but ye have this day rejected your God who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses, and ye have said to him, No, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before LORD by your tribes, and by y

Therefore they asked of LORD further, Is there yet a man to come here? And LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the baggage.

And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Live, O king!

Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah, and mighty men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.

Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.

And Nahash the Ammonite said to them, On this condition will I make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out, and I will lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel, and then, if there be none to save us, we will come out to thee.

Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

And he took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoever does not come forth behind Saul and behind Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. A

And they said to the messengers who came, Thus ye shall say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have deliverance. And the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

Therefore the men of Jabesh said, Tomorrow we will come out to you, and ye shall do with us all that seems good to you.

And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and smote the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it came to pass, that those who remaine

And the people said to Samuel, Who is he who said, Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men that we may put them to death.

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

Then Samuel said to the people, Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.

And all the people went to Gilgal. And there they made Saul king before LORD in Gilgal, and there they offered sacrifices of peace-offerings before LORD, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you.

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 youth to this day.

Here I am. Witness against me before LORD, and before his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with i

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

And Samuel said to the people, It is LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before LORD concerning all the righteous acts of LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.

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

And they cried to LORD, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken LORD, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when LORD your God was your king.

If ye will fear LORD, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of LORD, then both ye and also the king who reigns over you shall be followers of LORD your God.

But if ye will not hearken to the voice of LORD, but rebel against the commandment of LORD, then the hand of LORD will be against you as it was against your fathers.

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

Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to LORD that he may send thunder and rain, and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of LORD in asking a king for you.

So Samuel called to LORD, and LORD sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared LORD and Samuel.

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

And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. Ye have indeed done all this evil, yet turn not aside from following LORD, but serve LORD with all your heart.

For LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased LORD to make you a people to himself.

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against LORD in ceasing to pray for you. But I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.

Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

Saul chose for him three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash, and on the mount of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent every man to

And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel: thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude. And they came up, and encamped in Michmash,

Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead, but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel [had appointed], but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.

And Saul said, Bring here the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.

And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

therefore I said, Now the Philistines will come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of LORD. I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou have done foolishly. Thou have not kept the commandment of LORD thy God, which he commanded thee. For now LORD would have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever,

but now thy kingdom shall not continue. LORD has sought for him a man after his own heart, and LORD has appointed him to be prince over his people, because thou have not kept that which LORD commanded thee.

And Samuel arose, and got up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual,

and another company turned the way to Beth-horon, and another company turned the way of the border that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.

So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with Jonathan his son there was found.

And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

Now it fell upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on yonder side. But he did not tell his father.

And between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh

And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that LORD will work for us, for there is no limitation to LORD to save by many or by few.

And his armor bearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart. Turn thee, behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

Then Jonathan said, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will disclose ourselves to them.

If they say thus to us, Tarry until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.

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

And both of them disclosed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, Come up after me, for LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel

Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number now, and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the sons of Israel.

And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased. And Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand.

And Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle. And, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, [and there was] a very great discomfiture.

Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as formerly, and who went up with them into the camp, [from the country] round about, even they also [turned] to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

So LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over by Beth-aven.

And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food.

And when the people came to the forest, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath, therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

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

And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint,

Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, ye have dealt treacherously. Roll a great stone to me this day.

And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat. And sin not against LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people broug

And Saul built an altar to LORD; the same was the first altar that he built to LORD.

And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good to thee. Then the priest said, Let us draw n

And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day.

And Saul said, Draw near here, all ye chiefs of the people, and know and see how this sin has been this day.

For, as LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

Then he said to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what seems good to thee.

Therefore Saul said to LORD, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken [by lot], but the people escaped.

Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. And, lo, I must die.

And Saul said, God do so and more also, for thou shall surely die, Jonathan.

And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it. As LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the peop

Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.

And there was great war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

And Samuel said to Saul, LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken thou to the voice of the words of LORD.

Thus says LORD of hosts, I have remembered that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way when he came up out of Egypt.

And Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

And Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for ye showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the

And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

Then the word of LORD came to Samuel, saying,

I regret that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments. And Samuel was angry, and he cried out to LORD all night.

And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, and it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set up for him a monument, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.

And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of LORD. I have performed the commandment of LORD.

And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.