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1 Shemu\'el
1 Samuel
Introduction
Introduction to Shmuel Aleph (The First Book of Samuel / 1 Kingdoms)
Narrative Framework and Textual Scope
This monumental historical text preserves the narrative progression and regulatory architecture of Shmuel Aleph (The First Book of Samuel), historically designated within the Greek Septuagint (LXX) manuscript tradition as 1 Kingdoms. Tracking the foundational transition of Yisrael's tribal league into a centralized dynastic monarchy, the document charts three intersecting epic cycles: the priestly judgeship of the prophet Shmuel, the tragic rise and disqualification of King Sha'ul, and the clandestine anointing and outlaw years of his successor, David. In strict conformity with the critical text-critical directives of The Ivri Heritage Bible series, this edition relies primarily on the ancient 1851 Alexandrian translation template of Sir Lancelot Brenton. To ensure absolute historical accuracy while rectifying late corrupted phonetic adjustments, the text systematically restores iconic Hebrew names over their Greek variants—substituting Channah for Anna, Elqanah for Helkana, Eli for Heli, Shiloh for Selom, and Shmuel for Samuel—while conservatively retaining the specific Septuagint genealogical scripts for minor figures. Crucially, Chapter 17 is supplied directly from the historic Western Authorized Text template to preserve the iconic battle with Goliath, yet it carefully matches Codex Vaticanus by omitting the later scribal doublets (verses 12–31 and 55–58), thereby resolving a major chronological knot regarding David's introduction to the royal court. By deploying precise bilingual terms (such as Aron for the Ark, Mizbeach for the altar, Kohen for the priest, and Mashiach for the anointed ruler), this volume provides an unredacted baseline for tracking Israel's early monarchy.
Key Thematic Movements
The historical framework and instructional arcs of Shmuel Aleph unfold across five major developments: 1. Barrenness, the Shiloh Dedication, and the Doom of Eli's House (Chapters 1–3) The book opens in the hill country of Efrayim, where the barren Channah pours out her nefesh (soul) in deep grief before the sanctuary (Heichal) at Shiloh, vowing that if Yahuah of Tzeva'ot (the Lord of Hosts) grants her a male child, no razor will ever touch his head. Her petition is established; she brings forth Shmuel, weaning him before presenting him as a lifelong loan to the sanctuary under the aging Kohen Eli. Channah unleashes an iconic prophetic song of exultation, celebrating a sovereign Creator who brings down to She'ol and raises up, breaks breaks the bows of the mighty, and lifts the needy from the dunghill to inherit the throne of Kavod (glory).
In stark contrast to the young Shmuel's pure service, Eli's corrupt sons, Chofni and Pinchas, treat the sacrifices of Yahuah with a shameless eye, extorting the best meats by force and bringing down a severe oracle of doom upon their bloodline. The section culminates in Chapter 3 with the dramatic night calling of Shmuel, where Yahuah bypasses the blind priesthood to reveal the permanent disqualification of Eli's house, validating Shmuel as a faithful prophet from Dan to Bersabee.
2. The Capture of the Aron and the Plagues of Dagon (Chapters 4–6)
The geopolitical landscape fractures as the Philistines muster for war at Aben-ezer. Following an initial defeat, Israel rashly treats the Aron of Elohim (the Ark of God) as a mechanized martial talisman, carrying it from Shiloh directly into the camp. The Philistines rally, resulting in a catastrophic slaughter of 30,000 Israelite infantrymen, the structural capture of the Ark, and the immediate deaths of Chofni and Pinchas. Upon hearing the tidings, Eli falls backward, breaking his neck, while his dying daughter-in-law gives birth to a child she names to declare that the Kavod (glory) has departed from Israel. The text transitions into a sharp, mocking polemic against pagan idolatry in Chapter 5. Placed within the temple of Dagon at Azotus, the Ark asserts its absolute sovereignty: the idol falls prostrate before it, its head and hands systematically severed at the threshold. Yahuah smites the cities of Azotus, Geth, and Ascalon with heavy infestations of mice and painful tumors (emerods), throwing the Philistine pentapolis into indiscriminate mortality until their lords build a new wagon to send the Ark back to Bæthsamys alongside a guilt offering of golden mice and emerods.
3. The Massephath Revival, the Demand for a King, and Sha'ul's Elevation (Chapters 7–12) Shmuel initiates a total national reformation, commanding Israel to put away their Baalim and groves of Astaroth and gather at Massephath to fast and pour out water before Yahuah. When the Philistine lords mount a surprise attack during the liturgy, Shmuel offers a sucking lamb as a whole-burnt offering; Yahuah responds by thundering with a mighty sound, confounding and collapsing the invaders. Shmuel raises the landmark stone Aben-ezer (stone of the helper) and acts as a circuit judge all his days. As Shmuel grows old, his sons pervert judgment for private financial gain, prompting the elders of Israel to assemble at Ramatayim with a controversial demand: "Set over us a king to judge us, as also the other nations have." Yahuah tells the grieved prophet to grant their request, clarifying that the people have rejected their Creator from reigning over them. Shmuel delivers a severe constitutional warning detailing the tyranny of a monarch—who will forcibly seize their fields, conscript their sons for chariots, and tithe their flocks—before anointing the towering, handsome Benjamite Sha'ul son of Kis, who is chosen by lot at Massephath and validated after delivering Jabis Galaad from Naas the Ammonite.
4. The Galgala Disqualification and the Selection of David (Chapters 13–16)
Sha'ul's reign quickly falls into spiritual compromise and panic. Pressed hard by a massive Philistine vanguard at Machmas, and with his own troops scattering into caves and pits, Sha'ul refuses to wait for Shmuel’s scheduled arrival at Galgala and forces himself to offer the whole-burnt offering. Shmuel arrives and delivers a decisive sentence: because Sha'ul violated the prophetic boundary, his kingdom will not stand, for Yahuah has actively sought out a man after His own heart. Despite a brilliant guerrilla rout executed by Sha'ul's brave son Yonatan at Messab, Sha'ul's erratic leadership deepens through a rash fasting oath that nearly costs Yonatan his life. The definitive split occurs in Chapter 15, when Sha'ul violates the total ban on Amalec by sparing King Agag and the finest cattle. Shmuel issues the ultimate indictment—declaring that "obedience is better than a good sacrifice"—and structurally slays Agag himself before Yahuah at Galgala, never seeing Sha'ul alive again. In Chapter 16, Yahuah dispatches Shmuel to Beit-Lechem to clandestinely anoint the young shepherd David son of Yishai. The Spirit (Ruach) of Yahuah immediately settles upon David while departing from Sha'ul, who becomes tormented by an evil spirit and hires David into royal service to soothe his madness with the harp.
5. Goliath's Defiance, the Flight of David, and the Slaughter at Gelbue (Chapters 17–31) The book reaches its narrative peak in the Valley of Elah, where the Philistine giant Goliath of Gath defies the armies of the living Elohim. Armed only with a staff, a sling, and five smooth stones, David advances explicitly in the Name of Yahuah of Tzeva'ot, felling the giant with a single forehead strike and severing his head with his own sword. This triumph sparks intense royal jealousy after women dance through the streets singing that David has slain his ten thousands. Sha'ul attempts to spear David at court, strips him of his wife Melchol, and sends troops to his home, forcing David into an outlaw lifestyle. David flees to Ramatayim, makes an inviolable covenant of brotherhood with Yonatan, and collects a band of distressed and indebted men at the cave of Odollam. Sha'ul's obsession turns homicidal: tipped off by Doec the Syrian, the king orders the merciless execution of 305 Kohanim at Nomba for sheltering David, leaving only Abiathar to escape with the high-priestly ephod. David constantly evades capture—even sparing Sha'ul's life twice in the caves of Engaddi and the camp of Ziph to prove he will not lift his hand against the Mashiach of Yahuah. The book terminates in catastrophe. Desperate before a massive Philistine invasion and abandoned by divine oracles, Sha'ul sneaks to the medium at Aendor, who conjures the spirit of Shmuel. The departed prophet delivers a final, chilling message: the kingdom is rent, and Sha'ul and his sons will fall on the morrow. On Mount Gelbue, the Philistine archers decimate the Israelite army; Yonatan and his brothers are slain, and a severely wounded Sha'ul falls upon his own sword to prevent capture. The book closes with the valiant men of Jabis Galaad marching through the night to strip the mutilated royal corpses from the walls of Bæthsam, burying their bones under a field tree in an act of deep covenant loyalty.
Comparative Manuscript Value
For textual researchers tracking ancient biblical lineages, this edition of Shmuel Aleph offers an invaluable comparative data source file. By using the 1851 Septuagint framework alongside a carefully managed integration of Chapter 17, it exposes the structural evolution of early historical recensions before the standardization of late medieval Masoretic Text lines. The preservation of distinct LXX geographic indicators, coupled with the resolution of narrative doublets concerning David's early interactions with Sha'ul, makes this text an essential asset for analyzing Second-Temple scriptural transmission and early Nazarene messianic contexts.
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 1
The birth of Shmuel
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1There was a man of Ramatayim-Tzofim, of mount Efrayim, and his name was Elqanah, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Efrayim.2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Channah, and the name of the second Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Channah had no child.3And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Ramatayim, to worship and sacrifice to Yahuah Elohim (God) of Tzeva'ot (Hosts) at Shiloh: and there were Eli and his two sons Chofni and Pinchas, the Kohanim (priests) of Yahuah.4And the day came, and Elqanah sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Peninnah and her children.5And to Channah he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Elqanah loved Channah more than the other; but Yahuah had closed her womb.6For Yahuah gave her no child in her affliction, and according to the despondency of her affliction; and she was dispirited on this account, that Yahuah shut up her womb so as not to give her a child.7So she did year by year, in going up to the house of Yahuah; and she was dispirited, and wept, and did not eat.8And Elqanah her husband said to her, Channah: and she said to him, Here am I, my lord: and he said to her, What ails thee that thou weepest? and why dost thou not eat? and why does thy heart smite thee? am I not better to thee than ten children?9And Channah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and stood before Yahuah: and Eli the Kohen was on a seat by the threshold of the Heichal (the Sanctuary) of Yahuah.10And she was very much grieved in spirit, and prayed to Yahuah, and wept abundantly.11And she vowed a vow to Yahuah, saying, O Yahuah Elohim of Tzeva'ot, if thou wilt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.12And it came to pass, while she was long praying before Yahuah, that Eli the Kohen marked her mouth.13And she was speaking in her heart, and her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: and Eli accounted her a drunken woman.14And the servant of Eli said to her, How long wilt thou be drunken? take away thy wine from thee, and go out from the presence of Yahuah.15And Channah answered and said, Nay, my lord, I live in a hard day, and I have not drunk wine or strong drink, and I pour out my nefesh (soul) before Yahuah.16Count not thy handmaid for a pestilent woman, for by reason of the abundance of my importunity I have continued my prayer until now.17And Eli answered and said to her, Go in Shalom (peace): the Elohim of Yisrael give thee all thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.18And she said, Thine handmaid has found favour in thine eyes: and the woman went her way, and entered into her lodging, and ate and drank with her husband, and her countenance was no more sad.19And they rise early in the morning, and worship Yahuah, and they go their way: and Elqanah went into his house at Ramatayim, and knew his wife Channah; and Yahuah remembered her, and she conceived.20And it came to pass when the time was come, that she brought forth a son, and called his name Shmuel, and said, Because I asked him of Yahuah Elohim of Tzeva'ot.21And the man Elqanah and all his house went up to offer in Shiloh the yearly sacrifice, and his vows, and all the tithes of his land.22But Channah did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, I will not go up until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before Yahuah, and he shall abide there continually.23And Elqanah her husband said to her, Do that which is good in thine eyes, abide still until thou shalt have weaned him; but may Yahuah establish that which comes out of thy mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.24And she went up with him to Shiloh with a calf of three years old, and loaves, and an ephah of fine flour, and a bottle of wine: and she entered into the house of Yahuah in Shiloh, and the child with them.25And they brought him before Yahuah; and his father slew his offering which he offered from year to year to Yahuah; and he brought near the child, and slew the calf; and Channah the mother of the child brought him to Eli.26And she said, I pray thee, my lord, as thy nefesh liveth, I am the woman that stood in thy presence with thee while praying to Yahuah.27For this child I prayed; and Yahuah has given me my request that I asked of him.28And I lend him to Yahuah all his days that he lives, a loan to Yahuah: and she said, [Here the first chapter breaks off in the source; the song of Channah follows.]
Footnotes
barren Channah pours out her nefesh before Yahuah at Shiloh, vows her son to Him, and lends him to Yahuah all the days of his life
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 2
The song of Channah
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1My heart is established in Yahuah, my horn is exalted in my Elohim; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in thy Yeshuah (salvation).2For there is none kadosh (holy) as Yahuah, and there is none righteous as our Elohim: there is none kadosh beside thee.3Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for Yahuah is an Elohim of knowledge, and Elohim prepares his own designs.4The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.5They that were full of bread are brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has waxed feeble.6Yahuah kills and makes alive; he brings down to She'ol (Sheol), and brings up.7Yahuah makes poor, and makes rich; he brings low, and lifts up.8He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of Kavod (glory):9granting his petition to him that prays; and he blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength cannot man prevail.10Yahuah will weaken his adversary; Yahuah is kadosh. Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; but let him that boasts boast in this, to understand and know Yahuah, and to execute judgment and justice in the midst of the earth. Yahuah has gone up to the heavens, and has thundered: he will judge the extremities of the earth, and he gives strength to our kings, and will exalt the horn of his Mashiach (the Anointed). And she left him there before Yahuah,11and departed to Ramatayim: and the child ministered in the presence of Yahuah before Eli the Kohen.12And the sons of Eli the Kohen were evil sons, not knowing Yahuah.13And the Kohen's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed was this: the servant of the Kohen came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth was in his hand.14And he struck it into the great caldron, or into the brazen vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the Kohen took for himself: so they did to all Yisrael that came to sacrifice to Yahuah in Shiloh.15And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savour, the servant of the Kohen would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the Kohen, and I will by no means take of thee sodden flesh out of the caldron.16And if the man that sacrificed said, First let the fat be burned, as it is fit, and take for thyself of all things which thy nefesh desires: then he would say, Nay, for thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force.17So the sin of the young men was very great before Yahuah, for they set at nought the offering of Yahuah.18And Shmuel ministered before Yahuah, a child girt with a linen ephod.19And his mother made him a little doublet, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.20And Eli blessed Elqanah and his wife, saying, Yahuah recompense to thee seed of this woman, in return for the loan which thou hast lent to Yahuah: and the man returned to his place.21And Yahuah visited Channah, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Shmuel grew before Yahuah.22And Eli was very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Yisrael.23And he said to them, Why do ye according to this thing, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of Yahuah?24Nay my sons, for the report which I hear is not good; do not so, for the reports which I hear are not good, so that the people do not serve Elohim.25If a man should at all sin against another, then shall they pray for him to Yahuah; but if a man sin against Yahuah, who shall intreat for him? But they hearkened not to the voice of their father, because Yahuah would by all means destroy them.26And the child Shmuel advanced, and was in favour with Elohim and with men.27And a man of Elohim came to Eli, and said, Thus says Yahuah, I plainly revealed myself to the house of thy father, when they were servants in Mitzrayim (Egypt) to the house of Pharaoh.28And I chose the house of thy father out of all the tribes of Yisrael to minister to me in the office of the Kohen, to go up to my mizbeach (altar), and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of thy father all the offerings by fire of the children of Yisrael for food.29And wherefore hast thou looked upon my incense-offering and my meat-offering with a shameless eye, and hast honoured thy sons above me, so that they should bless themselves with the first-fruits of every sacrifice of Yisrael before me?30Therefore thus says Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, I said, Thy house and the house of thy father shall pass before me for ever: but now Yahuah says, That be far from me; for I will only honour them that honour me, and he that sets me at nought shall be despised.31Behold, the days come when I will destroy thy seed and the seed of thy father's house.32And thou shalt not have an old man in my house for ever.33And if I do not destroy a man of thine from my mizbeach, it shall be that his eyes may fail and his nefesh may perish; and every one that remains in thy house shall fall by the sword of men.34And this which shall come upon thy two sons Chofni and Pinchas shall be a sign to thee; in one day they shall both die.35And I will raise up to myself a faithful Kohen, who shall do all that is in my heart and in my nefesh; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my Mashiach for ever.36And it shall come to pass that he that survives in thy house, shall come to do obeisance before him for a little piece of silver, saying, Put me into one of the offices of thy Kohanim to eat bread.
Footnotes
who exults in Yahuah that abases the proud and raises the poor; the wickedness of the sons of Eli; and the oracle of the man of Elohim against Eli's house, with the promise of a faithful Kohen
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 3
The calling of Shmuel at Shiloh
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1And the child Shmuel ministered to Yahuah before Eli the Kohen: and the word of Yahuah was precious in those days, there was no distinct vision.2And it came to pass at that time that Eli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes began to fail, and could not see.3And the lamp of Elohim was burning before it was trimmed, and Shmuel slept in the Heichal, where was the Aron (the ark) of Elohim.4And Yahuah called, Shmuel, Shmuel; and he said, Behold, here am I.5And he ran to Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me: and he said, I did not call thee; return, go to sleep; and he returned and went to sleep.6And Yahuah called again, Shmuel, Shmuel: and he went to Eli the second time, and said, Behold here am I, for thou didst call me: and he said, I called thee not; return, go to sleep.7And it was before Shmuel knew Yahuah, and before the word of Yahuah was revealed to him.8And Yahuah called Shmuel again for the third time: and he arose and went to Eli, and said, Behold, I am here, for thou didst call me: and Eli perceived that Yahuah had called the child.9And he said, Return, child, go to sleep; and it shall come to pass if he shall call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, for thy servant hears: and Shmuel went and lay down in his place.10And Yahuah came, and stood, and called him as before: and Shmuel said, Speak, for thy servant hears.11And Yahuah said to Shmuel, Behold, I execute my words in Yisrael; whoever hears them, both his ears shall tingle.12In that day I will raise up against Eli all things that I have said against his house; I will begin, and I will make an end.13And I have told him that I will be avenged on his house perpetually for the iniquities of his sons, because his sons spoke evil against Elohim, and he did not admonish them.14And it shall not go on so; I have sworn to the house of Eli, the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be atoned for with incense or sacrifices for ever.15And Shmuel slept till morning, and rose early in the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Yahuah; and Shmuel feared to tell Eli the vision.16And Eli said to Shmuel, Shmuel, my son; and he said, Behold, here am I.17And he said, What was the word that was spoken to thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: may Elohim do these things to thee, and more also, if thou hide from me any thing of all the words that were spoken to thee in thine ears.18And Shmuel reported all the words, and hid them not from him. And Eli said, He is Yahuah, he shall do that which is good in his sight.19And Shmuel grew, and Yahuah was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.20And all Yisrael knew from Dan even to Bersabee, that Shmuel was faithful as a prophet to Yahuah.21And Yahuah manifested himself again in Shiloh, for Yahuah revealed himself to Shmuel; and Shmuel was accredited to all Yisrael as a prophet to Yahuah from one end of the land to the other: and Eli was very old, and his sons kept advancing in wickedness, and their way was evil before Yahuah.
Footnotes
Yahuah speaks to him in the night, discloses the doom upon the house of Eli, and establishes him as a faithful prophet from Dan to Bersabee
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 4
The Aron of Elohim taken in battle by the Philistines
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1And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Yisrael to war; and Yisrael went out to meet them and encamped at Aben-ezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.2And the Philistines prepare to fight with Yisrael, and the battle was turned against them; and the men of Yisrael fell before the Philistines, and there were smitten in the battle in the field four thousand men.3And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Yisrael said, Why has Yahuah caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? let us take the Aron of our Elohim out of Shiloh, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.4And the people sent to Shiloh, and they take thence the Aron of Yahuah who dwells between the keruvim (cherubs): and both the sons of Eli, Chofni and Pinchas, were with the Aron.5And it came to pass when the Aron of Yahuah entered into the camp, that all Yisrael cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.6And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What is this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews? and they understood that the Aron of Yahuah was come into the camp.7And the Philistines feared, and said, These are the Gods that are come to them into the camp.8Woe to us, O Yahuah, deliver us to-day, for such a thing has not happened aforetime: woe to us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote Mitzrayim with every plague, and in the wilderness.9Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be ye men and fight with them.10And they fought with them; and the men of Yisrael fall, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Yisrael thirty thousand fighting men.11And the Aron of Elohim was taken, and both the sons of Eli, Chofni and Pinchas, died.12And there ran a man of Binyamin out of the battle, and he came to Shiloh on that day: and his clothes were rent, and earth was upon his head.13And he came, and behold, Eli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the Aron of Elohim: and the man entered into the city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.14And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? and the man hasted and went in, and reported to Eli.15Now Eli was ninety years old, and his eyes were fixed, and he saw not.16And Eli said to them that stood round about him, What is the voice of this sound? And the man hasted and advanced to Eli, and said to him, I am he that is come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle to-day: and Eli said, What is the event, my son?17And the young man answered and said, The men of Yisrael fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both thy sons are dead, and the Aron of Elohim is taken.18And it came to pass, when he mentioned the Aron of Elohim, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy: and he judged Yisrael twenty years.19And his daughter-in-law the wife of Pinchas was with child, about to bring forth; and she heard the tidings, that the Aron of Elohim was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon her.20And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her, said to her, Fear not, for thou hast born a son: but she answered not, and her heart did not regard it.21And she called the child Uæbarchaboth, because of the Aron of Elohim, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband. [that is, I-Kavod — “the Kavod is departed” — as the next verse explains.]22And they said, The Kavod of Yisrael is departed, forasmuch as the Aron of Yahuah is taken.
Footnotes
the slaughter of Yisrael, the death of Chofni and Pinchas, the fall of Eli, and the birth of the child named for the departed Kavod
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 5
The Aron among the Philistines
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1And the Philistines took the Aron of Elohim, and brought it from Aben-ezer to Azotus.2And the Philistines took the Aron of Yahuah, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.3And the people of Azotus rose early, and entered into the house of Dagon; and looked, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the Aron of Yahuah: and they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place. And the hand of Yahuah was heavy upon the Azotians, and he plagued them, and he smote them in their secret parts, Azotus and her coasts.4And it came to pass when they rose early in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the Aron of the Beriyt (covenant) of Yahuah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off each before the threshold, and both the wrists of his hands had fallen on the floor of the porch; only the stump of Dagon was left.5Therefore the priests of Dagon, and every one that enters into the house of Dagon, do not tread upon the threshold of the house of Dagon in Azotus until this day, for they step over.6And the hand of Yahuah was heavy upon Azotus, and he brought evil upon them, and it burst out upon them into the ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their country, and there was a great and indiscriminate mortality in the city.7And the men of Azotus saw that it was so, and they said, The Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael shall not abide with us, for his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.8And they send and gather the lords of the Philistines to them, and say, What shall we do to the Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael? and the Gittites say, Let the Aron of Elohim come over to us; and the Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael came to Geth.9And it came to pass after it went about to Geth, that the hand of Yahuah comes upon the city, a very great confusion; and he smote the men of the city small and great, and smote them in their secret parts: and the Gittites made to themselves images of emerods.10And they send away the Aron of Elohim to Ascalon; and it came to pass when the Aron of Elohim went into Ascalon, that the men of Ascalon cried out, saying, Why have ye brought back the Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael to us, to kill us and our people?11And they send and gather the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael, and let it lodge in its place; and let it not slay us and our people.12For there was a very great confusion in all the city, when the Aron of the Elohim of Yisrael entered there; and those who lived and died not were smitten with emerods; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Footnotes
Dagon falls broken before it at Azotus, and the heavy hand of Yahuah smites Azotus, Geth, and Ascalon until they cry to send it away
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 6
The Philistines send the Aron home with a guilt-offering of gold
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1And the Aron was seven months in the country of the Philistines, and their land brought forth swarms of mice.2And the Philistines call their priests, and their prophets, and their enchanters, saying, What shall we do to the Aron of Yahuah? teach us wherewith we shall send it away to its place.3And they said, If ye send away the Aron of the Beriyt of Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, do not on any account send it away empty, but by all means render to it an offering for the plague; and then shall ye be healed, and an atonement shall be made for you: should not his hand be thus stayed from off you?4And they say, What is the offering for the plague which we shall return to it? and they said,5According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden emerods, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden mice, the likeness of the mice that destroy your land: and ye shall give Kavod to Yahuah, that he may lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.6And why do ye harden your hearts, as Mitzrayim and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? was it not so when he mocked them, that they let the people go, and they departed?7And now take wood and make a new waggon, and take two cows, that have calved for the first time, without their calves; and do ye yoke the cows to the waggon, and lead away the calves from behind them home.8And ye shall take the Aron and put it on the waggon; and ye shall restore to it the golden articles for the trespass-offering in a coffer by the side of it: and ye shall let it go, and send it away, and ye shall depart.9And ye shall see, if it shall go the way of its coasts along by Bæthsamys, he has brought upon us this great affliction; and if not, then shall we know that his hand has not touched us, but this is a chance which has happened to us.10And the Philistines did so; and they took two cows that had calved for the first time, and yoked them to the waggon, and shut up their calves at home.11And they set the Aron of Yahuah, and the coffer, and the golden mice, on the waggon.12And the cows went straight on the way to the way of Bæthsamys, they went along one track; and laboured, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after it as far as the coasts of Bæthsamys.13And the men of Bæthsamys were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the Aron of Yahuah, and rejoiced to meet it.14And the waggon entered into the field of Osee, which was in Bæthsamys, and they set there by it a great stone; and they split the wood of the waggon, and offered up the cows for a whole-burnt-offering to Yahuah.15And the Levi'im (Levites) brought up the Aron of Yahuah, and the coffer with it, and the golden articles upon it, and placed them on the great stone, and the men of Bæthsamys offered whole-burnt-offerings and meat-offerings on that day to Yahuah.16And the five lords of the Philistines saw, and returned to Ascalon in that day.17And these are the golden emerods which the lords of the Philistines gave as a trespass-offering to Yahuah; for Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for Geth one, for Accaron one.18And the golden mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, from the fenced city to the village of the Pherezite, and to the great stone, on which they placed the Aron of the Beriyt of Yahuah, that was in the field of Osee the Bæthsamysite.19And the sons of Jechonias were not pleased with the men of Bæthsamys, because they saw the Aron of Yahuah; and Yahuah smote among them seventy men, and fifty thousand men: and the people mourned, because Yahuah had inflicted on the people a very great plague.20And the men of Bæthsamys said, Who shall be able to pass before this kadosh Yahuah Elohim? and to whom shall the Aron of Yahuah go up from us?21And they send messengers to the inhabitants of Cariathiarim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the Aron of Yahuah, go down and take it home to yourselves.
Footnotes
the new waggon and milch-cows go straight to Bæthsamys, where Yisrael rejoices and offers, then is smitten for looking into the Aron
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 7
Shmuel gathers Yisrael to Massephath to put away the strange gods and return to Yahuah
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1And the men of Cariathiarim come, and bring up the Aron of the Beriyt of Yahuah: and they bring it into the house of Aminadab in the hill; and they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the Aron of the Beriyt of Yahuah.2And it came to pass from the time that the Aron was in Cariathiarim, the days were multiplied, and the time was twenty years; and all the house of Yisrael looked after Yahuah.3And Shmuel spoke to all the house of Yisrael, saying, If ye do with all your heart return to Yahuah, take away the strange gods from the midst of you, and the groves, and prepare your hearts to serve Yahuah, and serve him only; and he shall deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.4And the children of Yisrael took away Baalim and the groves of Astaroth, and served Yahuah only.5And Shmuel said, Gather all Yisrael to Massephath, and I will pray for you to Yahuah.6And they were gathered together to Massephath, and they drew water, and poured it out upon the earth before Yahuah. And they fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned before Yahuah. And Shmuel judged the children of Yisrael in Massephath.7And the Philistines heard that all the children of Yisrael were gathered together to Massephath: and the lords of the Philistines went up against Yisrael: and the children of Yisrael heard, and they feared before the Philistines.8And the children of Yisrael said to Shmuel, Cease not to cry to Yahuah thy Elohim for us, and he shall save us out of the hand of the Philistines.9And Shmuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it up as a whole-burnt-offering with all the people to Yahuah: and Shmuel cried to Yahuah for Yisrael, and Yahuah heard him.10And Shmuel was offering the whole-burnt-offering; and the Philistines drew near to war against Yisrael; and Yahuah thundered with a mighty sound in that day upon the Philistines, and they were confounded and overthrown before Yisrael.11And the men of Yisrael went forth out of Massephath, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them to the parts under Bæthchor.12And Shmuel took a stone, and set it up between Massephath and the old city; and he called the name of it Aben-ezer, stone of the helper; and he said, Hitherto has Yahuah helped us.13So Yahuah humbled the Philistines, and they did not any more come into the border of Yisrael; and the hand of Yahuah was against the Philistines all the days of Shmuel.14And the cities which the Philistines took from the children of Yisrael were restored; and they restored them to Yisrael from Ascalon to Azob: and they took the coast of Yisrael out of the hand of the Philistines; and there was Shalom between Yisrael and the Amorite.15And Shmuel judged Yisrael all the days of his life.16And he went year by year, and went round Bæthel, and Galgala, and Massephath; and he judged Yisrael in all these consecrated places.17And his return was to Ramatayim, because there was his house; and there he judged Yisrael, and built there a mizbeach to Yahuah.
Footnotes
Yahuah thunders against the Philistines, and Shmuel raises the stone Aben-ezer, judging Yisrael all his days
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 8
Shmuel's sons turn aside after gain, and Yisrael demands a king like the nations
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1And it came to pass when Shmuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Yisrael.2And these are the names of his sons; Joel the first-born, and the name of the second Abia, judges in Bersabee.3And his sons did not walk in his way; and they turned aside after gain, and took gifts, and perverted judgments.4And the men of Yisrael gather themselves together, and come to Ramatayim to Shmuel,5and they said to him, Behold, thou art grown old, and thy sons walk not in thy way; and now set over us a king to judge us, as also the other nations have.6And the thing was evil in the eyes of Shmuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Shmuel prayed to Yahuah.7And Yahuah said to Shmuel, Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.8According to all their doings which they have done to me, from the day that I brought them out of Mitzrayim until this day, even as they have deserted me, and served other gods, so they do also to thee.9And now hearken to their voice; only thou shalt solemnly testify to them, and thou shalt describe to them the manner of the king who shall reign over them.10And Shmuel spoke every word of Yahuah to the people who asked of him a king.11And he said, This shall be the manner of the king that shall rule over you: he shall take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and among his horsemen, and running before his chariots,12and his manner shall be to make them to himself captains of hundreds and captains of thousands; and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and prepare his instruments of war, and the implements of his chariots.13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and cooks, and bakers.14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your good oliveyards, and give them to his servants.15And he will take the tithe of your seeds and your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs, and to his servants.16And he will take your servants, and your handmaids, and your good herds and your asses, and will take the tenth of them for his works.17And he will tithe your flocks; and ye shall be his servants.18And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king whom ye have chosen to yourselves, and Yahuah shall not hear you in those days, because ye have chosen to yourselves a king.19But the people would not hearken to Shmuel; and they said to him, Nay, but there shall be a king over us.20And we also will be like all the nations; and our king shall judge us, and shall go out before us, and fight our battles.21And Shmuel heard all the words of the people, and spoke them in the ears of Yahuah.22And Yahuah said to Shmuel, Hearken to their voice, and appoint them a king. And Shmuel said to the men of Yisrael, Let each man depart to his city.
Footnotes
Yahuah grants their request, but bids Shmuel warn them of the manner of the king who shall reign over them
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 9
Sha'ul son of Kis of Binyamin, seeking his father's lost asses, is led to Shmuel the seer
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1And there was a man of the sons of Binyamin, and his name was Kis, the son of Abiel, the son of Jared, the son of Bachir, the son of Aphec, the son of a Benjamite, a man of might.2And this man had a son, and his name was Sha'ul, of great stature, a goodly man; and there was not among the sons of Yisrael a goodlier than he, high above all the people from his shoulders and upward.3And the asses of Kis the father of Sha'ul were lost; and Kis said to Sha'ul his son, Take with thee one of the young men, and arise ye, and go and seek the asses.4And they went through mount Efrayim, and they went through the land of Selcha, and found them not: and they passed through the land of Segalim, and they were not there: and they passed through the land of Jamin, and found them not.5And when they came to Siph, then Sha'ul said to his young man that was with him, Come and let us return, lest my father leave the asses, and take care for us.6And the young man said to him, Behold now, there is a man of Elohim in this city, and the man is of high repute; all that he shall speak will surely come to pass: now then let us go, that he may tell us our way on which we have set out.7And Sha'ul said to his young man that was with him, Lo, then, we will go; but what shall we bring the man of Elohim? for the loaves are spent out of our vessels, and we have nothing more with us that belongs to us to bring to the man of Elohim.8And the young man answered Sha'ul again, and said, Behold, there is found in my hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver; and thou shalt give it to the man of Elohim, and he shall tell us our way.9Now beforetime in Yisrael every one in going to enquire of Elohim said, Come and let us go to the seer; for the people beforetime called the prophet, the seer.10And Sha'ul said to his servant, Well said, come and let us go: and they went to the city where the man of Elohim was.11As they went up the ascent to the city, they find damsels come out to draw water, and they say to them, Is the seer here?12And the virgins answered them, and they say to them, He is: behold, he is before you: now he is coming to the city, because of the day, for to-day there is a sacrifice for the people in Bama (the high place).13As soon as ye shall enter into the city, so shall ye find him in the city, before he goes up to Bama to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes in, for he blesses the sacrifice, and afterwards the guests eat; now then go up, for ye shall find him because of the holiday.14And they go up to the city; and as they were entering into the midst of the city, behold, Shmuel came out to meet them, to go up to Bama.15And Yahuah uncovered the ear of Shmuel one day before Sha'ul came to him, saying,16At this time to-morrow I will send to thee a man out of the land of Binyamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Yisrael, and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon the humiliation of my people, for their cry is come unto me.17And Shmuel looked upon Sha'ul, and Yahuah answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee, This one shall rule over my people.18And Sha'ul drew near to Shmuel into the midst of the city, and said, Tell me now which is the house of the seer?19And Shmuel answered Sha'ul, and said, I am he: go up before me to Bama, and eat with me to-day, and I will send thee away in the morning, and I will tell thee all that is in thine heart.20And concerning thine asses that have been lost now these three days, care not for them, for they are found. And to whom does the excellency of Yisrael belong? does it not to thee and to thy father's house?21And Sha'ul answered and said, Am not I the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Yisrael? and of the least family of the whole tribe of Binyamin? and why hast thou spoken to me according to this word?22And Shmuel took Sha'ul and his servant, and brought them to the inn, and set them there a place among the chief of those that were called, about seventy men.23And Shmuel said to the cook, Give me the portion which I gave thee, which I told thee to set by thee.24Now the cook had boiled the shoulder, and he set it before Sha'ul; and Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Behold that which is left: set it before thee, and eat; for it is set thee for a testimony in preference to the others; take of it: and Sha'ul ate with Shmuel on that day.25And he went down from Bama into the city; and they prepared a lodging for Sha'ul on the roof, and he lay down.26And it came to pass when the morning dawned, that Shmuel called Sha'ul on the roof, saying, Rise up, and I will dismiss thee. And Sha'ul arose, and he and Shmuel went out.27As they went down to a part of the city, Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Speak to the young man, and let him pass on before us; and do thou stand as to-day, and hearken to the word of Elohim.
Footnotes
whom Yahuah had already forewarned to anoint him ruler over Yisrael
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 10
Shmuel anoints Sha'ul with oil and gives him signs
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1And Shmuel took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said to him, Has not Yahuah anointed thee for a ruler over his people, over Yisrael? and thou shalt rule among the people of Yahuah, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this shall be the sign to thee that Yahuah has anointed thee for a ruler over his Nachalah (inheritance).2As soon as thou shalt have departed this day from me, thou shalt find two men by the burial-place of Rachel on the mount of Binyamin, exulting greatly; and they shall say to thee, The asses are found which ye went to seek; and, behold, thy father has given up the matter of the asses, and he is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?3And thou shalt depart thence, and shalt go beyond that as far as the oak of Thabor, and thou shalt find there three men going up to Elohim to Bæthel, one bearing three kids, and another bearing three vessels of bread, and another bearing a bottle of wine.4And they shall ask thee how thou doest, and shall give thee two presents of bread, and thou shalt receive them of their hand.5And afterward thou shalt go to the hill of Elohim, where is the encampment of the Philistines; there is Nasib the Philistine: and it shall come to pass when ye shall have entered into the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the Bama; and before them will be lutes, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp, and they shall prophesy.6And the Ruach (the Spirit) of Yahuah shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.7And it shall come to pass when these signs shall come upon thee,—then do thou whatsoever thy hand shall find, because Elohim is with thee.8And thou shalt go down in front of Galgal, and behold, I come down to thee to offer a whole-burnt-offering and peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou wait until I shall come to thee, and I will make known to thee what thou shalt do.9And it came to pass when he turned his back to depart from Shmuel, Elohim gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass in that day.10And he comes thence to the hill, and behold a band of prophets opposite to him; and the Ruach of Elohim came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.11And all that had known him before came, and saw, and, behold, he was in the midst of the prophets: and the people said every one to his neighbour, What is this that has happened to the son of Kis? is Sha'ul also among the prophets?12And one of them answered and said, And who is his father? and therefore it became a proverb, Is Sha'ul also among the prophets?13And he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.14And his kinsman said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? and they said, To seek the asses; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Shmuel.15And his kinsman said to Sha'ul, Tell me, I pray thee, What did Shmuel say to thee?16And Sha'ul said to his kinsman, He verily told me that the asses were found. But the matter of the kingdom he told him not.17And Shmuel summoned all the people before Yahuah to Massephath.18And he said to the children of Yisrael, Thus has Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael spoken, saying, I brought up the children of Yisrael out of Mitzrayim, and I rescued you out of the hand of Pharaoh king of Mitzrayim, and out of all the kingdoms that afflicted you.19And ye have this day rejected Elohim, who is himself your Deliverer out of all your evils and afflictions; and ye said, Nay, but thou shalt set a king over us: and now stand before Yahuah according to your tribes, and according to your families.20And Shmuel brought nigh all the tribes of Yisrael, and the tribe of Binyamin is taken by lot.21And he brings near the tribe of Binyamin by families, and the family of Mattari is taken by lot: and they bring near the family of Mattari, man by man, and Sha'ul the son of Kis is taken; and he sought him, but he was not found.22And Shmuel asked yet again of Yahuah, Will the man come hither? and Yahuah said, Behold, he is hid among the stuff.23And he ran and took him thence, and he set him in the midst of the people; and he was higher than all the people by his shoulders and upwards.24And Shmuel said to all the people, Have ye seen whom Yahuah has chosen to himself, that there is none like to him among you all? And all the people took notice, and said, Let the king live!25And Shmuel told to the people the manner of the king, and wrote it in a book, and set it before Yahuah: and Shmuel sent away all the people, and each went to his place.26And Sha'ul departed to his house to Gabaa; and there went with Sha'ul mighty men whose hearts Elohim had touched.27But evil men said, Who is this man that shall save us? and they despised him, and brought him no gifts.
Footnotes
the Ruach of Elohim turns him into another man among the prophets; and at Massephath Sha'ul is taken by lot and acclaimed king before all Yisrael
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 11
Sha'ul, moved by the Ruach of Yahuah, musters Yisrael and delivers Jabis Galaad from Naas the Ammonite
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1And it came to pass about a month after this, that Naas the Ammanite went up, and encamped against Jabis Galaad: and all the men of Jabis said to Naas the Ammanite, Make a Beriyt with us, and we will serve thee.2And Naas the Ammanite said to them, On these terms will I make a Beriyt with you, that I should put out all your right eyes, and I will lay a reproach upon Yisrael.3And the men of Jabis say to him, Allow us seven days, and we will send messengers into all the coasts of Yisrael: if there should be no one to deliver us, we will come out to you.4And the messengers came to Gabaa to Sha'ul, and they speak the words into the ears of the people; and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.5And, behold, Sha'ul came after the early morning out of the field: and Sha'ul said, Why does the people weep? and they tell him the words of the men of Jabis.6And the Ruach of Yahuah came upon Sha'ul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled against them.7And he took two cows, and cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Yisrael by the hand of messengers, saying, Whoso comes not forth after Sha'ul and after Shmuel, so shall they do to his oxen: and a transport from Yahuah came upon the people of Yisrael, and they came out to battle as one man.8And he reviews them at Bezec in Bama, every man of Yisrael six hundred thousand, and the men of Yahudah (Judah) seventy thousand.9And he said to the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say to the men of Jabis, To-morrow ye shall have deliverance when the sun is hot; and the messengers came to the city, and told the men of Jabis, and they rejoiced.10And the men of Jabis said to Naas the Ammanite, To-morrow we will come forth to you, and ye shall do to us what seems good in your sight.11And it came to pass on the morrow, that Sha'ul divided the people into three companies, and they go into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and they smote the children of Ammon until the day was hot; and it came to pass that those who were left were scattered, and there were not left among them two together.12And the people said to Shmuel, Who has said that Sha'ul shall not reign over us? Give up the men, and we will put them to death.13And Sha'ul said, No man shall die this day, for to-day Yahuah has wrought deliverance in Yisrael.14And Shmuel spoke to the people, saying, Let us go to Galgala, and there renew the kingdom.15And all the people went to Galgala, and Shmuel anointed Sha'ul there to be king before Yahuah in Galgala, and there he offered meat-offerings and peace-offerings before Yahuah: and Shmuel and all Yisrael rejoiced exceedingly.
Footnotes
and the kingdom is renewed at Galgala
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 12
Shmuel's farewell before Yahuah and His Mashiach
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1And Shmuel said to all Yisrael, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all things that ye have said to me, and I have set a king over you.2And now, behold, the king goes before you; and I am grown old and shall rest; and, behold, my sons are among you; and, behold, I have gone about before you from my youth to this day.3Behold, here am I, answer against me before Yahuah and before his Mashiach: whose calf have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom of you have I oppressed? or whom have I been violent with? or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even to a sandal? bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you.4And they said to Shmuel, Thou hast not injured us, and thou hast not oppressed us; and thou hast not afflicted us, and thou hast not taken anything from any one's hand.5And Shmuel said to the people, Yahuah is witness among you, and his Mashiach is witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand: and they said, He is witness.6And Shmuel spoke to the people, saying, Yahuah who appointed Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron) is witness, who brought our fathers up out of Mitzrayim.7And now stand still, and I will judge you before Yahuah; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of Yahuah, the things which he has wrought among you and your fathers.8When Ya'akov (Jacob) and his sons went into Mitzrayim, and Mitzrayim humbled them, then our fathers cried to Yahuah, and Yahuah sent Moshe and Aharon; and they brought our fathers out of Mitzrayim, and he made them to dwell in this place.9And they forgot Yahuah their Elohim, and he sold them into the hands of Sisara captain of the host of Jabis king of Asor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and he fought with them.10And they cried to Yahuah, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken Yahuah, and have served Baalim and the groves: and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.11And he sent Jerobaal, and Barac, and Jephthae, and Shmuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and ye dwelt in security.12And ye saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and ye said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas Yahuah our Elohim is our king.13And now behold the king whom ye have chosen; and behold, Yahuah has set a king over you.14If ye should fear Yahuah, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not resist the mouth of Yahuah, and ye and your king that reigns over you should follow Yahuah, well.15But if ye should not hearken to the voice of Yahuah, and ye should resist the mouth of Yahuah, then shall the hand of Yahuah be upon you and upon your king.16And now stand still, and see this great thing, which Yahuah will do before your eyes.17Is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call upon Yahuah, and he shall send thunder and rain; and know ye and see, that your wickedness is great which ye have wrought before Yahuah, having asked for yourselves a king.18And Shmuel called upon Yahuah, and Yahuah sent thunders and rain in that day; and all the people feared greatly Yahuah and Shmuel.19And all the people said to Shmuel, Pray for thy servants to Yahuah thy Elohim, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking for us a king.20And Shmuel said to the people, Fear not: ye have indeed wrought all this iniquity; only turn not from following Yahuah, and serve Yahuah with all your heart.21And turn not aside after the gods that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver you, because they are nothing.22For Yahuah will not cast off his people for his great name's sake, because Yahuah graciously took you to himself for a people.23And far be it from me to sin against Yahuah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will serve Yahuah, and shew you the good and the right way.24Only fear Yahuah, and serve him in Emet (truth) and with all your heart, for ye see what great things he has wrought with you.25But if ye continue to do evil, then shall ye and your king be consumed.
Footnotes
he clears himself of all wrong, rehearses Yahuah's mercies from Mitzrayim to the judges, calls down thunder in the wheat-harvest, and charges Yisrael to serve Yahuah in Emet
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 13
Sha'ul's rash offering at Galgala
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1And Sha'ul chooses for himself three thousand men of the men of Yisrael: and there were with Sha'ul two thousand who were in Machmas, and in mount Bæthel, and a thousand were with Yonatan (Jonathan) in Gabaa of Binyamin: and he sent the rest of the people every man to his tent.2And Yonatan smote Nasib the Philistine that dwelt in the hill; and the Philistines hear of it, and Sha'ul sounds the shofar (the horn) through all the land, saying, The servants have despised us.3And all Yisrael heard say, Sha'ul has smitten Nasib the Philistine; now Yisrael had been put to shame before the Philistines; and the children of Yisrael went up after Sha'ul in Galgala.4And the Philistines gather together to war with Yisrael; and then come up against Yisrael thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand by the seashore for multitude: and they come up, and encamp in Machmas, opposite Bæthoron southward.5And the men of Yisrael saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw nigh, and the people hid themselves in caves, and sheepfolds, and rocks, and ditches, and pits.6And they that went over went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Galaad: and Sha'ul was yet in Galgala, and all the people followed after him in amazement.7And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Shmuel told him, and Shmuel came not to Galgala, and his people were dispersed from him.8And Sha'ul said, Bring hither victims, that I may offer whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: and he offered the whole-burnt-offering.9And it came to pass when he had finished offering the whole-burnt-offering, that Shmuel arrived, and Sha'ul went out to meet him, and to bless him.10And Shmuel said, What hast thou done? and Sha'ul said, Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and thou wast not present as thou purposedst according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered to Machmas.11Then I said, Now will the Philistines come down to me to Galgala, and I have not sought the face of Yahuah: so I forced myself and offered the whole-burnt-offering.12And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Thou hast done foolishly; for thou hast not kept my command, which Yahuah commanded thee, as now Yahuah would have confirmed thy kingdom over Yisrael for ever.13But now thy kingdom shall not stand to thee, and Yahuah shall seek for himself a man after his own heart; and Yahuah shall appoint him to be a ruler over his people, because thou hast not kept all that Yahuah commanded thee.14And Shmuel arose, and departed from Galgala, and the remnant of the people went after Sha'ul to meet him after the men of war, when they had come out of Galgala to Gabaa of Binyamin. And Sha'ul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men.15And Sha'ul and Yonatan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gabaa of Binyamin; and they wept: and the Philistines had encamped in Machmas.16And men came forth to destroy out of the land of the Philistines in three companies; one company turning by the way of Gophera toward the land of Sogal,17and another company turning the way of Bæthoron, and another company turning by the way of Gabae that turns aside to Gai of Sabim.18And there was not found a smith in all the land of Yisrael, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves sword or spear.19And all Yisrael went down to the land of the Philistines to forge every one his reaping-hook and his tool, and every one his axe and his sickle.20And it was near the time of vintage: and their tools were valued at three shekels for a ploughshare, and there was the same rate for the axe and the sickle.21And it came to pass in the days of the war of Machmas, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people, that were with Sha'ul and Yonatan; but with Sha'ul and Yonatan his son was there found.22And there went out some from the camp of the Philistines to the place beyond Machmas.
Footnotes
with Yisrael pressed hard by the Philistines and stripped of every smith and sword, he forces the whole-burnt-offering, and Shmuel foretells that his kingdom shall not stand, for Yahuah seeks a man after His own heart
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 14
Yonatan's daring at Messab
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1And when a certain day arrived, Yonatan the son of Sha'ul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to Messab of the Philistines that is on the other side yonder; but he told not his father.2And Sha'ul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred men.3And Achia son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed the son of Pinchas, the son of Eli, was the Kohen of Elohim in Shiloh wearing an ephod: and the people knew not that Yonatan was gone.4And in the midst of the passage whereby Yonatan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one was Bases, and the name of the other Senna.5The one way was northward to one coming to Machmas, and the other way was southward to one coming to Gabae.6And Yonatan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, let us go over to Messab of these uncircumposed, if peradventure Yahuah may do something for us; for Yahuah is not straitened to save by many or by few.7And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that thine heart inclines toward: behold, I am with thee, my heart is as thy heart.8And Yonatan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them.9If they should say thus to us, Stand aloof there until we shall send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.10But if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for Yahuah has delivered them into our hands; this shall be a sign to us.11And they both went in to Messab of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their caves, where they had hidden themselves.12And the men of Messab answered Yonatan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing: and Yonatan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me, for Yahuah has delivered them into the hands of Yisrael.13And Yonatan went up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer with him; and they looked on the face of Yonatan, and he smote them, and his armour-bearer did smite them after him.14And the first slaughter which Yonatan and his armour-bearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.15And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in Messab, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terror-struck, and there was dismay from Yahuah.16And the watchmen of Sha'ul beheld in Gabaa of Binyamin, and, behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.17And Sha'ul said to the people with him, Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you: and they numbered themselves, and behold, Yonatan and his armour-bearer were not found.18And Sha'ul said to Achia, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Yisrael.19And it came to pass while Sha'ul was speaking to the Kohen, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Sha'ul said to the Kohen, Withdraw thy hands.20And Sha'ul went up and all the people that were with him, and they come to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his neighbour, a very great confusion.21And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Yisraelites who were with Sha'ul and Yonatan.22And all the Yisraelites who were hidden in mount Efrayim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gather themselves after them to battle: and Yahuah saved Yisrael in that day; and the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Sha'ul were about ten thousand men.23And the battle extended itself to every city in the mount Efrayim.24And Sha'ul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he lays a curse on the people, saying, Cursed is the man who shall eat bread before the evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy: and none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining.25And Jaal was a wood abounding in swarms of bees on the face of the ground.26And the people went into the place of the bees, and, behold, they continued speaking; and, behold, there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath of Yahuah.27And Yonatan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes recovered their sight.28And one of the people answered and said, Thy father solemnly adjured the people, saying, Cursed is the man who shall eat bread to-day. And the people were very faint,29and Yonatan knew it, and said, My father has destroyed the land: see how my eyes have received sight now that I have tasted a little of this honey.30Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater.31And on that day he smote some of the Philistines in Machmas; and the people were very weary.32And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and slew them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.33And it was reported to Sha'ul, saying, The people have sinned against Yahuah, eating with the blood: and Sha'ul said, Out of Getthaim roll a great stone to me hither.34And Sha'ul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring hither every one his calf, and every one his sheep: and let them slay it on this stone and sin not against Yahuah in eating with the blood: and the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they slew them there.35And Sha'ul built a mizbeach there to Yahuah: this was the first mizbeach that Sha'ul built to Yahuah.36And Sha'ul said, Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder among them till the day break, and let us not leave a man among them. And they said, Do all that is good in thy sight: and the Kohen said, Let us draw nigh hither to Elohim.37And Sha'ul enquired of Elohim, If I go down after the Philistines, wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Yisrael? And he answered him not in that day.38And Sha'ul said, Bring hither all the chiefs of Yisrael, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day.39For as Yahuah lives who has saved Yisrael, if answer should be against my son Yonatan, he shall surely die. And there was no one that answered out of all the people.40And he said to all the men of Yisrael, Ye shall be under subjection, and I and Yonatan my son will be under subjection: and the people said to Sha'ul, Do that which is good in thy sight.41And Sha'ul said, O Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? is the iniquity in me, or in Yonatan my son? Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, give clear manifestations; and if the lot should declare this, give, I pray thee, to thy people Yisrael, give, I pray, holiness. And Yonatan and Sha'ul are taken, and the people escaped.42And Sha'ul said, Cast lots between me and my son Yonatan: whomsoever Yahuah shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die: and the people said to Sha'ul, This thing is not to be done: and Sha'ul prevailed against the people, and they cast lots between him and Yonatan his son, and Yonatan is taken by lot.43And Sha'ul said to Yonatan, Tell me what thou hast done: and Yonatan told him, and said, I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand, and, lo! I am to die.44And Sha'ul said to him, Elohim do so to me, and more also, thou shalt surely die to-day.45And the people said to Sha'ul, Shall he that has wrought this great Yeshuah in Yisrael be put to death this day? As Yahuah lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of Elohim have wrought successfully this day. And the people prayed for Yonatan in that day, and he died not.46And Sha'ul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines departed to their place.47And Sha'ul received the kingdom, by lot he inherits the office of ruling over Yisrael: and he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against the children of Edom, and against Bæthæor, and against the king of Suba, and against the Philistines: whithersoever he turned, he was victorious.48And he wrought valiantly, and smote Amalec, and rescued Yisrael out of the hand of them that trampled on him.49And the sons of Sha'ul were Yonatan, and Jessiu, and Melchisa: and these were the names of his two daughters, the name of the first-born Merob, and the name of the second Melchol.50And the name of his wife was Achinoom, the daughter of Achimaa: and the name of his captain of the host was Abenner, the son of Ner, son of a kinsman of Sha'ul.51And Kis was the father of Sha'ul, and Ner, the father of Abenner, was son of Jamin, son of Abiel.52And the war was vehement against the Philistines all the days of Sha'ul; and when Sha'ul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.
Footnotes
he and his armour-bearer rout the Philistine garrison, and Yahuah saves Yisrael; then Sha'ul's rash oath nearly costs Yonatan his life, until the people ransom him — with a summary of Sha'ul's wars and household
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 15
Sha'ul spares Agag and the best of the spoil against the ban on Amalec
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1And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Yahuah sent me to anoint thee king over Yisrael: and now hear the voice of Yahuah.2Thus said Yahuah of Tzeva'ot, Now will I take vengeance for what Amalec did to Yisrael, when he met him in the way as he came up out of Mitzrayim.3And now go, and thou shalt smite Amalec and Hierim and all that belongs to him, and thou shalt not save anything of him alive, but thou shalt utterly destroy him: and thou shalt devote him and all his to destruction, and thou shalt spare nothing belonging to him; and thou shalt slay both man and woman, and infant and suckling, and calf and sheep, and camel and ass.4And Sha'ul summoned the people, and he numbered them in Galgala, four hundred thousand regular troops, and Yahudah thirty thousand regular troops.5And Sha'ul came to the cities of Amalec, and laid wait in the valley.6And Sha'ul said to the Kinite, Go, and depart out of the midst of the Amalekites, lest I put thee with them; for thou dealedst mercifully with the children of Yisrael when they went up out of Mitzrayim. So the Kinite departed from the midst of Amalec.7And Sha'ul smote Amalec from Evilat to Sur fronting Mitzrayim.8And he took Agag the king of Amalec alive, and he slew all the people and Hierim with the edge of the sword.9And Sha'ul and all the people saved Agag alive, and the best of the flocks, and of the herds, and of the fruits, of the vineyards, and of all the good things; and they would not destroy them: but every worthless and refuse thing they destroyed.10And the word of Yahuah came to Shmuel, saying,11I have repented that I have made Sha'ul to be king: for he has turned back from following me, and has not kept my word. And Shmuel was grieved, and cried to Yahuah all night.12And Shmuel rose early and went to meet Yisrael in the morning, and it was told Sha'ul, saying, Shmuel has come to Carmel, and he has raised up help for himself: and he turned his chariot, and came down to Galgala to Sha'ul; and, behold, he was offering up a whole-burnt-offering to Yahuah, the chief of the spoils which he brought out of Amalec.13And Shmuel came to Sha'ul: and Sha'ul said to him, Blessed art thou of Yahuah: I have performed all that Yahuah said.14And Shmuel said, What then is the bleating of this flock in my ears, and the sound of the oxen which I hear?15And Sha'ul said, I have brought them out of Amalec, that which the people preserved, even the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, that it might be sacrificed to Yahuah thy Elohim, and the rest have I utterly destroyed.16And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Stay, and I will tell thee what Yahuah has said to me this night: and he said to him, Say on.17And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, Art thou not little in his eyes, though a leader of one of the tribes of Yisrael? and yet Yahuah anointed thee to be king over Yisrael.18And Yahuah sent thee on a journey, and said to thee, Go, and utterly destroy: thou shalt slay the sinners against me, even the Amalekites; and thou shalt war against them until thou have consumed them.19And why didst not thou hearken to the voice of Yahuah, but didst haste to fasten upon the spoils, and didst that which was evil in the sight of Yahuah?20And Sha'ul said to Shmuel, Because I listened to the voice of the people: yet I went the way by which Yahuah sent me, and I brought Agag the king of Amalec, and I destroyed Amalec.21But the people took of the spoils the best flocks and herds out of that which was destroyed, to sacrifice before Yahuah our Elohim in Galgal.22And Shmuel said, Does Yahuah take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in hearing the words of Yahuah? behold, obedience is better than a good sacrifice, and hearkening than the fat of rams.23For sin is as divination; idols bring on pain and grief. Because thou hast rejected the word of Yahuah, Yahuah also shall reject thee from being king over Yisrael.24And Sha'ul said to Shmuel, I have sinned, in that I have transgressed the word of Yahuah and thy direction; for I feared the people, and I hearkened to their voice.25And now remove, I pray thee, my sin, and turn back with me, and I will worship Yahuah thy Elohim.26And Shmuel said to Sha'ul, I will not turn back with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of Yahuah, and Yahuah will reject thee from being king over Yisrael.27And Shmuel turned his face to depart, and Sha'ul caught hold of the skirt of his garment, and tore it.28And Shmuel said to him, Yahuah has rent thy kingdom from Yisrael out of thy hand this day, and will give it to thy neighbour who is better than thou.29And Yisrael shall be divided to two: and Elohim will not turn nor repent, for he is not as a man to repent.30And Sha'ul said, I have sinned; yet honour me, I pray thee, before the elders of Yisrael, and before my people; and turn back with me, and I will worship Yahuah thy Elohim.31So Shmuel turned back after Sha'ul, and he worshipped Yahuah.32And Shmuel said, Bring me Agag the king of Amalec: and Agag came to him trembling; and Agag said, Is death thus bitter?33And Shmuel said to Agag, As thy sword has bereaved women of their children, so shall thy mother be made childless among women: and Shmuel slew Agag before Yahuah in Galgal.34And Shmuel departed to Ramatayim, and Sha'ul went up to his house at Gabaa.35And Shmuel did not see Sha'ul again till the day of his death, for Shmuel mourned after Sha'ul, and Yahuah repented that he had made Sha'ul king over Yisrael.
Footnotes
Shmuel declares that obedience is better than sacrifice, and that Yahuah has rejected him from being king; and Shmuel himself slays Agag before Yahuah
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 16
Yahuah sends Shmuel to Beit-Lechem to anoint David among the sons of Yishai
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1And Yahuah said to Shmuel, How long dost thou mourn for Sha'ul, whereas I have rejected him from reigning over Yisrael? Fill thy horn with oil, and come, I will send thee to Yishai (Jesse), to Beit-Lechem (Bethlehem); for I have seen among his sons a king for me.2And Shmuel said, How can I go? whereas Sha'ul will hear of it, and slay me: and Yahuah said, Take a heifer in thine hand and thou shalt say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahuah.3And thou shalt call Yishai to the sacrifice, and I will make known to thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall mention to thee.4And Shmuel did all that Yahuah told him; and he came to Beit-Lechem: and the elders of the city were amazed at meeting him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably, thou Seer?5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Yahuah. Sanctify yourselves, and rejoice with me this day: and he sanctified Yishai and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.6And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, and said, Surely the Mashiach of Yahuah is before him.7But Yahuah said to Shmuel, Look not on his appearance, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for Elohim sees not as a man looks; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Elohim looks at the heart.8And Yishai called Aminadab, and he passed before Shmuel: and he said, Neither has Elohim chosen this one.9And Yishai caused Sama to pass by: and he said, Neither has Elohim chosen this one.10And Yishai caused his seven sons to pass before Shmuel: and Shmuel said, Yahuah has not chosen these.11And Shmuel said to Yishai, Hast thou no more sons? And Yishai said, There is yet a little one; behold, he tends the flock. And Shmuel said to Yishai, Send and fetch him, for we may not sit down till he comes.12And he sent and fetched him: and he was ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and very goodly to behold. And Yahuah said to Shmuel, Arise, and anoint David, for he is good.13And Shmuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Ruach of Yahuah came upon David from that day forward: and Shmuel arose, and departed to Ramatayim.14And the Ruach of Yahuah departed from Sha'ul, and an evil spirit from Yahuah tormented him.15And Sha'ul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from Yahuah torments thee.16Let now thy servants speak before thee, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon thee and he shall play on his harp, that thou shalt be well, and he shall refresh thee.17And Sha'ul said to his servants, Look now out for me a skilful player, and bring him to me.18And one of his servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Yishai the Beit-Lechemite, and he understands playing on the harp, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and Yahuah is with him.19And Sha'ul sent messengers to Yishai, saying, Send to me thy son David who is with thy flock.20And Yishai took a homer of bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Sha'ul.21And David went in to Sha'ul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.22And Sha'ul sent to Yishai, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found grace in my eyes.23And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Sha'ul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand: and Sha'ul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.
Footnotes
the Ruach of Yahuah comes upon David and departs from Sha'ul, and David enters Sha'ul's service to play the harp
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 17
David and Goliath
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1Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Yahudah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-Dammim.2And Sha'ul and the men of Yisrael were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.3And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Yisrael stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.4And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.5And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail: and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.6And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.7And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.8And he stood and cried unto the armies of Yisrael, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Sha'ul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.9If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.10And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Yisrael this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.11When Sha'ul and all Yisrael heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.32And David said to Sha'ul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.33And Sha'ul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.34And David said unto Sha'ul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:35and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living Elohim.37David said moreover, Yahuah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Sha'ul said unto David, Go, and Yahuah be with thee.38And Sha'ul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.39And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Sha'ul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.40And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.41And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.42And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.44And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the Name of Yahuah of Tzeva'ot, the Elohim of the armies of Yisrael, whom thou hast defied.46This day will Yahuah deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is an Elohim in Yisrael.47And all this assembly shall know that Yahuah saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is Yahuah's, and he will give you into our hands.48And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.49And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.50So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.51Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.52And the men of Yisrael and of Yahudah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.53And the children of Yisrael returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.54And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem); but he put his armour in his tent.
Footnotes
the Philistine champion of Gath defies the armies of the living Elohim for forty days, until the shepherd David, coming in the Name of Yahuah of Tzeva'ot, fells him with a sling and a stone and cuts off his head
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 18
The women's song exalts David above Sha'ul
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1And there came out women in dances to meet David out of all the cities of Yisrael, with timbrels, and with rejoicing, and with cymbals.2And the women began the strain, and said, Sha'ul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands.3And it seemed evil in the eyes of Sha'ul concerning this matter, and he said, To David they have given ten thousands, and to me they have given thousands.4And Sha'ul was alarmed on account of David.5And he removed him from him, and made him a captain of a thousand for himself; and he went out and came in before the people.6And David was prudent in all his ways, and Yahuah was with him.7And Sha'ul saw that he was very wise, and he was afraid of him.8And all Yisrael and Yahudah loved David, because he came in and went out before the people.9And Melchol the daughter of Sha'ul loved David; and it was told Sha'ul, and the thing was pleasing in his eyes.10And Sha'ul said, I will give her to him, and she shall be a stumbling-block to him. Now the hand of the Philistines was against Sha'ul.11And Sha'ul charged his servants, saying, Speak ye privately to David, saying, Behold, the king delights in thee, and all his servants love thee, and do thou become the king's son-in-law.12And the servants of Sha'ul spoke these words in the ears of David; and David said, Is it a light thing in your eyes to become son-in-law to the king? whereas I am an humble man, and not honourable?13And the servants of Sha'ul reported to him according to these words, which David spoke.14And Sha'ul said, Thus shall ye speak to David, The king wants no gift but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to avenge himself on the king's enemies. Now Sha'ul thought to cast him into the hands of the Philistines.15And the servants of Sha'ul report these words to David, and David was well pleased to become the son-in-law to the king.16And David arose, and went, he and his men, and smote among the Philistines a hundred men: and he brought their foreskins, and he becomes the king's son-in-law, and Sha'ul gives him Melchol his daughter to wife.17And Sha'ul saw that Yahuah was with David, and that all Yisrael loved him.18And he was yet more afraid of David.
Footnotes
and Sha'ul — seeing that Yahuah is with David and all Yisrael loves him — grows afraid, and gives him Melchol his daughter, hoping the hand of the Philistines will fall on him
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 19
Yonatan pleads for David and Sha'ul swears he shall not die
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1And Sha'ul spoke to Yonatan his son, and to all his servants, to slay David.2And Yonatan, Sha'ul's son, loved David much: and Yonatan told David, saying, Sha'ul seeks to kill thee: take heed to thyself therefore to-morrow morning, and hide thyself, and dwell in secret.3And I will go forth, and stand near my father in the field where thou shalt be, and I will speak concerning thee to my father; and I will see what his answer may be, and I will tell thee.4And Yonatan spoke favourably concerning David to Sha'ul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against thy servant David, for he has not sinned against thee, and his deeds are very good.5And he put his life in his hand, and smote the Philistine, and Yahuah wrought a great deliverance; and all Yisrael saw, and rejoiced: why then dost thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?6And Sha'ul hearkened to the voice of Yonatan; and Sha'ul swore, saying, As Yahuah lives, he shall not die.7And Yonatan called David, and told him all these words; and Yonatan brought David in to Sha'ul, and he was before him as in former times.8And there was again war against Sha'ul; and David did valiantly, and fought against the Philistines, and smote them with a very great slaughter, and they fled from before him.9And an evil spirit from Elohim was upon Sha'ul, and he was resting in his house, and a spear was in his hand, and David was playing on the harp with his hands.10And Sha'ul sought to smite David with the spear; and David withdrew suddenly from the presence of Sha'ul; and he drove the spear into the wall; and David retreated and escaped.11And it came to pass in that night, that Sha'ul sent messengers to the house of David to watch him, in order to slay him in the morning; and Melchol David's wife told him, saying, Unless thou save thy life this night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain.12So Melchol lets David down by the window, and he departed, and fled, and escaped.13And Melchol took images, and laid them on the bed, and she put the liver of a goat by his head, and covered them with clothes.14And Sha'ul sent messengers to take David; and they say that he is sick.15And he sends to David, saying, Bring him to me on the bed, that I may slay him.16And the messengers come, and, behold, the images were on the bed, and the goat's liver at his head.17And Sha'ul said to Melchol, Why hast thou thus deceived me, and suffered my enemy to depart, and he has escaped? and Melchol said to Sha'ul, He said, Let me go, and if not, I will slay thee.18So David fled, and escaped, and comes to Shmuel to Ramatayim, and tells him all that Sha'ul had done to him: and Shmuel and David went, and dwelt in Navath in Rama.19And it was told Sha'ul, saying, Behold, David is in Navath in Rama.20And Sha'ul sent messengers to take David, and they saw the assembly of the prophets, and Shmuel stood as appointed over them; and the Ruach of Elohim came upon the messengers of Sha'ul, and they prophesy.21And it was told Sha'ul, and he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied: and Sha'ul sent again a third set of messengers, and they also prophesied.22And Sha'ul was very angry, and went himself also to Ramatayim, and he comes as far as the well of the threshing-floor that is in Sephi; and he asked and said, Where are Shmuel and David? and they said, Behold, in Navath in Rama.23And he went thence to Navath in Rama: and there came the Ruach of Elohim upon him also, and he went on prophesying till he came to Navath in Rama.24And he took off his clothes, and prophesied before them; and lay down naked all that day and all that night: therefore they said, Is Sha'ul also among the prophets?
Footnotes
yet the evil spirit returns and Sha'ul hurls the spear, Melchol lets David down through the window, and at Navath in Rama the Ruach of Elohim overtakes even Sha'ul's messengers and Sha'ul himself, so they prophesy
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 20
The covenant of Yonatan and David
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1And David fled from Navath in Rama, and comes into the presence of Yonatan; and he said, What have I done, and what is my fault, and wherein have I sinned before thy father, that he seeks my life?2And Yonatan said to him, Far be it from thee: thou shalt not die: behold, my father will not do any thing great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? this thing is not so.3And David answered Yonatan, and said, Thy father knows surely that I have found grace in thy sight, and he said, Let not Yonatan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but as Yahuah lives and thy nefesh lives, as I said, the space is filled up between me and death.4And Yonatan said to David, What does thy nefesh desire, and what shall I do for thee?5And David said to Yonatan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.6And if thy father do in anywise enquire for me, then shalt thou say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Beit-Lechem his city, for there is there a yearly sacrifice for all the family.7If he shall say thus, Well,—all is safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him.8And thou shalt deal mercifully with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a Beriyt of Yahuah with thyself: and if there is iniquity in thy servant, slay me thyself; but why dost thou thus bring me to thy father?9And Yonatan said, That be far from thee: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, although it should not be against thy cities, I will tell thee.10And David said to Yonatan, Who can tell me if thy father should answer roughly?11And Yonatan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.12And Yonatan said to David, Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, if good should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to thee to the field,13Elohim do so to Yonatan and more also: as I shall also report the evil to thee, and make it known to thee, and I will let thee go; and thou shalt depart in Shalom, and Yahuah shall be with thee, as he was with my father.14And if indeed I continue to live, then shalt thou deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,15thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house for ever: and if thou doest not, when Yahuah cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth,16should it happen that the name of Yonatan be discovered by the house of David, then let Yahuah seek out the enemies of David.17And Yonatan swore yet again to David, because he loved the nefesh of him that loved him.18And Yonatan said, To-morrow is the new moon, and thou wilt be enquired for, because thy seat will be observed as vacant.19And thou shalt stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shalt come to thy place where thou mayest hide thyself in the day of thy business, and thou shalt wait by that ergab.20And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.21And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow.22If I should expressly say to the lad, The arrow is here, and on this side of thee, take it; then come, for it is well with thee, and there is no reason for fear, as Yahuah lives: but if I should say thus to the young man, The arrow is on that side of thee, and beyond; go, for Yahuah hath sent thee away.23And as for the word which thou and I have spoken, behold, Yahuah is witness between me and thee for ever.24So David hides himself in the field, and the new month arrives, and the king comes to the table to eat.25And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Yonatan; and Abenner sat on one side of Sha'ul, and the place of David was empty.26And Sha'ul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.27And it came to pass on the morrow, on the second day of the month, that the place of David was empty; and Sha'ul said to Yonatan his son, Why has not the son of Yishai attended both yesterday and to-day at the table?28And Yonatan answered Sha'ul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Beit-Lechem his city;29and he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brethren have sent for me; and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, I will even go over and see my brethren: therefore he is not present at the table of the king.30And Sha'ul was exceedingly angry with Yonatan, and said to him, Thou son of traitorous damsels! for do I not know that thou art an accomplice with the son of Yishai to thy shame, and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness?31For so long as the son of Yishai lives upon the earth, thy kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die.32And Yonatan answered Sha'ul, Why is he to die? what has he done?33And Sha'ul lifted up his spear against Yonatan to slay him: so Yonatan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to slay David.34And Yonatan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined on mischief against him.35And morning came, and Yonatan went out to the field, as he appointed to do for a signal to David, and a little boy was with him.36And he said to the boy, Run, find me the arrows which I shoot: and the boy ran, and Yonatan shot an arrow, and sent it beyond him.37And the boy came to the place where the arrow was which Yonatan shot; and Yonatan cried out after the lad, and said, The arrow is on that side of thee and beyond thee.38And Yonatan cried out after his boy, saying, Make all speed, and stay not. And Yonatan's boy gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.39And the boy knew nothing, only Yonatan and David knew.40And Yonatan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.41And when the lad went in, then David arose from the argab, and fell upon his face, and did obeisance to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.42And Yonatan said to David, Go in Shalom, and as we have both sworn in the name of Yahuah, saying, Yahuah shall be witness between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever—even so let it be.
Footnotes
the sign of the new moon and the arrows in the field; Sha'ul's fury and hurled spear reveal his heart, and the two friends part in Shalom, bound by an oath in the name of Yahuah for ever
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 21
David at Nomba receives the kadosh loaves and the sword of Goliath from Abimelech the Kohen
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1And David arose and departed, and Yonatan went into the city.2And David comes to Nomba to Abimelech the Kohen: and Abimelech was amazed at meeting him, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and nobody with thee?3And David said to the Kohen, The king gave me a command to-day, and said to me, Let no one know the matter on which I send thee, and concerning which I have charged thee: and I have charged my servants to be in the place that is called, The faithfulness of Elohim, phellani maemoni.4And now if there are under thy hand five loaves, give into my hand what is ready.5And the Kohen answered David, and said, There are no common loaves under my hand, for I have none but kadosh loaves: if the young men have been kept at least from women, then they shall eat them.6And David answered the Kohen, and said to him, Yea, we have been kept from women for three days: when I came forth for the journey all the young men were purified; but this expedition is unclean, wherefore it shall be sanctified this day because of my weapons.7So Abimelech the Kohen gave him the shewbread; for there were no loaves there, but only the presence loaves which had been removed from the presence of Yahuah, in order that hot bread should be set on, on the day on which he took them.8And there was there on that day one of Sha'ul's servants detained before Yahuah, and his name was Doec the Syrian, tending the mules of Sha'ul.9And David said to Abimelech, See if there is here under thy hand spear or sword, for I have not brought in my hand my sword or my weapons, for the word of the king was urgent.10And the Kohen said, Behold the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou smotest in the valley of Ela; and it is wrapt in a cloth: if thou wilt take it, take it for thyself, for there is no other except it here. And David said, Behold, there is none like it; give it me.11And he gave it him; and David arose, and fled in that day from the presence of Sha'ul: and David came to Anchus king of Geth.12And the servants of Anchus said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did not the dancing women begin the song to him, saying, Sha'ul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands?13And David laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid of Anchus king of Geth.14And he changed his appearance before him, and feigned himself a false character in that day; and drummed upon the doors of the city, and used extravagant gestures with his hands, and fell against the doors of the gate, and his spittle ran down upon his beard.15And Anchus said to his servants, Lo! ye see the man is mad: why have ye brought him in to me?16Am I in want of madmen, that ye have brought him in to me to play the madman? he shall not come into the house.
Footnotes
then, fleeing to Anchus king of Geth, he feigns madness to escape
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 22
David gathers the distressed at the cave of Odollam and shelters his parents in Moab
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1And David departed thence, and escaped; and he comes to the cave of Odollam, and his brethren hear, and the house of his father, and they go down to him there.2And there gathered to him every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was troubled in mind; and he was a leader over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.3And David departed thence to Massephath of Moab, and said to the king of Moab, Let, I pray thee, my father and my mother be with thee, until I know what Elohim will do to me.4And he persuaded the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him continually, while David was in the hold.5And Gad the prophet said to David, Dwell not in the hold: go, and thou shalt enter the land of Yahudah. So David went, and came and dwelt in the city of Saric.6And Sha'ul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him: now Sha'ul dwelt in the hill below the field that is in Rama, and his spear was in his hand, and all his servants stood near him.7And Sha'ul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye sons of Binyamin, will the son of Yishai indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands?8that ye are all conspiring against me, and there is no one that informs me, whereas my son has made a Beriyt with the son of Yishai, and there is no one of you that is sorry for me, or informs me that my son has stirred up my servant against me for an enemy, as it is this day?9And Doec the Syrian who was over the mules of Sha'ul answered and said, I saw the son of Yishai as he came to Nomba to Abimelech son of Achitob the Kohen.10And the Kohen enquired of Elohim for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.11And the king sent to call Abimelech son of Achitob and all his father's sons, the Kohanim that were in Nomba; and they all came to the king.12And Sha'ul said, Hear now, thou son of Achitob. And he said, Lo! I am here, speak, my lord.13And Sha'ul said to him, Why have thou and the son of Yishai conspired against me, that thou shouldest give him bread and a sword, and shouldest enquire of Elohim for him, to raise him up against me as an enemy, as he is this day?14And he answered the king, and said, And who is there among all thy servants faithful as David, and he is a son-in-law of the king, and he is executor of all thy commands, and is honourable in thy house?15Have I begun to-day to enquire of Elohim for him? by no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant, and against the whole of my father's house; for thy servant knew not in all these matters anything great or small.16And king Sha'ul said, Thou shalt surely die, Abimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.17And the king said to the footmen that attended on him, Draw nigh and slay the Kohanim of Yahuah, because their hand is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and they did not inform me. But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to fall upon the Kohanim of Yahuah.18And the king said to Doec, Turn thou, and fall upon the Kohanim: and Doec the Syrian turned, and slew the Kohanim of Yahuah in that day, three hundred and five men, all wearing an ephod.19And he smote Nomba the city of the Kohanim with the edge of the sword, both man and woman, infant and suckling, and calf, and ox, and sheep.20And one son of Abimelech son of Achitob escapes, and his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David.21And Abiathar told David that Sha'ul had slain all the Kohanim of Yahuah.22And David said to Abiathar, I knew it in that day, that Doec the Syrian would surely tell Sha'ul: I am guilty of the death of the house of thy father.23Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever I shall seek a place of safety for my life, I will also seek a place for thy life, for thou art safely guarded while with me.
Footnotes
Doec the Syrian betrays Abimelech, and Sha'ul slaughters the Kohanim of Yahuah at Nomba — only Abiathar escaping to David
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 23
David saves Keila from the Philistines by the word of Yahuah
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1And it was told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines war in Keila, and they rob, they trample on the threshing-floors.2And David enquired of Yahuah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Yahuah said, Go, and thou shalt smite these Philistines, and shalt save Keila.3And the men of David said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Yahudah; and how shall it be if we go to Keila? shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?4And David enquired yet again of Yahuah; and Yahuah answered him, and said to him, Arise and go down to Keila, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hands.5So David and his men with him went to Keila, and fought with the Philistines; and they fled from before him, and he carried off their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter, and David rescued the inhabitants of Keila.6And it came to pass when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keila, having an ephod in his hand.7And it was told Sha'ul that David was come to Keila: and Sha'ul said, Elohim has sold him into my hands, for he is shut up, having entered into a city that has gates and bars.8And Sha'ul charged all the people to go down to war to Keila, to besiege David and his men.9And David knew that Sha'ul spoke openly of mischief against him: and David said to Abiathar the Kohen, Bring the ephod of Yahuah.10And David said, Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, thy servant has indeed heard, that Sha'ul seeks to come against Keila to destroy the city on my account.11Will the place be shut up? and now will Sha'ul come down, as thy servant has heard? Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, tell thy servant. And Yahuah said, It will be shut up.12And David arose, and the men with him, in number about four hundred, and they went forth from Keila, and went whithersoever they could go: and it was told Sha'ul that David had escaped from Keila, and he forbore to come.13And he dwelt in Maserem in the wilderness, in the narrow passes; and dwelt in the wilderness in mount Ziph, in the dry country. And Sha'ul sought him continually, but Yahuah delivered him not into his hands.14And David perceived that Sha'ul went forth to seek David; and David was in the dry mountain in the New Ziph.15And Yonatan son of Sha'ul rose, and went to David to Cæne, and strengthened his hands in Yahuah.16And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Sha'ul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Yisrael, and I shall be second to thee; and Sha'ul my father knows it.17So they both made a Beriyt before Yahuah; and David dwelt in Cæne, and Yonatan went to his home.18And the Ziphites came up out of the dry country to Sha'ul to the hill, saying, Behold, is not David hidden with us in Messara, in the narrows in Cæne in the hill of Echela, which is on the right of Jessæmon?19And now according to all the king's desire to come down, let him come down to us; they have shut him up into the hands of the king.20And Sha'ul said to them, Blessed be ye of Yahuah, for ye have been grieved on my account.21Go, I pray you, and make preparations yet, and notice his place where his foot shall be, quickly, in that place which ye spoke of, lest by any means he should deal craftily.22Take notice, then, and learn, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass that if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Yahudah.23And the Ziphites arose, and went before Sha'ul: and David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, westward, to the right of Jessæmon.24And Sha'ul and his men went to seek him: and they brought word to David, and he went down to the rock that was in the wilderness of Maon: and Sha'ul heard, and followed after David to the wilderness of Maon.25And Sha'ul and his men go on one side of the mountain, and David and his men are on the other side of the mountain: and David was hiding himself to escape from Sha'ul: and Sha'ul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them.26And there came a messenger to Sha'ul, saying, Haste thee, and come hither, for the Philistines have invaded the land.27So Sha'ul returned from following after David, and went to meet the Philistines: therefore that place was called The divided Rock.
Footnotes
yet must flee Sha'ul through the wildernesses of Ziph and Maon; Yonatan strengthens his hand in Yahuah and they make a Beriyt, until a Philistine raid draws Sha'ul away at the Divided Rock
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 24
In the cave at Engaddi David spares Sha'ul, cutting only the skirt of his robe
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1And David rose up from thence, and dwelt in the narrow passes of Engaddi.2And it came to pass when Sha'ul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, David is in the wilderness of Engaddi.3And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Yisrael, and went to seek David and his men in front of Saddæem.4And he came to the flocks of sheep that were by the way, and there was a cave there; and Sha'ul went in to make preparation, and David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave.5And the men of David said to him, Behold, this is the day of which Yahuah spoke to thee, that he would deliver thine enemy into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as it is good in thy sight. So David arose and cut off the skirt of Sha'ul's garment secretly.6And it came to pass after this that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the skirt of his garment.7And David said to his men, Yahuah forbid it me, that I should do this thing to my lord the Mashiach of Yahuah, to lift my hand against him; for he is the Mashiach of Yahuah.8So David persuaded his men by his words, and did not suffer them to arise and slay Sha'ul: and Sha'ul arose and went his way.9And David rose up and went after him out of the cave: and David cried after Sha'ul, saying, My lord, O king! and Sha'ul looked behind him, and David bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance to him.10And David said to Sha'ul, Why dost thou hearken to the words of the people, saying, Behold, David seeks thy life?11Behold, thine eyes have seen this day how that Yahuah has delivered thee this day into my hands in the cave; and I would not slay thee, but spared thee, and said, I will not lift up my hand against my lord, for he is Yahuah's Mashiach.12And behold, the skirt of thy mantle is in my hand, I cut off the skirt, and did not slay thee: know then and see to-day, there is no evil in my hand, nor impiety, nor rebellion; and I have not sinned against thee, yet thou layest snares for my nefesh to take it.13Yahuah judge between me and thee, and Yahuah requite thee on thyself: but my hand shall not be upon thee.14As the old proverb says, Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones: but my hand shall not be upon thee.15And now after whom dost thou come forth, O king of Yisrael? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, and after a flea?16Yahuah be judge and umpire between me and thee, Yahuah look upon and judge my cause, and rescue me out of thy hand.17And it came to pass when David had finished speaking these words to Sha'ul, that Sha'ul said, Is this thy voice, son David? and Sha'ul lifted up his voice, and wept.18And Sha'ul said to David, Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast recompensed me good, but I have recompensed thee evil.19And thou hast told me to-day what good thou hast done me, how Yahuah shut me up into thy hands to-day, and thou didst not slay me.20And if any one should find his enemy in distress, and should send him forth in a good way, then Yahuah will reward him good, as thou hast done this day.21And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely reign, and the kingdom of Yisrael shall be established in thy hand.22Now then swear to me by Yahuah, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, that thou wilt not blot out my name from the house of my father.23So David swore to Sha'ul: and Sha'ul departed to his place, and David and his men went up to the strong-hold of Messera.
Footnotes
'I will not lift my hand against the Mashiach of Yahuah' — and Sha'ul weeps, confessing David's righteousness and that the kingdom shall be his
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 25
The death of Shmuel
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1And Shmuel died, and all Yisrael assembled, and bewailed him, and they bury him in his house in Ramatayim: and David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Maon.2And there was a man in Maon, and his flocks were in Carmel, and he was a very great man; and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand she-goats: and he happened to be shearing his flock in Carmel.3And the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigaia: and his wife was of good understanding and very beautiful in person: but the man was harsh and evil in his doings, and the man was churlish.4And David heard in the wilderness, that Nabal the Carmelite was shearing his sheep.5And David sent ten young men, and he said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name how he is.6And thus shall ye say, May thou and thy house seasonably prosper, and all thine be in prosperity.7And now, behold, I have heard that thy shepherds who were with us in the wilderness are shearing thy sheep, and we hindered them not, neither did we demand any thing from them all the time they were in Carmel.8Ask thy servants, and they will tell thee. Let then thy servants find grace in thine eyes, for we are come on a good day; give, we pray thee, whatsoever thy hand may find, to thy son David.9So the servants come and speak these words to Nabal, according to all these words in the name of David.10And Nabal sprang up, and answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Yishai? now-a-days there is abundance of servants who depart every one from his master.11And shall I take my bread, and my wine, and my beasts that I have slain for my shearers, and shall I give them to men of whom I know not whence they are?12So the servants of David turned back, and returned, and came and reported to David according to these words.13And David said to his men, Gird on every man his sword. And they went up after David, about four hundred men: and two hundred abode with the stuff.14And one of the servants reported to Abigaia the wife of Nabal, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our lord; but he turned away from them.15And the men were very good to us; they did not hinder us, neither did they demand from us any thing all the days that we were with them.16And when we were in the field, they were as a wall round about us, both by night and by day, all the days that we were with them feeding the flock.17And now do thou consider, and see what thou wilt do; for mischief is determined against our lord and against his house; and he is a vile character, and one cannot speak to him.18And Abigaia hasted, and took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five ephahs of fine flour, and one homer of dried grapes, and two hundred cakes of figs, and put them upon asses.19And she said to her servants, Go on before me, and behold I come after you: but she told not her husband.20And it came to pass when she had mounted her ass and was going down by the covert of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down to meet her, and she met them.21And David said, Perhaps I have kept all his possessions in the wilderness that he should wrong me, and we did not order the taking any thing of all his goods; yet he has rewarded me evil for good.22So Elohim do to David and more also, if I leave one male of all that belong to Nabal until the morning.23And Abigaia saw David, and she hasted, and alighted from her ass; and she fell before David on her face, and did obeisance to him, bowing to the ground24even to his feet, and said, On me, my lord, be my wrong: let, I pray thee, thy servant speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy servant.25Let not my lord, I pray thee, take to heart this pestilent man, for according to his name, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thy handmaid saw not the servants of my lord whom thou didst send.26And now, my lord, as Yahuah lives, and thy nefesh lives, as Yahuah has kept thee from coming against innocent blood, and from executing vengeance for thyself, now therefore let thine enemies, and those that seek evil against my lord, become as Nabal.27And now accept this token of goodwill, which thy servant has brought to my lord, and thou shalt give it to the servants that wait on my lord.28Remove, I pray thee, the trespass of thy servant; for Yahuah will surely make for my lord a sure house, for Yahuah fights the battles of my lord, and there shall no evil be ever found in thee.29And if a man shall rise up persecuting thee and seeking thy life, yet shall the life of my lord be bound up in the bundle of life with Yahuah Elohim, and thou shalt whirl the life of thine enemies as in the midst of a sling.30And it shall be when Yahuah shall have wrought for my lord all the good things he has spoken concerning thee, and shall appoint thee to be ruler over Yisrael;31then this shall not be an abomination and offence to my lord, to have shed innocent blood without cause, and for my lord to have avenged himself: and so may Yahuah do good to my lord, and thou shalt remember thine handmaid to do her good.32And David said to Abigaia, Blessed be Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael, who sent thee this very day to meet me:33and blessed be thy conduct, and blessed be thou, who hast hindered me this very day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself.34But surely as Yahuah Elohim of Yisrael lives, who hindered me this day from doing thee harm, if thou hadst not hasted and come to meet me, then I said, There shall surely not be left to Nabal till the morning one male.35And David took of her hand all that she brought to him, and said to her, Go in Shalom to thy house: see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and accepted thy petition.36And Abigaia came to Nabal: and, behold, he had a banquet in his house, as the banquet of a king, and the heart of Nabal was merry within him, and he was very drunken: and she told him nothing great or small till the morning light.37And it came to pass in the morning, when Nabal recovered from his wine, his wife told him these words; and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.38And it came to pass after about ten days, that Yahuah smote Nabal, and he died.39And David heard it and said, Blessed be Yahuah, who has judged the cause of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and has delivered his servant from the power of evil; and Yahuah has returned the mischief of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and spoke concerning Abigaia, to take her to himself for a wife.40So the servants of David came to Abigaia to Carmel, and spoke to her, saying, David has sent us to thee, to take thee to himself for a wife.41And she arose, and did reverence with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, thy servant is for an handmaid to wash the feet of thy servants.42And Abigaia arose, and mounted her ass, and five damsels followed her: and she went after the servants of David, and became his wife.43And David took Achinaam out of Jezrael, and they were both his wives.44And Sha'ul gave Melchol his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Amis who was of Romma.
Footnotes
Nabal the Carmelite churlishly refuses David, but his wise wife Abigaia meets David with gifts and stays his hand from blood — and when Yahuah smites Nabal, David takes Abigaia to wife
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 26
A second time David spares Sha'ul
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1And the Ziphites come out of the dry country to Sha'ul to the hill, saying, Behold, David hides himself with us in the hill Echela, opposite Jessemon.2And Sha'ul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him went three thousand men chosen out of Yisrael, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.3And Sha'ul encamped in the hill of Echela in front of Jessemon, by the way, and David dwelt in the wilderness: and David saw that Sha'ul came after him into the wilderness.4And David sent spies, and ascertained that Sha'ul was come prepared out of Keila.5And David arose secretly, and goes into the place where Sha'ul was sleeping, and there was Abenner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Sha'ul was sleeping in a chariot, and the people had encamped round about him.6And David answered and spoke to Abimelech the Chettite, and to Abessa the son of Saruia the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go in with me to Sha'ul into the camp? And Abessa said, I will go in with thee.7So David and Abessa go in among the people by night: and behold, Sha'ul was fast asleep in the chariot, and his spear was stuck in the ground near his head, and Abenner and his people slept round about him.8And Abessa said to David, Yahuah has this day shut up thine enemy into thine hands, and now I will smite him to the earth with the spear to the ground once for all, and I will not smite him again.9And David said to Abessa, Do not lay him low, for who shall lift up his hand against the Mashiach of Yahuah, and be guiltless?10And David said, As Yahuah lives, if Yahuah smite him not, or his day come and he die, or he go down to battle and be added to his fathers, do not so.11Yahuah forbid it me that I should lift up my hand against the Mashiach of Yahuah: and now take, I pray thee, the spear from his bolster, and the pitcher of water, and let us return home.12So David took the spear, and the pitcher of water from his bolster, and they went home: and there was no one that saw, and no one that knew, and there was no one that awoke, all being asleep, for a stupor from Yahuah had fallen upon them.13So David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, and there was a good distance between them.14And David called to the people, and spoke to Abenner, saying, Wilt thou not answer, Abenner? and Abenner answered and said, Who art thou that callest?15And David said to Abenner, Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Yisrael? Why then dost thou not guard thy lord the king? for one out of the people went in to destroy thy lord the king.16And this thing is not good which thou hast done. As Yahuah lives, ye are worthy of death, ye who guard your lord the king, the Mashiach of Yahuah: and now behold, I pray you, the spear of the king, and the cruse of water: where are the articles that should be at his head?17And Sha'ul recognised the voice of David, and said, Is this thy voice, son David? and David said, I am thy servant, my lord, O king.18And he said, Why does my lord thus pursue after his servant? for in what have I sinned? and what unrighteousness has been found in me?19And now let my lord the king hear the word of his servant. If Elohim stirs thee up against me, let thine offering be acceptable: but if the sons of men, they are cursed before Yahuah, for they have cast me out this day so that I should not be established in the Nachalah of Yahuah, saying, Go, serve other gods.20And now let not my blood fall to the ground before Yahuah, for the king of Yisrael has come forth to seek thy life, as the night hawk pursues its prey in the mountains.21And Sha'ul said, I have sinned: turn, son David, for I will not hurt thee, because my life was precious in thine eyes; and to-day I have been foolish and have erred exceedingly.22And David answered and said, Behold, the spear of the king: let one of the servants come over and take it.23And Yahuah shall recompense each according to his righteousness and his Emet, since Yahuah delivered thee this day into my hands, and I would not lift my hand against Yahuah's Mashiach.24And, behold, as thy life has been precious this very day in my eyes, so let my life be precious before Yahuah, and may he protect me, and deliver me out of all affliction.25And Sha'ul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son; and thou shalt surely do valiantly, and surely prevail. And David went on his way, and Sha'ul returned to his place.
Footnotes
he and Abessa take the spear and water-cruse from beside the sleeping king, for 'who shall lift up his hand against the Mashiach of Yahuah and be guiltless?' — and Sha'ul again confesses his sin
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 27
David takes refuge with Anchus king of Geth
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1And David said in his heart, Now shall I be one day delivered for death into the hands of Sha'ul; and there is no good thing for me unless I should escape into the land of the Philistines, and Sha'ul should cease from seeking me through every coast of Yisrael: so I shall escape out of his hand.2So David arose, and the six hundred men that were with him, and he went to Anchus, son of Ammach, king of Geth.3And David dwelt with Anchus, he and his men, each with his family; and David and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.4And it was told Sha'ul that David had fled to Geth; and he no longer sought after him.5And David said to Anchus, If now thy servant has found grace in thine eyes, let them give me, I pray thee, a place in one of the cities in the country, and I will dwell there: for why does thy servant dwell with thee in a royal city?6And he gave him Sekelac in that day: therefore Sekelac came into possession of the king of Yahudah to this day.7And the number of the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was four months.8And David and his men went up, and made an attack on all the Gesirites and on the Amalekites: and behold, the land was inhabited, (even the land from Gelampsur) by those who come from the fortified cities even to the land of Mitzrayim.9And he smote the land, and saved neither man nor woman alive; and they took flocks, and herds, and asses, and camels, and raiment; and they returned and came to Anchus.10And Anchus said to David, On whom have ye made an attack to-day? And David said to Anchus, On the south of Yahudah, and on the south of Jesmega, and on the south of the Kenezite.11And I have not saved man or woman alive to bring them to Geth, saying, Lest they carry a report to Geth against us, saying, These things David does. And this was his manner all the days that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines.12So David had the full confidence of Anchus, who said, He is thoroughly disgraced among his people in Yisrael, and he shall be my servant for ever.
Footnotes
who gives him Sekelac; from there he raids the Gesirites and Amalekites, concealing his deeds so that Anchus trusts him wholly
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 28
Sha'ul, forsaken by Yahuah and facing the Philistines at Gelbue, seeks out the medium at Aendor
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1And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together with their armies to go out to fight with Yisrael; and Anchus said to David, Know surely, that thou shalt go forth to battle with me, thou, and thy men.2And David said to Anchus, Thus now thou shalt know what thy servant will do. And Anchus said to David, So will I make thee captain of my body-guard continually.3And Shmuel died, and all Yisrael lamented for him, and they bury him in his city, in Ramatayim. And Sha'ul had removed those who had in them divining spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.4And the Philistines assemble themselves, and come and encamp in Sonam: and Sha'ul gathers all the men of Yisrael, and they encamp in Gelbue.5And Sha'ul saw the camp of the Philistines, and he was alarmed, and his heart was greatly dismayed.6And Sha'ul enquired of Yahuah; and Yahuah answered him not by dreams, nor by manifestations, nor by prophets.7Then Sha'ul said to his servants, Seek for me a woman who has in her a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and enquire of her: and his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman who has in her a divining spirit at Aendor.8And Sha'ul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he goes, and two men with him, and they come to the woman by night; and he said to her, Divine to me, I pray thee, by the divining spirit within thee, and bring up to me him whom I shall name to thee.9And the woman said to him, Behold now, thou knowest what Sha'ul has done, how he has cut off those who had in them divining spirits, and the wizards from the land, and why dost thou spread a snare for my life to destroy it?10And Sha'ul swore to her, and said, As Yahuah lives, no injury shall come upon thee on this account.11And the woman said, Whom shall I bring up to thee? and he said, Bring up to me Shmuel.12And the woman saw Shmuel, and cried out with a loud voice: and the woman said to Sha'ul, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Sha'ul.13And the king said to her, Fear not; tell me whom thou hast seen. And the woman said to him, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.14And he said to her, What didst thou perceive? and she said to him, An upright man ascending out of the earth, and he was clothed with a mantle. And Sha'ul knew that this was Shmuel, and he stooped with his face to the earth, and did obeisance to him.15And Shmuel said, Why hast thou troubled me, that I should come up? And Sha'ul said, I am greatly distressed, and the Philistines war against me, and Elohim has departed from me, and no longer hearkens to me either by the hand of prophets or by dreams: and now I have called thee to tell me what I shall do.16And Shmuel said, Why askest thou me, whereas Yahuah has departed from thee, and taken part with thy neighbour?17And Yahuah has done to thee, as Yahuah spoke by me; and Yahuah will rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and will give it to thy neighbour David,18because thou didst not hearken to the voice of Yahuah, and didst not execute his fierce anger upon Amalec, therefore Yahuah has done this thing to thee this day.19And Yahuah shall deliver Yisrael with thee into the hands of the Philistines, and to-morrow thou and thy sons with thee shall fall, and Yahuah shall deliver the army of Yisrael into the hands of the Philistines.20And Sha'ul instantly fell at his full length upon the earth, and was greatly afraid because of the words of Shmuel; and there was no longer any strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all that day, and all that night.21And the woman went in to Sha'ul, and saw that he was greatly disquieted, and said to him, Behold now, thine handmaid has hearkened to thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have heard the words which thou hast spoken to me.22And now hearken, I pray thee, to the voice of thine handmaid, and I will set before thee a morsel of bread, and eat, and thou shalt be strengthened, for thou wilt be going on thy way.23But he would not eat; so his servants and the woman constrained him, and he hearkened to their voice, and rose up from the earth, and sat upon a bench.24And the woman had a fat heifer in the house; and she hasted and slew it; and she took meal and kneaded it, and baked unleavened cakes.25And she brought the meat before Sha'ul, and before his servants; and they ate, and rose up, and departed that night.
Footnotes
she brings up Shmuel, who foretells that the kingdom is torn away and that Sha'ul and his sons shall fall on the morrow
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 29
The lords of the Philistines distrust David and send him back from Aphec
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1And the Philistines gather all their armies to Aphec, and Yisrael encamped in Aendor, which is in Jezrael.2And the lords of the Philistines went on by hundreds and thousands, and David and his men went on in the rear with Anchus.3And the lords of the Philistines said, Who are these that pass by? And Anchus said to the captains of the Philistines, Is not this David the servant of Sha'ul king of Yisrael? he has been with us some time, even this second year, and I have not found any fault in him from the day that he attached himself to me even until this day.4And the captains of the Philistines were displeased at him, and they say to him, Send the man away, and let him return to his place, where thou didst set him; and let him not come with us to the war, and let him not be a traitor in the camp: and wherewith will he be reconciled to his master? will it not be with the heads of those men?5Is not this David whom they celebrated in dances, saying, Sha'ul has smitten his thousands, and David his ten thousands?6And Anchus called David, and said to him, As Yahuah lives, thou art right and approved in my eyes, and so is thy going out and thy coming in with me in the army, and I have not found any evil to charge against thee from the day that thou camest to me until this day: but thou art not approved in the eyes of the lords.7Now then return and go in Shalom, thus thou shalt not do evil in the sight of the lords of the Philistines.8And David said to Anchus, What have I done to thee? and what hast thou found in thy servant from the first day that I was before thee even until this day, that I should not come and war against the enemies of the lord my king?9And Anchus answered David, I know that thou art good in my eyes, but the lords of the Philistines say, He shall not come with us to the war.10Now then rise up early in the morning, thou and the servants of thy lord that are come with thee, and go to the place where I appointed you, and entertain no evil thought in thy heart, for thou art good in my sight: and rise early for your journey when it is light, and depart.11So David arose early, he and his men, to depart and guard the land of the Philistines: and the Philistines went up to Jezrael to battle.
Footnotes
so that he is spared from fighting against Yisrael; Anchus dismisses him in Shalom
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 30
David finds Sekelac burned and his people taken by Amalec
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1And it came to pass when David and his men had entered Sekelac on the third day, that Amalec had made an incursion upon the south, and upon Sekelac, and smitten Sekelac, and burnt it with fire.2And as to the women and all things that were in it, great and small, they slew neither man nor woman, but carried them captives, and went on their way.3And David and his men came into the city, and, behold, it was burnt with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were carried captive.4And David and his men lifted up their voice, and wept till there was no longer any power within them to weep.5And both the wives of David were carried captive, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.6And David was greatly distressed, because the people spoke of stoning him, because the nefesh of all the people was grieved, each for his sons and his daughters: but David strengthened himself in Yahuah his Elohim.7And David said to Abiathar the Kohen the son of Achimelech, Bring near the ephod.8And David enquired of Yahuah, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? and he said to him, Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and thou shalt surely rescue the captives.9So David went, he and the six hundred men with him, and they come as far as the brook Bosor, and the superfluous ones stopped.10And he pursued them with four hundred men; and there remained behind two hundred men, who tarried on the other side of the brook Bosor.11And they find an Egyptian in the field, and they take him, and bring him to David; and they gave him bread and he ate, and they caused him to drink water.12And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and he ate, and his spirit was restored in him; for he had not eaten bread, and had not drunk water three days and three nights.13And David said to him, Whose art thou? and whence art thou? and the young man the Egyptian said, I am the servant of an Amalekite; and my master left me, because I was taken ill three days ago.14And we made an incursion on the south of the Chelethite, and on the parts of Yahudah, and on the south of Chelub, and we burnt Sekelac with fire.15And David said to him, Wilt thou bring me down to this troop? and he said, Swear now to me by Elohim, that thou wilt not kill me, and that thou wilt not deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down upon this troop.16So he brought him down thither, and behold, they were scattered abroad upon the surface of the whole land, eating and drinking, and feasting by reason of all the great spoils which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Yahudah.17And David came upon them, and smote them from the morning till the evening, and on the next day; and not one of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who were mounted on camels, and fled.18And David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and he rescued both his wives.19And nothing was wanting to them of great or small, either of the spoils, or the sons and daughters, or anything that they had taken of theirs; and David recovered all.20And he took all the flocks, and the herds, and led them away before the spoils: and it was said of these spoils, These are the spoils of David.21And David comes to the two hundred men who were left behind that they should not follow after David, and he had caused them to remain by the brook of Bosor; and they came forth to meet David, and to meet his people with him: and David drew near to the people, and they asked him how he did.22Then every ill-disposed and bad man of the soldiers who had gone with David, answered and said, Because they did not pursue together with us, we will not give them of the spoils which we have recovered, only let each one lead away with him his wife and his children, and let them return.23And David said, Ye shall not do so, after Yahuah has delivered the enemy to us, and guarded us, and Yahuah has delivered into our hands the troop that came against us.24And who will hearken to these your words? for they are not inferior to us; for according to the portion of him that went down to the battle, so shall be the portion of him that abides with the baggage; they shall share alike.25And it came to pass from that day forward, that it became an ordinance and a custom in Yisrael until this day.26And David came to Sekelac, and sent of the spoils to the elders of Yahudah, and to his friends, saying, Behold some of the spoils of the enemies of Yahuah;27to those in Bæthsur, and to those in Rama of the south, and to those in Gethor.28And to those in Aroer, and to those in Ammadi, and to those in Saphi, and to those in Esthie,29and to those in Geth, and to those in Cimath, and to those in Saphec, and to those in Themath,30and to those in Carmel, and to those in the cities of Jeremeel, and to those in the cities of the Kenezite;31and to those in Jerimuth, and to those in Bersabee, and to those in Nombe,32and to those in Chebron, and to all the places which David and his men had passed through.
Footnotes
strengthening himself in Yahuah his Elohim, he pursues by way of the brook Bosor, recovers all, and decrees that those who guard the baggage share the spoil alike
1 Shemu'el (1 Samuel)—Chapter 31
The last battle on Gelbue
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1And the Philistines fought with Yisrael: and the men of Yisrael fled from before the Philistines, and they fall down wounded in the mountain of Gelbue.2And the Philistines press closely on Sha'ul and his sons, and the Philistines smite Yonatan, and Aminadab, and Melchisa son of Sha'ul.3And the battle prevails against Sha'ul, and the shooters with arrows, even the archers find him, and he was wounded under the ribs.4And Sha'ul said to his armour-bearer, Draw thy sword and pierce me through with it; lest these uncircumcised come and pierce me through, and mock me. But his armour-bearer would not, for he feared greatly: so Sha'ul took his sword and fell upon it.5And his armour-bearer saw that Sha'ul was dead, and he fell also himself upon his sword, and died with him.6So Sha'ul died, and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, in that day together.7And the men of Yisrael who were on the other side of the valley, and those beyond Jordan, saw that the men of Yisrael fled, and that Sha'ul and his sons were dead; and they leave their cities and flee: and the Philistines come and dwell in them.8And it came to pass on the morrow that the Philistines come to strip the dead, and they find Sha'ul and his three sons fallen on the mountains of Gelbue.9And they turned him, and stripped off his armour, and sent it into the land of the Philistines, sending round glad tidings to their idols and to the people.10And they set up his armour at the temple of Astarte, and they fastened his body on the wall of Bæthsam.11And the inhabitants of Jabis Galaad hear what the Philistines did to Sha'ul.12And they rose up, even every man of might, and marched all night, and took the body of Sha'ul and the body of Yonatan his son from the wall of Bæthsam; and they bring them to Jabis, and burn them there.13And they take their bones, and bury them in the field that is in Jabis, and fast seven days.
Footnotes
Yonatan and his brothers fall, and Sha'ul, wounded and unwilling to be taken by the uncircumcised, falls upon his own sword; the men of Jabis Galaad recover the bodies from the wall of Bæthsam and bury their bones