And his father went down to the woman. And Samson made a feast there, for so the young men used to do.

But God cut open a hollow place and water came out there. And he drank, and his spirit came again, and he revived. Therefore, its name is called Fountain of the Praying One, which is in Lehi to this day.

Then Samson went to Gaza. And he saw a harlot there, and went in to her.

Now the house was full of men and women. And all the lords of the Philistines were there. And on the roof were about three thousand men and women who watched while Samson made sport.

And there was a man of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Micah.

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his eyes.

And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-judah of the family of Judah, and he was a Levite. And he stayed there.

And the sons of Dan sent from their family five men from their borders, men of war, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. And they said to them, Go, search the land. And when they came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, they stayed there.

When they were at the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite. And they turned in there, and said to him, Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what have you here?

And the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people in it, how they lived carelessly, as the Sidonians do, quiet and secure. And there was no judge in the land who might put them to shame in a thing. And they were far from the Sidonians, and had no business with any man.

When you go, you shall come to a people feeling safe, and to a large land. For God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything in the earth.

And six hundred men of the family of the Danites moved from there, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, girded with weapons of war.

And they passed from there to Mount Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, Did you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and household gods, and an engraved image and a molten image? And now consider what you have to do.

And the five men who went up to spy out the land came in there, and took the engraved image and the ephod and the household gods, and the molten image. And the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were dressed with weapons of war.

And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with any man. And it was in the valley that lies by Beth-rehob. And they built a city and lived in it.

And it happened in those days, no king being in Israel, there was a certain Levite residing on the far side of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem-judah.

And his concubine played the harlot against him, and went away from him to her father's house to Bethlehem-judah, and was there four whole months.

And his father-in-law, the girl's father, kept him. And he stayed with him three days. So they ate and drank and stayed there.

And when the man rose up to leave, his father-in-law urged him, and he stayed there again.

But the man would not stay that night, but he rose up and left, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And there were with him two saddled asses. His concubine also was with him.

And they turned aside there, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah. And he went in and sat down in a street of the city. For no man took them into his house to stay the night.

And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who was also from Mount Ephraim. And he lived in Gibeah, but the men of the place were of Benjamin.

And he said to him, We are passing from Bethlehem-judah to the side of mount Ephraim. I am from there, and I went to Bethlehem-judah, but I am going to the house of Jehovah. And there is no man who receives me into his house.

Yet here is both straw and food for our asses. And there is bread and wine also for me, and for your slave woman, and for the young man who is with your servants. There is no lack of anything.

And he said to her, Up, and let us be going. But there was no answer. Then the man took her on an ass, and the man rose up and went to his place.

And it was so that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the sons of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt to this day. Think of it, take advice and speak.

And all the sons of Israel, and all the people, went up and came into the house of God, and wept, and sat there before Jehovah and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Jehovah.

And the sons of Israel inquired of Jehovah (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was heavy. But they did not know that evil was near them.

And there fell from Benjamin eighteen thousand. All these were men of war.

And the people came to the house of God and stayed there until evening before God, and lifted up their voice and wept grievously,

and said, O, Jehovah, the God of Israel, Why has this happened in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?

And it happened on the next day the people rose early and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

And the sons of Israel said, Who is there among all the tribes of Israel that did not come up with the congregation to Jehovah? For they had made a great oath concerning him who did not come up to Jehovah to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death.

And the sons of Israel repented themselves for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

And they said, What one is there of the tribes of Israel that did not come up to Mizpeh to Jehovah? And, behold, there came none to the camp from Jabesh-gilead to the assembly.

For the people were numbered, and behold, none of the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead were there.

And the congregation sent there twelve thousand men of the most valiant, and commanded them, saying, Go, and you shall strike the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead with the sword, with the women and the sons.

And they said, There must be an inheritance for those of Benjamin who have escaped, so that a tribe may not be destroyed out of Israel.

Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of Jehovah in Shiloh yearly on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah.

And the sons of Israel departed from there at that time, each man to his tribe and to his family. And they went out from there every man to his inheritance.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did the right in his own eyes.

And it happened in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came to the fields of Moab and stayed there.

And they took wives for themselves from the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters. Why will you go with me? Are there yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.

And now it is true that I am your kinsman-redeemer. But there is also a kinsman nearer than I.

And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said, Such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down.

And I said I will tell it in your ear, saying, Buy it before those who live here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem it. But if you will not redeem, tell me so that I may know. For there is none to redeem besides you. And I am after you. And he said, I will redeem.

And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim from the hills of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

And this man went up out of his city from year to year, to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of Hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of Jehovah, were there.

And she vowed a vow and said, O, Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid and remember me, and not forget Your handmaid, but will give to Your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

But Hannah did not go up. For she said to her husband, Until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him so that he may appear before Jehovah and stay there forever.

And I have returned him to Jehovah. As long as he lives, he shall be given to Jehovah. And he worshiped Jehovah there.

There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God.

And he stuck it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. All that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there.

And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him, So says Jehovah: Did I plainly appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

And you shall see an adversary in My house, in all the good which he does with Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.

And the child Samuel served Jehovah before Eli. And the Word of Jehovah was rare in those days. There was no open vision.

And the people sent to Shiloh in order to bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of Hosts from there, the ark which dwells between the cherubs. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp, And they said, Woe to us! For there has not been a thing like this before.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was beaten, and each one of them fled into his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell thirty thousand footmen of Israel.

And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people also. And also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people. For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.

And now make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there has come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them.

And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there and there was a great stone. And they cut the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to Jehovah.

And they were gathered to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured out before Jehovah, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were given back to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. And Israel delivered its borders out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

And his return was to Ramah, for his house was there. And he judged Israel there. And he built an altar there to Jehovah.

And there was a man of Benjamin, and his name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

And he had a son named Saul, a young and handsome one. And there was not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than he, being taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward.

And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, and nothing there. And he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them.

And he said to him, Behold now, in this city is a man of God, and an honorable man. All that he says surely comes to pass. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can declare our way to us, how to go.

Then Saul said to his young man, But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?

And they answered them and said, He is. Behold, he is before you. Hurry now, for he came today to the city, for there is a feast of the people today in the high place.

And you shall go forward from there, and you shall come to the great tree of Tabor. And there you shall meet three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.

After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. And it will happen to you when you come there to the city, even you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp and a tambourine and a flute and a lyre before them. And they shall prophesy.

And they came there to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him. And the Spirit of God came on him, and he prophesied among them.

And a man from there answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

And they ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than all of the people from the shoulders and upward.

And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Let the king live!

And the elders of Jabesh said to him, Bear with us seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then if there is no man to save us, we will come out to you.

And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today Jehovah has worked salvation 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 made Saul king before Jehovah in Gilgal, and there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before Jehovah. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

And there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel. For the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears.

And there was the charge of a pim for the plowshares, and for the mattocks, and for the three-pronged forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the plowshares.

And it happened in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan. But with Saul and with his son Jonathan there was found sword and spear.

And between the passages 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 ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.

And there was trembling in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked, and it was a very great trembling.

And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude had melted away and went on here and there.

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

And all the men of the land came into a forest, and there was honey on the ground.

How much more if the people had happened to eat freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would not there have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, Let each one bring his ox here, and each man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat. And do not sin against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And each man of all the people brought his ox in his hand that night, and killed them there.

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