Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel.<n id="1" /> But Samuel said to Jesse, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> has not chosen any of these.&#8221;

and all this assembly will know that it is not by sword or spear that the <sc>Lordsc> saves! For the battle is the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s, and he will deliver you into our hand.&#8221;p>

However, Saul said nothing about it<n id="1" /> that day, for he thought,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.&#8221;

Then Gad the prophet said to David, &#8220;Don&#8217;t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.&#8221; So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.p>

Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don&#8217;t even know where they came from!&#8221;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.

They took captive the women who were in it, from the youngest to the oldest, but they did not kill anyone. They simply carried them off and went on their way.p>

<p class="bodytext">So Achish summoned David and said to him, &#8220;As surely as the <sc>Lordsc> lives, you are an honest man, and I am glad to have you<n id="1" /> serving<n id="2" /> with me in the army.<n id="3" /> I have found no fault with you from the day that you first came to me until the present time. But in the opinion<n id="4" /> of the leaders, you are not reliable.<n id="5" />

But all the evil and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, &#8220;Since they didn&#8217;t go with us,<n id="1" /> we won&#8217;t give them any of the loot we retrieved! They may take only their wives and children. Let them lead them away and be gone!&#8221;p>

Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, &#8220;Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad?<n id="1" /> Am I not better to you than ten<n id="2" /> sons?&#8221;p>

She made a vow saying, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> of hosts, if you will look with compassion<n id="1" /> on the suffering of your female servant,<n id="2" /> remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child<n id="3" /> to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the <sc>Lordsc> all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

The <sc>Lordsc> again called, &#8220;Samuel!&#8221; So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, &#8220;Here I am, for you called me.&#8221; But Eli<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.&#8221;p>

When the people<n id="1" /> of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, &#8220;The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked<n id="2" /> both us and our god Dagon!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">They replied, &#8220;If you are going to send the ark of<n id="1" /> the God of Israel back, don&#8217;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 is not removed from you.&#8221;

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.

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.

When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won&#8217;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<n id="1" /> this is the time when you can find him!&#8221;p>

Saul said to his uncle, &#8220;He assured us that the donkeys had been found.&#8221; But Saul<n id="1" /> did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.p>

<p class="bodytext">But Samuel said, &#8220;What have you done?&#8221; Saul replied, &#8220;When I saw that the army had started to abandon me<n id="1" /> and that you didn&#8217;t come at the appointed time and that the Philistines had assembled at Micmash,

<p class="bodytext">Then Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;You have made a foolish choice! You have not obeyed<n id="1" /> the commandment that the <sc>Lordsc> your God gave<n id="2" /> you. Had you done that, the <sc>Lordsc> would have established your kingdom over Israel forever!