Saul said to the Kenites, &#8220;Go on and leave! Go down from among the Amalekites! Otherwise I will sweep you away<n id="1" /> with them! After all, you were kind to all the Israelites when they came up from Egypt.&#8221; So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.p>

But if my father intends to do you harm, may the <sc>Lordsc> do all this and more to Jonathan, if I don&#8217;t let you know<n id="1" /> and send word to you so you can go safely on your way.<n id="2" /> May the <sc>Lordsc> be with you, as he was with my father.

The <sc>Lordsc> will hand you and Israel over to the Philistines!<n id="1" /> Tomorrow both you and your sons will be with me.<n id="2" /> The <sc>Lordsc> will also hand the army<n id="3" /> of Israel over to the Philistines!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Eli replied, &#8220;Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.&#8221;

Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah<n id="1" /> of flour, and a container<n id="2" /> of wine. She brought him to the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s house at Shiloh, even though he was young.<n id="3" />

She said, &#8220;Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the <sc>Lordsc>.

So the <sc>Lordsc> graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sanctuary.<n id="1" />p>

Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your<n id="1" /> eyes to fail<n id="2" /> and will cause you grief.<n id="3" /> All of those born to your family<n id="4" /> will die in the prime of life.<n id="5" />

<p class="bodytext">When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, &#8220;Come on, let&#8217;s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!&#8221;

Samuel said to the cook, &#8220;Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you &#8211; the one I asked you to keep with you.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you.<n id="1" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">As Saul<n id="1" /> turned<n id="2" /> to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person.<n id="3" /> All these signs happened on that very day.

However, fear the <sc>Lordsc> and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you!

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel set out and went up from Gilgal<n id="1" /> to Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin.<n id="2" /> Saul mustered the army that remained with him; there were about six hundred men.

<p class="bodytext">Now Saul was sitting under a pomegranate tree in Migron, on the outskirts of Gibeah. The army that was with him numbered about six hundred men.

His armor bearer said to him, &#8220;Do everything that is on your mind.<n id="1" /> Do as you&#8217;re inclined. I&#8217;m with you all the way!&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

So Saul said to the army that was with him, &#8220;Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.&#8221; When they mustered the troops,<n id="1" /> Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

<p class="bodytext">Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;I will not go back with you, for you have rejected the word of the <sc>Lordsc>, and the <sc>Lordsc> has rejected you from being king over Israel!&#8221;p>

Saul<n id="1" /> again replied, &#8220;I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the <sc>Lordsc> your God.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So Jesse had him brought in.<n id="1" /> Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Go and anoint him. This is the one!&#8221;