So Elkanah her husband said to her - Hannah! wherefore shouldst thou weep? and wherefore wilt thou not eat? and wherefore should thy heart be sad? Am, I, not better to thee, than ten sons?

And she vowed a vow, and said - Yahweh of hosts! If thou wilt, look, upon the humiliation of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man-child, then will I give him unto Yahweh, all the days of his life, and no, razor, shall come upon his head.

And Eli said unto her, How long, wilt thou be, drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.

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

Then responded Eli, and said - Go and prosper! And the, God of Israel, grant thy petition which thou hast asked of him!

And she said: Let thy serving-woman find favour, in thine eyes. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and, her countenance, was sad no longer.

And she said - Pardon, my lord! By the life of thy soul, my lord, - I, am the woman who was standing near thee here, praying unto Yahweh:

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.

And, if the man said to him, Let them at least, make incense, at once with the fat, then take thou as much as thy soul craveth, Then said he to him, But, at once, shalt thou give it; or else, I will take it by force.

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;

choosing him out of all the tribes of Israel unto myself, to minister as priest, to offer upon mine altar, to perfume with incense to bear an ephod before me, - Therefore gave I unto the house of thy father all the altar-flames of the sons of Israel.

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.

Lo! days are coming, when I will hew off thine arm, and the arm of the house of thy father, - that there shall be no elder in thy house;

But, any man of thine whom I may not cut off from mine altar, it shall be - to consume his eyes, and grieve his soul; Howbeit, all the multitude of thy house, shall die, by the sword of men.

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 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 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.

And the bearer of tidings answered, and said - Israel hath fled before the Philistines, Moreover also, a great smiting, hath taken place among the people, - Moreover also, thy two sons, are slain, Hophni and Phinehas, And, the ark of God, is taken.

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 Saul said unto his young man, Good, is thy word, come! let us go! So they went unto the city, where the man of God was.

And Samuel answered Saul, and said - I, am, the seer! Go up before me, to the high place, so shall ye eat with me, to-day, - and I will let thee go in the morning, and, all that is in thy heart, will I tell thee.

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?

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 will they ask thee, of thy welfare, - and give thee two cakes of bread, which thou shalt receive at their hand.

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.

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.

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.

And it came to pass, as soon as Saul had spoken unto the priest, that, the tumultuous noise that was in the camp of the Philistines, went on and on, increasing. Then said Saul unto the priest, - Withdraw thy hand.

Then responded one from among the people, and said - With an oath, did thy father charge the people, saying - Cursed, be the man that eateth food to-day! And so the people were faint.

Then said Saul - From the Amalekites, have they brought them in; in that the people spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Yahweh thy God, - but, the rest, have we devoted to destruction.

And the people took, of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things so devoted, - to sacrifice unto Yahweh thy God, in Gilgal.

Then said Saul unto Samuel - I have sinned; for I have transgressed the bidding of Yahweh, and thy words, - for I feared the people, and hearkened unto their voice.

Then he said: I have sinned, Now, honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, - and turn again with me, then will I bow down unto Yahweh thy God.

And Samuel said, As women have been made childless by thy sword, So, childless among women, shall be, thine own mother. And Samuel cut Agag asunder before Yahweh, in Gilgal.

And Yahweh said unto Samuel - How long, art thou going to pine for Saul, seeing that, I, have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and come! let me send thee unto Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me, among his sons, a king.

Pray let our lord bid thy servants before thee, seek out a man, skilled in playing on the lyre, - so shall it be, when a sad superhuman spirit cometh on thee, then shall he play with his hand, and thou shalt be joyful.

So Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, - and said, Send, unto me - David thy son, who is with the sheep.

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take, I pray thee, unto thy brethren - this ephah of parched corn, and these ten loaves, - and run to the camp unto thy brethren;

also these ten slices of soft cheese, shalt thou take to the captain of their thousand, - and, as for thy brethren, give good heed to their welfare, their pledge, also shalt thou receive.

Now Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men, - then was kindled the anger of Eliab against David, and he said - Wherefore is it that thou hast come down? and to whom hast thou entrusted those few sheep in the wilderness? I, know thy pride, and the foolishness of thy heart, for, to see the battle, hast thou come down.

And David said unto Saul, Let not the heart of my lord fail, because of him, - thy servant, will go, and fight with this Philistine.

Then said David unto Saul, Thy servant used to tend his father's sheep, - and there would come a lion, or a bear, and carry off a lamb out of the flock;

Thy servant could slay, either a lion or a bear, - and, this uncircumcised Philistine, shall become, as one of them, for he hath reproached the ranks of a Living God.

And the Philistine said unto David, - Come, unto me, that I may give thy flesh to the birds of heaven, and to the beasts of the field.

This day, will Yahweh deliver thee into my hand, and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee, and will give thy dead body and the dead bodies of the host of Philistines, this day, unto the birds of heaven, and unto the wild beasts of the earth, - that all the earth may know that Israel hath a God;

And, when Saul saw David going forth to meet the Philistine, he said unto Abner, prince of the host, Whose son is the young man, Abner? And Abner said, By the life of thy soul, O king! I know not.

And Saul said unto him, Whose son art, thou, O young man? And David said, Son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite.

And David fled from Naioth, in Ramah, - and came in, and said before Jonathan - What have I done? What is my transgression, and what my sin, before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

But David sware yet further, and said - Thy father, doth know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, therefore saith he, - Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he grieve; but, indeed, by the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, surely there is but as it were a step betwixt me and death!

And Jonathan said unto David, - Whatsoever thy soul shall desire, I will do for thee.

If thy father, enquire, for me, then shalt thou say - David, did ask leave, of me, to run to Bethlehem, his own city, for, a yearly sacrifice, is to be held there for all the family.

If, thus, he say - It is well, - thy servant shall have, peace, - but, if it, anger, him, know that harm hath been determined by him.

Thus shalt thou do a lovingkindness for thy servant, for, into a covenant of Yahweh, hast thou brought thy servant, with thee, - But, if there is in me transgression, put me to death, thyself, for, unto thy father, wherefore shouldst thou bring me in?

Then said David unto Jonathan, Who shall tell me, - if thy father answer thee aught that is, harsh?

but thou shalt not cut off thy lovingkindness from my house, unto times age-abiding, - no! not when Yahweh hath cut off the enemies of David, every one from off the face of the ground.

Then said Jonathan unto him - To-morrow, is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty;

Then was Saul's anger kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of rebellious perversity! do I not know that thou art, confederate, with the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of the shame of thy mother?

For, as long as, the son of Jesse, liveth on the ground, thou wilt not be established, thou nor thy kingdom, Now, therefore, send and fetch him unto me, for, doomed to death, is he!

Then said Jonathan unto David - Go in peace, - remembering that, we, have both sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, Yahweh shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, unto times age-abiding. And he arose, and departed, - and, Jonathan, entered the city.

Now, therefore, what is there under thy hand? Five loaves, give thou into my hand, - or, whatever can be found.

Then said David to Ahimelech, See whether there is here, under thy hand, a spear or a sword? for, neither my sword, nor my other weapons, did I take in my hand, for, the king's business, was, urgent.

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, - But who, among all thy servants, like David, is, faithful, being son-in-law to the king, and, cometh near to have audience with thee, and is, honoured in thy household?

Did I, that day, begin to enquire for him of God? Far from me! Let not the king impute to his servant such a thing, nor to any of the household of my father, for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.

And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech, - thou and all the household of thy father.

Then said David to Abiathar - I knew, that day, when Doeg the Edomite was, there, that he would, surely tell, Saul. I, am chargeable with all the lives of the house of thy father.

Abide with me! do not fear, for, whoso seeketh my life, seeketh thy life, - for, in safeguard, shall thou be, with me.

So David yet again enquired if Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him, - and said - Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am about to deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

Then said David: O Yahweh, God of Israel, thy servant, hath heard, that Saul is seeking to come unto Keilah, - to destroy the city, for my sake:

Will the owners of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, I pray thee, tell thy servant. And Yahweh said - He will come down.

Now, therefore, according to all the desire of thy soul O king, to come down, come! and, ours, will it be to surrender him into the hand of the king.

So David's men said unto him - Lo! the day of which Yahweh said unto thee - Lo! I am about to deliver up thine enemy, into thy hand: therefore shall thou do unto him, as shall be good in thine eyes. And David arose, and cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul, by stealth.

Then said David to Saul, Wherefore shouldst thou hearken unto the words of the sons of earth, saying, - Lo! David is seeking thy hurt?

But, my father, see, yea, see, the corner of thy robe in my hand, - for, in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and yet did not slay thee, know thou, and see, that there is not in my hand either wrong or transgression, neither have I sinned against thee, yet art thou hunting my life, to take it.

Therefore shall, Yahweh, become, judge, and do justice betwixt me and thee, - that he may see, and plead my cause, and justly deliver me out of thy hand.

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

Thou, then, hast told to-day, how thou hast dealt with me, for good, - how, when Yahweh had surrendered me into thy hand, thou didst not slay me.

Now, therefore, lo! I know that thou, shalt indeed become king, - and that the kingdom of Israel, shall be established in thy hand.

and say thus - Long life to thee! Mayest, thou, prosper, And, thy household, prosper, And, all that thou hast, prosper!

Ask thy young men, that they may tell thee, that so my young men may find favour in thine eyes, for, on a good day, have we come! Give, I pray thee, what thy hand findeth, to thy servants, and to thy son, to David!

yea she fell at his feet, and said - On me, even me, my lord, be the transgression, - But, I pray thee, let thy handmaid speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid.

Let it not be, I pray thee, that my lord regard this abandoned man - Nabal; For, as his name is, so, is he. Nabal, is his name, and, baseness, is with him, - But, I, thy handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

Now, therefore, this blessing which thy maid-servant hath brought to my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who are going to and fro at the feet of my lord.

Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid, - for Yahweh, will certainly make, for my lord an assured house, for, the battles of Yahweh, is my lord fighting, and, wrong, shall not be found in thee, all thy days;

yea, though there hath arisen a sun of earth to pursue thee, and to seek thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of the living, with Yahweh thy God, but, as for the life of thine enemies, he shall sling it out with the middle of the hollow of the sling.

then shall this not become to thee a staggering and stumbling of heart, unto my lord - that thou didst either shed blood without need, or that the hand of my lord saved himself. And, when Yahweh hath dealt well with my lord, then remember thou thy handmaid.

and, blessed, be thy discreet judgment, and, blessed, be thou thyself, - who hast kept me, this day, from coming in with bloodshed, and from saving myself, with mine own hand.

So David received at her hand, that which she had brought him, - and, unto herself, he said - Go up, in peace, unto thy house, see! I have hearkened unto thy voice, and accepted thy person.

And she arose, and bowed herself down with her face to the earth, - and said - Lo! thy handmaid, as serving-woman to bathe the feet of the servants of my lord.

Then said Abishai unto David, God hath surrendered, to-day, thine enemy, into thy hand: Now, therefore, let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth, at one stroke, I, will not do it twice.

And David said unto Abner - Art not thou, a man? Who indeed is like thee, in Israel? Wherefore, then, hast thou not kept watch over thy lord, the king? For one of the people hath entered, to destroy the king - thy lord.

And Saul knew the voice of David, and said - Thy voice, is this, my son David? And David said, My voice, my lord O king!

Lo! then, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so, let my life be much set by in the eyes of Yahweh, and let him rescue me out of all tribulation.

Then said David unto Achish - If, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country, that I may dwell there, - for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city, with thee?

And it came to pass, in those days, when the Philistines gathered together their hosts for war, to fight with Israel, that Achish said unto David, Thou must, know, that, with me, shalt thou go forth in the host, thou and thy men.

And David said unto Achish, Therefore, now, shalt thou know what thy servant can do. And Achish said unto David, Therefore, keeper of my head, will I appoint thee, all the days.

Then said Samuel, Wherefore, then, shouldst thou ask me, - when, Yahweh, hath turned away from thee, and hath come to be with thy neighbour?

Therefore hath Yahweh done for him, as he spake by me, - yea Yahweh hath rent the kingdom out of thy hand, and given it to a neighbour of thine - to David.