The Philistines Return the Ark

6 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land^[a] of the Philistines for seven months,^{[b] 2} the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place.”

³ They replied, “If you are going to send the ark of^[c] the God of Israel back, don’t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand has not been removed from you.” ⁴ They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?”

They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders. ⁵ You should make images of the sores and images of the mice^[d] that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land.^{[e] 6} Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?^[f] When God^[g] treated them harshly, didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way?^{[h] 7} So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart, and take their calves from them back to their stalls.

Israel Seeks a King

8 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. ² The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. ³ But his sons did not follow^[a] his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.^[b]

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead^[c] us, just like all the other nations have.”

⁶ But this request displeased Samuel, for^[d] they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you.^[e] For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. ⁸ Just as they have done^[f] from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. ⁹ So now do as they say.^[g] But you must warn^[h] them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.”^[i]

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. ¹² He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties,^[j] as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his own servants. ¹⁵ He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators^[k] and his servants. ¹⁶ He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. ¹⁷ He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. ¹⁸ In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.”^[l]

¹⁹ But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning.^[m] Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! ²⁰ We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us^[n] and fight our battles.”

²¹ So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.^{[o] 22} The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say^[p] and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”

Samuel Meets with Saul

9 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. Kish was a prominent person. ² He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.

³ The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off,^[q] so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go^[r] look for the donkeys.”^{[s] 4} So Saul^[t] crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” ⁶ But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.^[u] Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.”^{[v] 7} So Saul said to his servant, “All right,^[w] we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel^[x] of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.”^{[y] 9} (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) ¹⁰ So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea!^[z] Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” ¹² They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. ¹³ When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for^[aa] this is the time when you can find him.”

¹⁴ So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction^[ab] to go up to the high place. ¹⁵ Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told^[ac] Samuel: ¹⁶ “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate^[ad] him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me.”

¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said,^[ae] “Here is the man that I told you about. He will rule over my people.” ¹⁸ As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

¹⁹ Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking.^{[af] 20} Don’t be concerned^[ag] about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?”^[ah]

²¹ Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the clans in the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”

²² Then Samuel brought^[ai] Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. ²³ Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you—the one I asked you to keep with you.”

²⁴ So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel^[aj] said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶ They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them—he and Samuel—went outside. ²⁷ While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did.^[ak] Samuel then said,^[al] “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”