Now it’s your turn to listen to your servant! Let me set before you a bit of bread so that you can eat. When you regain your strength, you can go on your way.”p>

<p class="bodytext">But he refused, saying, &#8220;I won&#8217;t eat!&#8221; Both his servants and the woman urged<n id="1" /> him to eat, so he gave in.<n id="2" /> He got up from the ground and sat down on the bed.

Who will listen to you in this matter? The portion of the one who went down into the battle will be the same as the portion of the one who remained with the equipment! Let their portions be the same!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel<n id="1" /> and how they used to have sex with<n id="2" /> the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the <sc>Lordsc>, who then will intercede for him?&#8221; But Eli&#8217;s sons<n id="1" /> would not listen to their father, for the <sc>Lordsc> had decided<n id="2" /> to kill them.p>

So Eli said to Samuel, &#8220;Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, &#8220;Speak, <sc>Lordsc>, for your servant is listening.&#8221; So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.p>

<p class="bodytext">When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, &#8220;What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?&#8221; Then they realized that the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> had arrived at the camp.

<p class="bodytext">His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her.

The <sc>Lordsc> said to Samuel, &#8220;Do everything the people request of you.<n id="1" /> For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.

While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.&#8221; So he did.<n id="1" /> Samuel then said,<n id="2" /> &#8220;You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God&#8217;s message.&#8221;p>

If you fear the <sc>Lordsc>, serving him and obeying him<n id="1" /> and not rebelling against what he says,<n id="2" /> and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the <sc>Lordsc> your God, all will be well.<n id="3" />

But Jonathan had not heard about the oath his father had made the army take. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he ate it,<n id="1" /> his eyes gleamed.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul said to Samuel, &#8220;But I have obeyed<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc>! I went on the campaign<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> sent me on. I brought back King Agag of the Amalekites after exterminating the Amalekites.

<t /><p class="bodytext">But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him.<n id="1" /> Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him.

Saul said to his servants who were stationed around him, &#8220;Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse&#8217;s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you<n id="1" /> commanders and officers?<n id="2" />

Now I hear that they are shearing sheep for you. When your shepherds were with us, we neither insulted them nor harmed them the whole time they were in Carmel.

Since you did not obey the <sc>Lordsc><n id="1" /> and did not carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites, the <sc>Lordsc> has done this thing to you today.

<p class="bodytext">When David&#8217;s<n id="1" /> oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, he became angry<n id="2" /> with David and said, &#8220;Why have you come down here? To whom did you entrust those few sheep in the desert? I am familiar with your pride and deceit!<n id="3" /> You have come down here to watch the battle!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">When David heard that Nabal had died, he said, &#8220;Praised be the <sc>Lordsc> who has vindicated me and avenged the insult that I suffered from Nabal!<n id="1" /> The <sc>Lordsc> has kept his servant from doing evil, and he has repaid Nabal for his evil deeds.&#8221;<n id="2" /> Then David sent word to Abigail and asked her to become his wife.p>

So let my lord the king now listen to the words of his servant. If the <sc>Lordsc> has incited you against me, may he take delight in<n id="1" /> an offering. But if men have instigated this,<n id="2" /> may they be cursed before the <sc>Lordsc>! For they have driven me away this day from being united with the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s inheritance, saying, &#8216;Go on, serve other gods!&#8217;