Amplified Bible (AMP)

David’s Last Song

1 Now these are the last words of David.

David the son of Jesse declares,

The man who was raised on high declares,

The anointed of the God of Jacob,

And the sweet psalmist of Israel,

2 “The Spirit of the Lordspoke by me,

And His word was on my tongue.

3 “The God of Israel,

The Rock of Israel spoke to me,

‘He who rules over men righteously,

Who rules in the fear of God,

4 Is like the morning lightwhenthe sun rises,

A morning without clouds,

Whenthe fresh grassspringsout of the earth

Through sunshine after rain.’

5 “Truly is not my house so [blessed] with God?

For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,

Ordered in all things, and secured.

For will He not cause to growandprosper

All my salvation and my every wish?

Will He not make it growandprosper?

6 “But the wickedandworthless are all to be thrown away like thorns,

Because they cannot be taken with the hand;

7 “But the man who touches them

Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,

And they are utterly burnedandconsumed by fire in their place.”

His Mighty Men

8 These are the names of the mighty men (warriors) whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahchemonite, chief of thecaptains,also calledAdino the Eznite (spear) because of theeight hundred men killed [by him] at one time.

9 Next to him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the son of Ahohi. He was one of the three mighty men with David when they tauntedanddefied the Philistines assembled there for battle, and the men of Israel had gone.

10 Eleazar stood up and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary and clung to the sword. The Lordbrought about a great victory that day; the people returned after him only to take the spoil [of the slain].

11 Next to Eleazar was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines were gathered into an army where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the people [of Israel] fled from the Philistines.

12 But he took his stand in the center of the plot and defended it and struck down the Philistines; and the Lordbrought about a great victory.

13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David at harvest time in the cave of Adullam, while an army of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15 And David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem by the gate, and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink it, but poured it out [in worship] to the Lord.

17 And he said, “Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should drink this. [Is it not the same as] the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” So he would not drink it. These things thethree mighty men did.

18 Now Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zeruiah was chief of thethirty. He wielded his spear against three hundred men and killed them, and gained a reputation beside the three.

19 He was the most honored of the thirty, so he became their commander; however, he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three.

20 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many notable acts, killed two [famous] warriors of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.

21 And he killed an Egyptian, an impressiveandhandsome man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but Benaiah went down to him with a club, snatched the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand and killed the man with his own spear.

22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and gained a reputation beside the three mighty men.

23 He was honored among the thirty, but he did not attain to the [greatness of the] three. David appointed him over his guard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty;thenElhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25 Shammah of Harod, Elika of Harod,

26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh of Tekoa,

27 Abiezer of Anathoth, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai of Netophah,

29 Heleb the son of Baanah of Netophah, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the Benjamites,

30 Benaiah of Pirathon, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

31 Abi-albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32 Eliahba of Shaalbon, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,

34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai the son of Maacah, Eliam the son of Ahithophel of Giloh,

35 Hezro (Hezrai) of Carmel, Paarai the Arbite,

36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai of Beeroth, armor bearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39 Uriah the Hittite–thirty-seven in all.

The Census Taken

1 Now again the anger of the Lordburned against Israel, andHe incited David against them to say, “Go,count [the people of] Israel and Judah.”

2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], and conduct a census of the people, so that I may know the number of the people.”

3 But Joab said to the king, “May the Lordyour God add to the people a hundred times as many as there are, and let the eyes of my lord the king see it; but why does my lord the kingwant to do this thing?”

4 Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So they went from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Israel.

5 They crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the south side of the city which is in the middle of the river valley [of the Arnon] toward Gad, and on toward Jazer.

6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi, and they came to Dan-jaan and around to Sidon,

7 and they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and Canaanites, and they went out to the south of Judah, to Beersheba.

8 So when they had gone about through all the land [taking the census], they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 And Joab gave the sum of the census of the people to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.

10 But David’s heart (conscience) troubled him after he had counted the people. David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the sin of Your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.”

11 When David got up in the morning, the word of the Lordcame to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

12 “Go and say to David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “I am giving you threechoices;select one of them for yourself, and I will do it to you.”’”

13 So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your enemies as they pursue you? Or shall there be three days of pestilence (plague) in your land? Now consider this and decide what answer I shall return to Him who sent me.”

14 Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hands of man.”

Pestilence Sent

15 So the Lordsent a pestilence (plague) [lasting three days] upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.

16 When the [avenging] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lordrelented from the disaster and said to the angel who destroyed the people, “It is enough! Now relax your hand.” And the angel of the Lordwas by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he spoke to the Lordand said, “Behold, I [alone] am the one who has sinned and done wrong; but these sheep (people of Israel), what have they done [to deserve this]? Please let Your hand be [only] against me and my father’s house (family).”

David Builds an Altar

18 Then Gad [the prophet] came to David that day and said to him, “Go up, set up an altar to the Lordon the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite [where you saw the angel].”

19 So David went up according to Gad’s word, as the Lordcommanded.

20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him; and he went out and bowed before the king with his face toward the ground.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord, so that the plague may be held back from the people.”

22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for the burnt offering, and threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.

23 All of this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lordyour God be favorable to you.”

24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lordmy God which cost me nothing.” So David purchased thethreshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 David built an altar to the Lordthere, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lordwas moved [to compassion] by [David’s] prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

Elkanah and His Wives

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of thehill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, anEphraimite.

2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 This man went up from his cityeach year to worship and sacrifice to the Lordof hosts at Shiloh. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests to the Lordthere.

4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions [of the sacrificial meat] to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters.

5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lordhadgiven her no children.

6 Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritateandembarrass her, because the Lordhadleft her childless.

7 So it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat.

8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you cry and why do you not eat? Why are you so sadanddiscontent? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside the doorpost of the temple (tabernacle) of the Lord.

10 Hannah wasgreatly distressed, and she prayed to the Lordand wept in anguish.

11 She made a vow, saying, “O Lordof hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant and remember, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lordall the days of his life; arazor shall never touch his head.”

12 Now it happened as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.

13 Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind); only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Elithought she was drunk.

14 Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.”

15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have not been drinking wine oranyintoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.

16 Do not regard your maidservant as a wickedandworthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [bitter] provocation.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

18 Hannah said, “Let your maidservant find graceandfavor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longersad.

Samuel Is Born to Hannah

19 The family got up early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lordremembered her [prayer].

20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; she named himSamuel,saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”

21 Then the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lordtheyearly sacrifice andpayhis vow.

22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go upuntil the child isweaned; and then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lordand remain there as long as he lives.”

23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lordestablishandconfirm His word.” So the woman remained [behind] and nursed her son until she weaned him.

24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and aleather bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet fragrance], and she brought Samuel to the Lord’shouse in Shiloh, although the child was young.

25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

26 Hannah said, “Oh, my lord! As [surely as] your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you here, praying to the Lord.

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lordhas granted me my request which I asked of Him.

28 Therefore I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lordthere.

Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

1 Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart rejoicesandtriumphs in the Lord;

My horn (strength) is lifted up in the Lord,

My mouth has opened wide [to speak boldly] against my enemies,

Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 “There is no one holy like the Lord,

There is no one besides You,

There is no Rock like our God.

3 “Do not go on boasting so very proudly,

Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;

For the Lordis a God of knowledge,

And by Him actions are weighed (examined).

4 “The bows of the mighty arebroken,

But those who have stumbled equip themselves with strength.

5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,

But those who were hungry cease [to hunger].

Even the barren [woman] gives birth to seven,

But she who has many children withers away.

6 “The Lordputs to death and makes alive;

He brings down to Sheol (the grave) and raises up [from the grave].

7 “The Lordmakes poor and makes rich;

He brings low and He lifts up.

8 “He raises up the poor from the dust,

He lifts up the needy from the ash heap

To make them sit with nobles,

And inherit a seat of honorandglory;

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,

And He set the land on them.

9 “He guards the feet of His godly (faithful) ones,

But the wicked ones are silencedandperish in darkness;

For a man shall not prevail by might.

10 “The adversaries of the Lordwill be broken to pieces;

He will thunder against them in the heavens,

The Lordwill judge the ends of the earth;

And He will give strength to Hisking,

And will exalt the horn (strength) of His anointed.”

11 Elkanah [and his wife Hannah] returned to Ramah to his house. But the child [Samuel] served the Lordunder the guidance of Eli the priest.

The Sin of Eli’s Sons

12 The sons of Eli [Hophni and Phinehas] wereworthless (dishonorable, unprincipled) men; they did not know [nor respect] the Lord

13 and the custom of the priests with [the sacrifices of] the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged [meat] fork in his hand;

14 then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did in Shiloh to all [the sacrifices of] theIsraelites who came there.

15 Also, before they burned (offered) the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat to roast, since he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.”

16 If the man said to him, “Certainly they are to burn (offer) the fat first, and then you may take as much asyou want,” then the priest’s servant would say, “No! You shall giveit to menow or I will take it by force.”

17 So the sin of the [two] young men [Hophni and Phinehas] was very great before the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lorddisrespectfully.

Samuel before the Lord as a Boy

18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a child dressed in a linen ephod [a sacred item of priestly clothing].

19 Moreover, his mother would make him a little robe and would bring it up to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lordgive you children by this woman in place of the one she asked for which was dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return to their own home.

21 And [the time came when] the Lordvisited Hannah, so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

Eli Rebukes His Sons

22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard about everything that his sons were doing to all [the people of] Israel, and how they were lying with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting (tabernacle).

23 Eli said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

24 No, my sons; for the report that I keep hearing from the passers-by among the Lord’speople is not good.

25 If one man does wrongandsins against another, God will intercede (arbitrate) for him; but if a man does wrong to the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father,for it was the Lord’swill to put them to death.

26 But the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor both with the Lordand with men.

27 Then a man of God (prophet) came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did Inotplainly reveal Myself to the house of your father (ancestor) when they were in Egyptin bondageto Pharaoh’s house?

28 ~‘Moreover,I selected him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me. And [from then on] I gave to the house of your father all the fireofferingsof the sons of Israel.

29 ~‘Why then do you kick at (despise) My sacrifice and My offering which I commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, by fattening yourselves with the choicest part of every offering of My people Israel?’

30 Therefore the LordGod of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and that of [Aaron] your father would walk [in priestly service] before Me forever.’ But now the Lorddeclares, ‘Far be it from Me–for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be insignificantandcontemptible.

31 ~‘Behold, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

32 ~‘You will look at the distress ofMyhouse (the tabernacle), inspite ofall the good which God will do for Israel, and there will never again be an old man in your house.

33 ~‘Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar; your eyes will failfrom weepingand your soul will grieve, and all those born in your house will die as men [in the prime of life].

34 ~‘This will be the sign to you which shall come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them shall die.

35 ~‘But I will raise up for Myself afaithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a permanentandenduring house, and he will walk before My anointedforever.

36 ~‘And it will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and say, “Please assign me to one of the priest’s offices so I may eat a piece of bread.”’”

The Prophetic Call to Samuel

1 Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lordunder the supervision of Eli. The word of the Lordwas rareandprecious in those days; visions [that is, new revelations of divine truth] were not widespread.

2 Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not seewell).

3 and the [oil] lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was,

4 that the Lordcalled Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”

5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

6 Then the Lordcalled yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lordwas not yet revealed [directly] to him.

8 So the Lordcalled Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord[who was] calling the boy.

9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Then the Lordcame and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

11 The Lordsaid to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring.

12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end.

13 Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them.

14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’shouse. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.”

17 Then Eli said, “What is it that He said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all that He said to you.”

18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord; may He do what seems goodto Him.”

19 Now Samuel grew; and the Lordwas with him and He let none of his wordsfail [to be fulfilled].

20 And all Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south] knew that Samuel was appointed as a prophet of the Lord.

21 And the Lordcontinued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lordrevealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.

Philistines Take the Ark in Victory

1 And the word of [the Lordthrough] Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and they camped beside Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

2 The Philistines assembled in battle formation to meet Israel, and when the battle was over, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.

3 When the people (soldiers) came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lorddefeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lordhere from Shiloh, so that He may come among us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

4 So the people sentwordto Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lordof hosts who sitsabovethe cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 So it happened that as the ark of the covenant of the Lordcame into the camp, all [the people of] Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth resounded.

6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “Whatdoesthe noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrewsmean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lordhad come into the camp.

7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe [disaster is coming] to us! For nothing like this has happened before.

8 Woe to us! Who will rescue us from the hand of these mightygods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, so that you do not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been servants to you; act like men and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated and every man fled to his tent. It was a very great defeat, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.

11 Also the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

12 Now a man [from the tribe] of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes torn and dust on his head [as signs of mourning over the disaster].

13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road, keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. When the man arrived to report [the news] in the city, everyone in the city cried out [to God, for help].

14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he asked, “What is the noise of this uproar?” And the man came hurriedly and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; his eyes were dim so that he could not see.

16 The man said to Eli, “I have come from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” Eli said, “How did things go, my son?”

17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”

18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backwards by the side of the [city] gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant, and was about to give birth; so when she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, because her [labor] pains began.

20 And about the time of her death [following the sudden birth] the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay any attention.

21 And she named the boyIchabod, saying, “The glory has left Israel,” because the ark of God had been taken and because of [the deaths of] her father-in-law and her husband.

22 She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.”

Capture of the Ark Provokes God

1 Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer toAshdod.

2 They took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it beside [the image of] Dagon [their chief idol].

3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had [again] fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and his head and both palms of his hands were [lying] cut off on the threshold; only the trunk [portion] of [the idol of] Dagon was left on him.

5 This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 Then the hand of the Lordwas heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He caused them to be dumbfounded and struck them withtumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

7 When the men of Ashdod saw what had happened, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.”

8 So they sentwordand gathered all the lords (governors) of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around toGath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel there.

9 But it happened that after they had taken itto Gath,the hand of the Lordwas against the city, causing an extremely great panic [because of the deaths from the plague], for He struck the people of the city, both young and old, and tumors broke out on them.

10 So they sent the ark of God toEkron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel [from Gath] tous, to kill us andour people.”

11 So they sentwordand gathered all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it be returned to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy (severe) there.

12 The men who had not died were stricken with tumors and the cry of the city [for help] went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

1 Now the ark of the Lordhad been in the country of the Philistines for seven months.

2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners (seers), saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Let us know how we can send itbackto its place.”

3 They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty [without a gift]; but be sure to return [it] to Him [together with] a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

4 Then they said, “What shall the guilt offering be which we shall return to Him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords (governors) of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of you and on your lords.

5 So you shall make replicas of your tumors and of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand [of judgment] on you and your gods and your land.

6 Why then do you harden your hearts [allowing pride to cause your downfall] just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with themandmocked them, did they not allow the people [of Israel] to go, and they departed?

7 Now then, make a new cart and prepare twomilk cows on which a yoke has never been placed; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves back home, away from them.

8 Then take the ark of the Lordand put it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a guilt offering in a box beside it. Then send it away [without a driver].

9 But watch,if it goes up by the way of its own territory toBeth-shemesh, then [you will know that] He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; this disaster happened to us by chance.”

10 And the men did so, and took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and corralled their calves at home.

11 They put the ark of the Lordon the cart, and the box containing the golden mice and the replicas of their tumors.

12 And the cows went straight toward Beth-shemesh along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn away to the right or the left. And the Philistine lords (governors) followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 Nowthe men ofBeth-shemesh were gathering their wheat harvest in the valley, and they looked up and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it.

14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A large stone was there; and the men split up the wood of the cart [for firewood] and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

15 The Levites had taken down the ark of the Lordand the box beside it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices that day to the Lord.

16 When the five lords of the Philistines saw what happened, they returned to Ekron that day.

17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath and one for Ekron [the five chief cities of the Philistines];

18 also the golden mice,accordingto the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and [unwalled] country villages. The large stone on which the Levites set the ark of the Lordremains a witnessto this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.

19 The Lordstruck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck down 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lordhad struck the people with a great slaughter.

20 The men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?”

21 So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”

Rescue from the Philistines

1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated Eleazar his son to care for the ark of the Lord.

2 And from that day the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a very long time, for it was twenty years [until the reign of King David]; and all the house of Israel lamented (wailed)andgrieved after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lordwith all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth (pagan goddesses) from among you and direct your hearts to the Lordand serve Him only; and He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4 So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lordalone.

5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel together at Mizpah and I will pray to the Lordfor you.”

6 So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords (governors) of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

8 And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lordour God for us, so that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lordfor Israel and the Lordanswered him.

10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines approached for the battle against Israel. Then the Lordthundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeatedandfled before Israel.

11 And the men of Israel came out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as [the territory] below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, “Thus far the Lordhas helped us.”

13 So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore into Israelite territory. And the hand of the Lordwas against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered the cities’ territory from the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

Samuel’s Ministry

15 Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

16 He used to go annually on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there; and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Israel Demands a King

1 And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba.

3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah

5 and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint us a king to judge us [and rule over us] like all the other nations.”

6 But their demanddispleased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judgeandrule over us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.

7 The Lordsaid to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them.

8 Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day–in that they have abandoned (rejected) Me and served other gods–so they are doing to you also.

9 So now listen to their voice; only solemnly warn them and tell them the ways of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lordto the people who were asking him for a king.

11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them for himself to his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots.

12 He will appoint them for himself to be commanders over thousands and over fifties, andsometo do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his implements of war and equipment for his chariots.

13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.

14 He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants.

15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.

16 He will take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work.

17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves shall be his servants.

18 Then you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lordwill not answer you on that day [because you have rejected Him as King].”

19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us,

20 so that we too may be like all the nations [around us], that our king may judge [and govern] us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 Samuel had heard all the words of the people and repeated themto the Lord.

22 And the Lordsaid to Samuel, “Listen to theirrequest and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each man to his own city.”