benjamin, even at Zelzah. And they will say unto thee, "The asses which thou wentest to seek, are found; see, thy father hath left the care of the asses and sorroweth for you, saying, 'What shall I do for my son?'"

And all that knew him before, when they saw that he prophesied among the prophets, they said each to other, "What is happened unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

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.

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.

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.

And so in time of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hands of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: save for Saul and Jonathan his son was there somewhat found.

And it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto his young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over to the watchmen of the Philistines that are yonder on the other side" - and told not his father.

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.

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.

Then he said unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on another." And the people said unto Saul, "What thou thinkest best, that do."

Then said Saul, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was caught.

The sons of Saul were, Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. And his two daughters were thus named: the elder was called Merab, and the younger Michal.

And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of his chief captain was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

And Kish was Saul's father. And Ner, the father of Abner, was the son of Abiel.

And then the LORD said unto Samuel, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? Fill a horn with ointment, and come: I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have spied me a king among his sons."

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.

Then made Jesse seven of his sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said, "The LORD hath chosen none of these."

Then answered one of his servants and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that can play upon instruments, and is an active fellow and a man of war and prudent and well made, and the LORD is with him."

Whereupon Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, "Send me David thy son which is with the sheep."

And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a flacket of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

And this David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, named Jesse; which Jesse had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul among the people.

And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to battle. And the names of his three sons that went to battle were: Eliab the eldest, and the next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

And Jesse said unto David his son, "Take for thy brethren this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the host, to thy brethren.

When Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner the captain of his host, "Abner, whose son is this lad?" And Abner answered, "As truly as thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell."

Then said the king, "Enquire thou, whose son the youngling is."

And Saul said to him, "Whose son art thou, thou lad?" And David answered, "The son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

And David answered Saul, "What am I? And what is my life or the kindred of my father in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

And he said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, to bring the hand of the Philistines upon him." And Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law again."

And Saul commanded his servants to commune with David secretly and say, "Behold, the king hath a favour to thee, and all his servants love thee - be therefore the king's son-in-law."

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 his servants told David these words, and it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law.

And shortly after that, David arose with his men, and went, and slew of the Philistines, two hundred men; and brought their foreskins, and satisfied the king thereof to be his son-in-law. And so Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

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,

But on the morrow which was the second day of the moon, when David's place appeared empty, Saul said unto Jonathan his son, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?"

Then was Saul angry with Jonathan and said unto him, "O froward and rebellious, thinkest thou I know not how thou hast chosen the son of Jesse unto thine own rebuke, and unto the rebuke and shame of thy mother?

For as long as the son of Jesse lieth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor yet thy kingdom; wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he is the child of death."

he said unto his servants that stood about him, "Hear I pray you, you sons of Benjamin: will the son of Jesse also give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains over thousands and over hundreds,

that ye have all conspired against me? So that there is none of you that openeth mine ear? Insomuch that my son hath made a bond with the son of Jesse, neither is there any of you that mourneth for me or showeth it in mine ear: because my son hath set up my servant to lie await against me, as it appeareth this day."

Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which had the oversight of the servants of Saul, and said, "I saw the son of Jesse, when he came to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,

Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house: that is to say, the priests that were in Nob. And they came all to the king.

And Saul said, "Hear, thou son of Ahitub." And he said, "Here I am, my lord."

Then said Saul to him, "Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, insomuch that thou hast given him victuals and a sword, and hast asked counsel of God for him that he should arise against me and lie await as it is come to pass this day?"

And Ahimelech answered the king, and said, "Who is so faithful among all thy servants as David and thereto the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is had in honour in thine house?

But yet one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David,

And it chanced when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah that he brought an ephod in his hand.

And Jonathan Saul's son arose and went to David to the thicket, and strengthened him in God,

When David had made an end of speaking all these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And he lifted up his voice and wept,

ask thy lads, and they will show thee. Wherefore let these young men find favour in thine eyes - for we come in a good season - and give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thine son David."

And Nabal answered David's servants and said, "What is David? And what is the son of Jesse? There is plenty of servants nowadays, that break away every man from his master.

But Saul gave Michal his daughter David's wife to Palti the son of Laish of Gallim.

Wherefore David arose and went to the place where Saul had pitched, and beheld the place where Saul lay with Abner the son of Ner his chief captain. For Saul lay within a round bank and the people pitched round about him.

Then answered David, and spake to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah and brother to Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul, to the host?" Abishai said, "I will go down with thee."

and cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Answerest thou not Abner?" And Abner answered, and said, "What art thou that criest to the king?"

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

Then said Saul, "I have sinned. Come again, my son David, for I will do thee no more harm; because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceeding much."

And Saul said to David, "Blessed art thou, my son David: for thou shalt be a doer and prevail." And so David went his way, and Saul turned to his place again.

And David arose, and he and the six hundred men that were with him went unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

And moreover, the LORD will deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistines. And tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me, and the LORD shall give the host of Israel into the hands of the Philistines."

When David and his men came to the city: behold, it was burnt with fire, and their wives, their sons and their daughters were taken prisoners.

And David was in a shrewd strait: for the people intended to stone him because the hearts of the people were vexed for their sons and their daughters.

But David took a good courage to him in the LORD his God and said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Bring me the ephod." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

so that there was no person lacking, small or great, son or daughter, or of the spoil of all that they had taken away - David brought all again.

And the Philistines followed after Saul and his sons, and slew Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

And so Saul died and his three sons and his harness bearer, and thereto all his men, that same day together.

When the men of Israel that were of the other side of the valley, and they of the other side Jordan, heard that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they left the cities, and ran away, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

On the morrow when the Philistines were come to strip them that were slain, they found Saul and his sons lying in mount Gilboa.

they arose as many as were men of war and went all night and took the carcass of Saul and the carcasses of his sons from the walls of Bet-Shean and brought them to Jabesh and burnt them there,