When the two of them had made a covenant before the <sc>Lordsc>, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.p>

and said to her servants, &#8220;Go on ahead of me. I will come after you.&#8221; But she did not tell her husband Nabal.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel. The men of Israel fled from the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa.

But when they got up early the following day, Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the <sc>Lordsc>. The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold. Only Dagon&#8217;s body was left intact.<n id="1" />

<p class="bodytext">So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;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, &#8216;I have invited the people.&#8217;&#8221; So Saul ate with Samuel that day.p>

So all the people went to Gilgal, where<n id="1" /> they established Saul as king in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked,<n id="1" /> &#8220;What have I done? What is my offense?<n id="2" /> How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the <sc>Lordsc> in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away.

<p class="bodytext">But Hannah replied, &#8220;That&#8217;s not the way it is,<n id="1" /> my lord! I am under a great deal of stress.<n id="2" /> I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc>.

Don&#8217;t consider your servant a wicked woman,<n id="1" /> for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.&#8221;p>

She said, &#8220;May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.&#8221; So the woman went her way and got something to eat.<n id="1" /> Her face no longer looked sad.p>

<p class="bodytext">They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the <sc>Lordsc>, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with<n id="1" /> his wife Hannah, and the <sc>Lordsc> remembered<n id="2" /> her.

but Hannah did not go up with them.<n id="1" /> Instead she told her husband, &#8220;Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the <sc>Lordsc>, and he will remain there from then on.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the <sc>Lordsc> under the supervision of<n id="1" /> Eli the priest.p>

<p class="bodytext">The sin of these young men was very great in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight, for they<n id="1" /> treated the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s offering with contempt.p>

Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty<n id="1" /> and he will serve my chosen one for all time.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now the boy Samuel continued serving the <sc>Lordsc> under Eli&#8217;s supervision.<n id="1" /> Word from the <sc>Lordsc> was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.p>

The Philistines arranged their forces to fight<n id="1" /> Israel. As the battle spread out,<n id="2" /> Israel was defeated by<n id="3" /> the Philistines, who<n id="4" /> killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field.p>

The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, &#8220;Who is able to stand before the <sc>Lord,sc> this holy God? To whom will the ark<n id="1" /> go up from here?&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines.