The Israelites said to Samuel, &#8220;Keep<n id="1" /> crying out to the <sc>Lordsc> our<n id="2" /> God so that he may save us<n id="3" /> from the hand of the Philistines!&#8221;

So Samuel took a nursing lamb<n id="1" /> and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the <sc>Lordsc>. Samuel cried out to the <sc>Lordsc> on Israel&#8217;s behalf, and the <sc>Lordsc> answered him.p>

Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.p>

So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the <sc>Lordsc> was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.p>

Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel,<n id="1" /> Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places.

Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged<n id="1" /> Israel there and built an altar to the <sc>Lordsc> there.p>

The <sc>Lordsc> said to Samuel, &#8220;Do as they say<n id="1" /> and install a king over them.&#8221; Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, &#8220;Each of you go back to his own city.&#8221;p>

He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.p>

<p class="bodytext">But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, &#8220;The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Samuel said to all Israel, &#8220;I have done<n id="1" /> everything you requested.<n id="2" /> I have given you a king.<n id="3" />

The men of Israel realized they had a problem because their army was hard pressed. So the army hid in caves, thickets, cliffs, strongholds,<n id="1" /> and cisterns.

<p class="bodytext">A blacksmith could not be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had said, &#8220;This will prevent the Hebrews from making swords and spears.&#8221;

So all Israel had to go down to the Philistines in order to get their plowshares, cutting instruments, axes, and sickles<n id="1" /> sharpened.

So Saul said to Ahijah, &#8220;Bring near the ephod,&#8221;<n id="1" /> for he was at that time wearing the ephod.<n id="2" />

When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued them in battle.

So Saul asked God, &#8220;Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?&#8221; But he did not answer him that day.p>

For as surely as the <sc>Lordsc>, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!&#8221; But no one from the army said anything.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then Saul said, &#8220;O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel! If this sin has been committed by me or by my son Jonathan, then, O <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel, respond with Urim. But if this sin has been committed by your people Israel, respond with Thummim.&#8221;<n id="1" /> Then Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, while the army was exonerated.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;I was the one the <sc>Lordsc> sent to anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now listen to what the <sc>Lordsc> says.<n id="1" />

<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>