And they asked the LORD - for there was the ark of the covenant of God, in those days;

and came before Gibeah: ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and there was sore battle. But the other knew not that evil was so nigh them.

And the appointment of the men of Israel with the layers in wait to run upon Benjamin with the sword, was when they should make the smoke rise up out of the city.

In those days there was no king in Israel: but every man did what seemed him right.

The name of the man was Elimelech, and his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion and they were Ephraimites, out of Bethlehem Judah. And when they came into the land of Moab, they continued there.

Mahlon and Chilion died also; even both two of them, so that the wife was left desolate of her two sons and of her husband thereto.

Wherefore she departed out of the place where she was, and her two daughters with her. And as they went by the way returning unto the land of Judah,

And so they went both together until they came to Bethlehem. And when they were come to Bethlehem, it was noised through all the city, and the women said, "Is not this Naomi?"

And the time when Naomi with Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, returned out of the country of Moab and came to Bethlehem was in the beginning of barley harvest.

And she went and came and gathered after the harvest men, and her chance was that part of the field pertained unto Boaz which was of the kindred of Elimelech.

And the young man that was set to oversee the harvest men answered and said, "It is the Moabitish damsel that came with Naomi out of the country of Moab,

And Boaz answered and said unto her, "All is told me that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land where thou wast born, and art come unto a nation which thou knewest not in time past.

And Boaz, when the time of refection was come, said unto her, "Come hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy sop in the vinegar." And she sat down by the reapers, and he reached her parched corn. And so she did eat and was sufficed, and left part.

And when she was risen up to gather, Boaz said to the young men, saying, "Let her gather the ears that remain and do her no despite.

And so she gathered until even and then threshed that she had gathered, and it was upon an ephah of barley.

For now this Boaz our kinsman with whose maidens thou wast, winnoweth his barley tonight in the threshing floor:

wash thyself therefore and anoint thee and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee to the threshing floor. But let not the man be aware of thee, until he have left eating and drinking.

And at midnight the man was afraid, and groped. And behold, a woman lay at his feet.

Then he said unto the kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, will sell a parcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's.

Now this was the manner of old time in Israel concerning purchase and changing, for to establish all things: that a man must pluck off his shoe and give it his neighbour, and this was a witness in Israel.

Then said Boaz unto the elders and unto all the people, "Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

And so Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And he went in unto her, and the LORD gave that she conceived and bare a son.

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 she was troubled in her spirits, and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore,

For Hannah, she spake in her heart; and her lips did but move only, but her voice was not heard. And therefore Eli took her for drunken,

And then she took him with her, when she had weaned him, with three bullocks and an ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him into the house of the LORD in Shiloh, how be it the child was yet young.

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

whensoever any man offered any offerings, the priest's lad came, while the flesh was in seething, and a flesh hook with three teeth in his hand;

And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD. For they despised the people, and also the offering of 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,

If one man sin against another, the judge can redress it. But if a man sin against the LORD, who can redress it?" Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, for the LORD's will was to slay them.

But the child Samuel profited and grew, and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days, for there was none open vision.

And before the lamp of God went out Samuel laid him down to sleep, in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

But it was before Samuel knew the LORD; and before the word of the LORD was opened unto him.

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.

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and left none of his words unperformed.

And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba wist that Samuel was truly made the LORD's prophet.

and put themselves in array against Israel. And in the end of the battle Israel was put to the worse before the Philistines. And the Philistines slew in array along by the fields, about a four thousand men.

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout they said, "What meaneth the sound of this mighty shout in the host of the Hebrews?" And they understood how that the ark of the LORD was come into the host.

And the Philistines were afraid, when it was told how that God was come into the host and said, "Woe unto us, for it was never so before this.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was put to the worse and fled, every man into his tent. And there was a mighty great slaughter, so that there were overthrown of Israel, thirty thousand footmen.

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

Eli was four score and eighteen years old, and his sight failed him that he could not see.

And when he made mention of the ark of God, Eli fell from off his stool backward toward the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was old and unwieldy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child and nigh the birth. And when she heard the tidings of the taking of the ark of God, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her.

And she named the child Ichabod saying, "Honour is departed from Israel" - Because the ark of God was taken, and her father-in-law and her husband were dead.

And therefore she said, "Honour is gone from Israel," because the ark of God was taken.

And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay groveling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body only was left on him.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with hemorrhoids; both Ashdod and all the coasts thereof.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide here with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god."

And when they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was in the city with a mighty great plague, and he smote the men of the city both small and great: and they were smitten in their secret places with the hemorrhoids.

Then they sent and fetched all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go home again unto his own place, that it slay us not with our people." For there was a plague of death throughout all the city, and the hand of God was exceeding sore there,

Then said they, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall reward him with?" And they answered, "Five golden arses with hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For it was one manner of plague that was on you all, and on your lords too.

And mark if he go up by the way that leadeth unto his own coast, to Bethshemesh, then it is he that did us this great evil. But and if he do not, then it is not his hand that smote us, but it was a chance that happened us."

And the cart came into the grove of one Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood still there. There was there also a great stone. And they clave the wood of the cart and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the forcer that was thereby, wherein the Jewels of gold were and put them on the great stone. And the men of Bethshemesh sacrificed burnt sacrifice and offered offerings that same day unto the LORD.

And while the ark abode in Kiriathjearim, the days multiplied, that it was twenty years, and all Israel lamented after the LORD.

And so the Philistines were brought under, that they came no more into the coasts of Israel: for the hand of the LORD was upon the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

Thereto, the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel came again to Israel, even from Ekron to Gath, with the coasts of the same, which Israel plucked out of the hands of the Philistines. For there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto 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.

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.

Then when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the young man that was with him, "Come, let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us." And he answered him,

Before time in Israel, when a man went to seek an answer of God, thus wise he spake: "Come, and let us go to the Seer." For he that is now called a prophet, was in the old time called a Seer.

Then said Saul to his young man, "Well said of thee, 'Come let us go.'" And so they went unto the city where the man of God was.

And when Samuel had brought all the tribes of Israel the tribe of Benjamin was caught.

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 they ran and fetched him thence. And when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders upward.

Then came the spirit of God upon Saul, when he heard those tidings, and he was exceeding angry.

After that Jacob was come into Egypt, your fathers cried unto the LORD, and the LORD sent Moses and Aaron: which brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place.

And for all that, when you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, 'Not so, a king shall reign over us' - when yet the LORD your God was your king.

Saul was as a child of a year old, when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

And the Hebrews went over Jordan unto the land of Gad and Gilead. But Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people that followed him were astonished.

But there was no smith throughout the land of Israel. For the Philistines thought that then the Hebrews might make them swords or spears.

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.

But Saul tarried in the utmost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree, that was in Migron, and the people that were with him were upon a six hundred men.

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.

And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his harness bearer made was upon a twenty men, within the compass as it were about a half acre of land.

And there was a fear in the host that was in the field, and among all the people: insomuch that they that kept the hold, and they that were gone to rob, were afraid also: and the earth trembled and there was a fear sent of God.

Then said Saul unto the people that was with him, "Number, and see who is gone away from us." And when they had told: behold, Jonathan and his harness bearer were not there.

And then Saul said unto Ahijah, "Bring hither the ark of God." For the ark of God was at the time with the children of Israel.

And Saul cried, and all the people that were with him, and went to battle. And behold every man's sword was against his fellow, with a mighty great slaughter.

And the men of Israel joined themselves together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be he that eateth any food until night, that I may be avenged of mine enemies." And so there was none of the people that tasted any sustenance.

And when the people were come into the wood: Behold, the honey dropped. Howbeit, there was no man that moved his hand to his mouth, because that the people feared the curse.

But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight.

And Saul made an altar unto the LORD. And that was the first altar that he made unto the LORD.

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

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little honey upon the end of my staff that was in mine hand, and see, I must die."

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 there was sore war with the Philistines, all the days of Saul. For wheresoever Saul saw a strong man, and an active, he took him unto him.

But Saul and the people spared Agag, and they left of the sheep and of the oxen and fat things and the lambs and all that was good, and would not destroy them. But all that was nought worth and flaggy, that they destroyed utterly.

"It repenteth me that I have made Saul king. For he is turned from me and hath not performed my commandments." Wherefore Samuel was evil apaid and cried unto the LORD all night.

And Samuel rose early, to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel that Saul was come to Carmel, and had set him up a pillar of triumph, and was turned and departed and gone to Gilgal.

And when Samuel was come to Saul, Saul said unto him, "Blessed be thou in the LORD. I have done the commandment of the LORD."

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