And it came to pass, when the time came about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of LORD.

But Samuel ministered before LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

And LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before LORD.

And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with LORD, and also with men.

And the child Samuel served LORD before Eli. And the word of LORD was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down in the temple of LORD where the ark of God was,

that LORD called Samuel. And he said, Here I am.

And LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for thou called me. And he answered, I did not call, my son. Lay down again.

Now Samuel did not yet know LORD, neither was the word of LORD yet revealed to him.

And LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for thou called me. And Eli perceived that LORD had called the child.

Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lay down, and it shall be, if he calls thee, that thou shall say, Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

And LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant hears.

And LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone who hears it shall tingle.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of LORD. And Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.

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

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is LORD. Let him do what seems him good.

And Samuel grew, and LORD was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.

And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of LORD.

And LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of LORD.

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return to LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to LORD, and serve him only. And he will deli

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to LORD.

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

And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry to LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering to LORD. And Samuel cried to LORD for Israel, and LORD answered him.

And as Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them, and they were smitten down before

Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, LORD has helped us to now.

So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Israel, and the hand of LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah.

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

And LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

And Samuel told all the words of LORD to the people who asked of him a king.

But the people refused to hearken to the voice of Samuel. And they said, No, but we will have a king over us

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the ears of LORD.

And LORD said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make for them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go ye every man to his city.

And they went up to the city. [And] as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

Now LORD had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

And when Samuel saw Saul, LORD said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to thee! This man shall have authority over my people.

Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

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

And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chief place among those who were bidden, who were about thirty men.

And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee.

And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before thee and eat, because it has been kept for thee to the appointed time, for I

And they arose early. And it came to pass about the dawning of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still first, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not that LORD has anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance?

And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all those signs came to pass that day.

And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did ye go? And he said, To seek the donkeys, and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.

And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you.

And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

And Samuel called the people together to LORD to Mizpah.

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

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 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 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.

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

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 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.

And LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.

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.

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 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.

And Samuel said, What have thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash,

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,

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 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.

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 Samuel said, What then means this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?

Then Samuel said to Saul, Stop, and I will tell thee what LORD has said to me this night. And he said to him, Say on.

And Samuel said, Though thou were little in thine own sight, were thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel? And LORD anointed thee king over Israel.

And Saul said to Samuel, Yes, I have obeyed the voice of LORD, and have gone the way which LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

And Samuel said, Has LORD as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

And Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of LORD, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

And Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with thee, for thou have rejected the word of LORD, and LORD has rejected thee from being king over Israel.

And as Samuel turned about to go away, [Saul] laid hold upon the skirt of his robe, and it tore.

And Samuel said to him, LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and has given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou.

So Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshipped LORD.

Then Samuel said, Bring ye here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

And Samuel said, As thy sword has made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before LORD in Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death, for Samuel mourned for Saul, and LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

And LORD said to Samuel, How long will thou mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for me a king among

And Samuel said, How do I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And LORD said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I have come to sacrifice to LORD.

And Samuel did that which LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do thou come peaceably?

But LORD said to Samuel, Do not look on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For [LORD sees] not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but LORD looks on the heart.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has LORD chosen this man.

And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, LORD has not chosen these men.

And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all thy sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Now David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

And Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.