<p class="bodytext">When the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

<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.

Eli<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;What message did he speak to you? Don&#8217;t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely<n id="2" /> if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!&#8221;p>

The Levites took down the ark of the <sc>Lordsc> and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the <sc>Lordsc>.

But the servant said to him, &#8220;Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.<n id="1" /> Now let&#8217;s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.&#8221;<n id="2" />

The Hebrews who had earlier gone over to the Philistine side<n id="1" /> joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

<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.

David replied to Ahimelech the priest, &#8220;The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, &#8216;Don&#8217;t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.&#8217;<n id="1" /> I have told my soldiers<n id="2" /> to wait at a certain place.<n id="3" />

Now David had been thinking,<n id="1" /> &#8220;In vain I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the desert. I didn&#8217;t take anything from him. But he has repaid my good with evil.

<p class="bodytext">So David set out and went to the place where Saul was camped. David saw the place where Saul and Abner son of Ner, the general in command of his army, were sleeping. Now Saul was lying in the entrenchment, and the army was camped all around him.

<p class="bodytext">But the woman said to him, &#8220;Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed<n id="1" /> the mediums and magicians<n id="2" /> from the land! Why are you trapping me<n id="3" /> so you can put me to death?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Then David approached the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to go with him,<n id="1" /> those whom they had left at the Wadi Besor. They went out to meet David and the people who were with him. When David approached the people, he asked how they were doing.

<p class="bodytext">When the men of Israel who were in the valley and across the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled. The Philistines came and occupied them.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" />

Now I dedicate him to the <sc>Lordsc>. From this time on he is dedicated to the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8221; Then they<n id="1" /> worshiped the <sc>Lordsc> there.p>

He said to them, &#8220;Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these<n id="1" /> people.

Why are you<n id="1" /> scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place?<n id="2" /> You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.&#8217;p>

You will see trouble in my dwelling place!<n id="1" /> Israel will experience blessings,<n id="2" /> but there will not be an old man in your<n id="3" /> house for all time.<n id="4" />

This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons,<n id="1" /> Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die!