# verses

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They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, <t>“Show us a way into the town, and we will have mercy on you.”</t>


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Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named it Luz, which is its name to this day.


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<pb/>The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.


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When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land.


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<pb/>The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them.


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<pb/>The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun.


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<pb/>The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.


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Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out.


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<pb/>Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali.


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<pb/>As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains.


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The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves.


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<pb/>The Lord’s Messenger Comes to Bokim The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you.


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For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this?


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So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”</t>


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So they called the place Bokim (which means <t>“weeping”), and they offered sacrifices there to the Lord.


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The Death of Joshua After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession of the land allotted to them.


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And the Israelites served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him—those who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.


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Israel Disobeys the Lord After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.


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They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord.


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<pb/>This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them.


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Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.


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<pb/>The Lord Rescues His People Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers.


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Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.


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Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.


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But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.


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So the Lord burned with anger against Israel. He said, <t>“Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands,


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I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did.”</t>


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That is why the Lord left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.


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The Nations Left in Canaan These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.


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These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.


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These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the Lord had given to their ancestors through Moses.


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<pb/>So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,


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and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.


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Othniel Becomes Israel’s Judge The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot about the Lord their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.


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Then the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.


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But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz.


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The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him.


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Ehud Becomes Israel’s Judge Once again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, and the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.


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Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms.


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<pb/>But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab.


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So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.


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But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, <t>“I have a secret message for you.”</t> So the king commanded his servants, <t>“Be quiet!”</t> and he sent them all out of the room.


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Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, <t>“I have a message from God for you!”</t> As King Eglon rose from his seat,


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Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king’s belly.


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The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king’s fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king’s bowels emptied.


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<pb/>After Ehud was gone, the king’s servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room,


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so they waited. But when the king didn’t come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor.


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<pb/>When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.


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“Follow me,”</t> he said, <t>“for the Lord has given you victory over Moab your enemy.”</t> So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.


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They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped.


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<pb/>Shamgar Becomes Israel’s Judge After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.


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<pb/>Deborah Becomes Israel’s Judge After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.


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So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-haggoyim.


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Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.


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She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.


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<pb/>One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor.


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And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”</t>


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“Very well,”</t> she replied, <t>“I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.”</t> So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.


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At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.


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Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.


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he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth-haggoyim to the Kishon River.


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Then Deborah said to Barak, <t>“Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.”</t> So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.


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When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.


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Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth-haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor.


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Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, <t>“Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.”</t> So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.


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“Please give me some water,”</t> he said. <t>“I’m thirsty.”</t> So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.


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“Stand at the door of the tent,”</t> he told her. <t>“If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”</t>


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But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.


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When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said, <t>“Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.”</t> So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.


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And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.


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<pb/><t>“Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Lord, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the cloudy skies poured down rain.</t>


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<pb/><t>The mountains quaked in the presence of the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai— in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways.</t>


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<pb/><t>There were few people left in the villages of Israel— until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!</t>


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<pb/><t>My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the Lord!</t>


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<pb/><t>“Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys, you who sit on fancy saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road.</t>


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<pb/><t>Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!</t>


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<pb/><t>“Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors.</t>


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<pb/><t>They came down from Ephraim— a land that once belonged to the Amalekites; they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry a commander’s staff.</t>


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<pb/><t>The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley. But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.</t>


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<pb/><t>Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds— to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.</t>


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<pb/><t>Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And why did Dan stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors.</t>


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<pb/><t>“The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs, but they carried off no silver treasures.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Kishon River swept them away— that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul!</t>


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<pb/><t>Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds.</t>


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<pb/><t>‘Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord. ‘Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord— to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents.</t>


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<pb/><t>Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head. With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples.</t>


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<pb/><t>“From the window Sisera’s mother looked out. Through the window she watched for his return, saying, ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why don’t we hear the sound of chariot wheels?’</t>


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<pb/><t>‘They must be dividing the captured plunder— with a woman or two for every man. There will be colorful robes for Sisera, and colorful, embroidered robes for me. Yes, the plunder will include colorful robes embroidered on both sides.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera! But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!” Then there was peace in the land for forty years.</t>


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<pb/>Gideon Becomes Israel’s Judge The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.


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The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.


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Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,


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camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.


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These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.


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So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.


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the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said, <t>“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt.


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I rescued you from the Egyptians and from all who oppressed you. I drove out your enemies and gave you their land.


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I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you now live.’ But you have not listened to me.”</t>


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Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.


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“Sir,”</t> Gideon replied, <t>“if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”</t>


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Then the Lord turned to him and said, <t>“Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”</t>


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“But Lord,”</t> Gideon replied, <t>“how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”</t>


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The Lord said to him, <t>“I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”</t>


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Gideon replied, <t>“If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.


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Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.”</t> He answered, <t>“I will stay here until you return.”</t>


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<pb/>Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree.


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The angel of God said to him, <t>“Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it.”</t> And Gideon did as he was told.


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Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.


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<pb/>When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”


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And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means <t>“the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.


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That night the Lord said to Gideon, <t>“Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it.


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Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”</t>


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So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town.


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<pb/>Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed.


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The people said to each other, <t>“Who did this?”</t> And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash.


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“Bring out your son,”</t> the men of the town demanded of Joash. <t>“He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole.”</t>


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But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, <t>“Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!”</t>


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From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means <t>“Let Baal defend himself,”</t> because he broke down Baal’s altar.


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Gideon Asks for a Sign Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel.


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Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.


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He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.


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prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”</t>


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And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.


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Then Gideon said to God, <t>“Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.”</t>


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So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.


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<pb/>Gideon Defeats the Midianites So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.


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The Lord said to Gideon, <t>“You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.


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Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’”</t> So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.


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But the Lord told Gideon, <t>“There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.”</t>


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When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the Lord told him, <t>“Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.”</t>


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Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.


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The Lord told Gideon, <t>“With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”</t>


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So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him. The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon.


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That night the Lord said, <t>“Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!


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Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.”</t> So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp.


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The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count!


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Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, <t>“I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”</t>


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His companion answered, <t>“Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”</t>


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When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, <t>“Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”</t>


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He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.


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Then he said to them, <t>“Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.


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As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”</t>


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<pb/>It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars.


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Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, <t>“A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”</t>


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Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape.


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When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.


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Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian.


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Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, <t>“Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.”</t> So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told.


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They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.


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Gideon Kills Zebah and Zalmunna Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, <t>“Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?”</t> And they argued heatedly with Gideon.


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But Gideon replied, <t>“What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even the leftover grapes of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer?


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God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?”</t> When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, their anger subsided.


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Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy.


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When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, <t>“Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”</t>


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But the officials of Succoth replied, <t>“Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.”</t>


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So Gideon said, <t>“After the Lord gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness.”</t>


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So he said to the people of Peniel, <t>“After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.”</t>


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<pb/>By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed.


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Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise.


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Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors.


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There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town.


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Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, <t>“Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, ‘Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.’”</t>


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Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness.


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<pb/>Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?” “Like you,” they replied. “They all had the look of a king’s son.”


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“They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!”</t> Gideon exclaimed. <t>“As surely as the Lord lives, I wouldn’t kill you if you hadn’t killed them.”</t>


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Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, <t>“Kill them!”</t> But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid.


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Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, <t>“Be a man! Kill us yourself!”</t> So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.


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Gideon’s Sacred Ephod Then the Israelites said to Gideon, <t>“Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.”</t>


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However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.”</t> (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.)


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“Gladly!”</t> they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder.


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The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.


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Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.


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That is the story of how the people of Israel defeated Midian, which never recovered. Throughout the rest of Gideon’s lifetime—about forty years—there was peace in the land.


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Gideon died when he was very old, and he was buried in the grave of his father, Joash, at Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer.


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As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.


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Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon), despite all the good he had done for Israel.


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<pb/>Abimelech Rules over Shechem One day Gideon’s son Abimelech went to Shechem to visit his uncles—his mother’s brothers. He said to them and to the rest of his mother’s family,


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“Ask the leading citizens of Shechem whether they want to be ruled by all seventy of Gideon’s sons or by one man. And remember that I am your own flesh and blood!”</t>


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So Abimelech’s uncles gave his message to all the citizens of Shechem on his behalf. And after listening to this proposal, the people of Shechem decided in favor of Abimelech because he was their relative.


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They gave him seventy silver coins from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire some reckless troublemakers who agreed to follow him.


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He went to his father’s home at Ophrah, and there, on one stone, they killed all seventy of his half brothers, the sons of Gideon. But the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and hid.


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Then all the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo called a meeting under the oak beside the pillar at Shechem and made Abimelech their king.


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Jotham’s Parable When Jotham heard about this, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted, <t>“Listen to me, citizens of Shechem! Listen to me if you want God to listen to you!


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<pb/>Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king. First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’


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But the olive tree refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the olive oil that blesses both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’


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But the fig tree also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit just to wave back and forth over the trees?’


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But the grapevine also refused, saying, ‘Should I quit producing the wine that cheers both God and people, just to wave back and forth over the trees?’


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And the thornbush replied to the trees, ‘If you truly want to make me your king, come and take shelter in my shade. If not, let fire come out from me and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”</t>


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<pb/>Jotham continued, “Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished?


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But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be your king just because he is your relative.


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“If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find joy in you.


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But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo and devour Abimelech!”</t>


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God sent a spirit that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of Shechem, and they revolted.


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God was punishing Abimelech for murdering Gideon’s seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in this treachery of murdering his brothers.


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The citizens of Shechem set an ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot.


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<pb/>One day Gaal son of Ebed moved to Shechem with his brothers and gained the confidence of the leading citizens of Shechem.


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During the annual harvest festival at Shechem, held in the temple of the local god, the wine flowed freely, and everyone began cursing Abimelech.


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“Who is Abimelech?”</t> Gaal shouted. <t>“He’s not a true son of Shechem, so why should we be his servants? He’s merely the son of Gideon, and this Zebul is merely his deputy. Serve the true sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech?


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If I were in charge here, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, ‘Get some soldiers, and come out and fight!’”</t>


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He sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah, telling him, <t>“Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to live in Shechem, and now they are inciting the city to rebel against you.


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In the morning, as soon as it is daylight, attack the city. When Gaal and those who are with him come out against you, you can do with them as you wish.”</t>


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<pb/>So Abimelech and all his men went by night and split into four groups, stationing themselves around Shechem.


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When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, <t>“Look, there are people coming down from the hilltops!”</t> Zebul replied, <t>“It’s just the shadows on the hills that look like men.”</t>


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But again Gaal said, <t>“No, people are coming down from the hills. And another group is coming down the road past the Diviners’ Oak.”</t>


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Then Zebul turned on him and asked, <t>“Now where is that big mouth of yours? Wasn’t it you that said, ‘Who is Abimelech, and why should we be his servants?’ The men you mocked are right outside the city! Go out and fight them!”</t>


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But Abimelech chased him, and many of Shechem’s men were wounded and fell along the road as they retreated to the city gate.


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<pb/>The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields to battle. When Abimelech heard about it,


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he divided his men into three groups and set an ambush in the fields. When Abimelech saw the people coming out of the city, he and his men jumped up from their hiding places and attacked them.


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Abimelech and his group stormed the city gate to keep the men of Shechem from getting back in, while Abimelech’s other two groups cut them down in the fields.


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The battle went on all day before Abimelech finally captured the city. He killed the people, leveled the city, and scattered salt all over the ground.


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<pb/>When the leading citizens who lived in the tower of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid in the temple of Baal-berith.


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so he led his forces to Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and chopped some branches from a tree, then put them on his shoulder. <t>“Quick, do as I have done!”</t> he told his men.


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So each of them cut down some branches, following Abimelech’s example. They piled the branches against the walls of the temple and set them on fire. So all the people who had lived in the tower of Shechem died—about 1,000 men and women.


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But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women—the entire population—fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower.


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He quickly said to his young armor bearer, <t>“Draw your sword and kill me! Don’t let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!”</t> So the young man ran him through with his sword, and he died.


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<pb/>In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father by murdering his seventy brothers.


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God also punished the men of Shechem for all their evil. So the curse of Jotham son of Gideon was fulfilled.


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<pb/>Tola Becomes Israel’s Judge After Abimelech died, Tola son of Puah, son of Dodo, was the next person to rescue Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar but lived in the town of Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.


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<pb/>Jair Becomes Israel’s Judge After Tola died, Jair from Gilead judged Israel for twenty-two years.


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His thirty sons rode around on thirty donkeys, and they owned thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which are still called the Towns of Jair.


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The Ammonites Oppress Israel Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all.


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So the Lord burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites,


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who began to oppress them that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites east of the Jordan River in the land of the Amorites (that is, in Gilead).


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The Ammonites also crossed to the west side of the Jordan and attacked Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. The Israelites were in great distress.


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<pb/>Finally, they cried out to the Lord for help, saying, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal.”


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The Lord replied, <t>“Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines,


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the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you.


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But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, <t>“We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.”</t>


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Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery.


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At that time the armies of Ammon had gathered for war and were camped in Gilead, and the people of Israel assembled and camped at Mizpah.


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The leaders of Gilead said to each other, <t>“Whoever attacks the Ammonites first will become ruler over all the people of Gilead.”</t>


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Jephthah Becomes Israel’s Judge Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute.


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Gilead’s wife also had several sons, and when these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land. <t>“You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,”</t> they said, <t>“for you are the son of a prostitute.”</t>


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So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him.


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But Jephthah said to them, <t>“Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”</t>


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“Because we need you,”</t> the elders replied. <t>“If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead.”</t>


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Jephthah said to the elders, <t>“Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?”</t>


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So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the Lord, Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders.


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Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking, <t>“Why have you come out to fight against my land?”</t>


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The king of Ammon answered Jephthah’s messengers, <t>“When the Israelites came out of Egypt, they stole my land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River and all the way to the Jordan. Now then, give back the land peaceably.”</t>


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they sent messengers to the king of Edom asking for permission to pass through his land. But their request was denied. Then they asked the king of Moab for similar permission, but he wouldn’t let them pass through either. So the people of Israel stayed in Kadesh.


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“Finally, they went around Edom and Moab through the wilderness. They traveled along Moab’s eastern border and camped on the other side of the Arnon River. But they never once crossed the Arnon River into Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.


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“Then Israel sent messengers to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, asking for permission to cross through his land to get to their destination.


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But King Sihon didn’t trust Israel to pass through his land. Instead, he mobilized his army at Jahaz and attacked them.


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But the Lord, the God of Israel, gave his people victory over King Sihon. So Israel took control of all the land of the Amorites, who lived in that region,


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“So you see, it was the Lord, the God of Israel, who took away the land from the Amorites and gave it to Israel. Why, then, should we give it back to you?


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Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he try to make a case against Israel for disputed land? Did he go to war against them?


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“Israel has been living here for 300 years, inhabiting Heshbon and its surrounding settlements, all the way to Aroer and its settlements, and in all the towns along the Arnon River. Why have you made no effort to recover it before now?


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Therefore, I have not sinned against you. Rather, you have wronged me by attacking me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today which of us is right—Israel or Ammon.”</t>


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Jephthah’s Vow At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites.


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I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”</t>


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He crushed the Ammonites, devastating about twenty towns from Aroer to an area near Minnith and as far away as Abel-keramim. In this way Israel defeated the Ammonites.


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<pb/>When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters.


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When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. <t>“Oh, my daughter!”</t> he cried out. <t>“You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.”</t>


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And she said, <t>“Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites.


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But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin.”</t>


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“You may go,”</t> Jephthah said. And he sent her away for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children.


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When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin. So it has become a custom in Israel


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for young Israelite women to go away for four days each year to lament the fate of Jephthah’s daughter.


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<pb/>Ephraim Fights with Jephthah Then the people of Ephraim mobilized an army and crossed over the Jordan River to Zaphon. They sent this message to Jephthah: “Why didn’t you call for us to help you fight against the Ammonites? We are going to burn down your house with you in it!”


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Jephthah replied, <t>“I summoned you at the beginning of the dispute, but you refused to come! You failed to help us in our struggle against Ammon.


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So when I realized you weren’t coming, I risked my life and went to battle without you, and the Lord gave me victory over the Ammonites. So why have you now come to fight me?”</t>


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The people of Ephraim responded, <t>“You men of Gilead are nothing more than fugitives from Ephraim and Manasseh.”</t> So Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and attacked the men of Ephraim and defeated them.


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Jephthah captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim tried to go back across, the men of Gilead would challenge him. <t>“Are you a member of the tribe of Ephraim?”</t> they would ask. If the man said, <t>“No, I’m not,”</t>


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they would tell him to say <t>“Shibboleth.”</t> If he was from Ephraim, he would say <t>“Sibboleth,”</t> because people from Ephraim cannot pronounce the word correctly. Then they would take him and kill him at the shallow crossings of the Jordan. In all, 42,000 Ephraimites were killed at that time.


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He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He sent his daughters to marry men outside his clan, and he brought in thirty young women from outside his clan to marry his sons. Ibzan judged Israel for seven years.


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<pb/>Elon Becomes Israel’s Judge After Ibzan died, Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for ten years.


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<pb/>Abdon Becomes Israel’s Judge After Elon died, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, judged Israel.


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He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He judged Israel for eight years.


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<pb/>The Birth of Samson Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.


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<pb/>In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.


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The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, <t>“Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.


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You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”</t>


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<pb/>The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name.


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But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’”</t>


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<pb/>Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born.”


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God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her.


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So she quickly ran and told her husband, <t>“The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!”</t>


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Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, <t>“Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?”</t> <t>“Yes,”</t> he replied, <t>“I am.”</t>


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So Manoah asked him, <t>“When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?”</t>


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She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.”</t>


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Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, <t>“Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.”</t>


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“I will stay,”</t> the angel of the Lord replied, <t>“but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the Lord.”</t> (Manoah didn’t realize it was the angel of the Lord.)


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Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord, <t>“What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you.”</t>


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“Why do you ask my name?”</t> the angel of the Lord replied. <t>“It is too wonderful for you to understand.”</t>


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Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the Lord. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the Lord did an amazing thing.


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As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground.


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<pb/>The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the Lord,


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But his wife said, <t>“If the Lord were going to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn’t have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles.”</t>


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And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol.


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When he returned home, he told his father and mother, <t>“A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.”</t>


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His father and mother objected. <t>“Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?”</t> they asked. <t>“Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?”</t> But Samson told his father, <t>“Get her for me! She looks good to me.”</t>


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His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.


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<pb/>As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah.


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At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it.


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Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.


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He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn’t tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion.


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<pb/>As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men.


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When the bride’s parents saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions.


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Samson said to them, <t>“Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.


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But if you can’t solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.”</t> <t>“All right,”</t> they agreed, <t>“let’s hear your riddle.”</t>


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So he said: <t>“Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet.”</t> Three days later they were still trying to figure it out.


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On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, <t>“Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father’s house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?”</t>


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So Samson’s wife came to him in tears and said, <t>“You don’t love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.”</t> <t>“I haven’t even given the answer to my father or mother,”</t> he replied. <t>“Why should I tell you?”</t>


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So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men.


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So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: <t>“What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?”</t> Samson replied, <t>“If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle!”</t>


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Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother.


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<pb/>Samson’s Vengeance on the Philistines Later on, during the wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat as a present to his wife. He said, “I’m going into my wife’s room to sleep with her,” but her father wouldn’t let him in.


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“I truly thought you must hate her,”</t> her father explained, <t>“so I gave her in marriage to your best man. But look, her younger sister is even more beautiful than she is. Marry her instead.”</t>


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Samson said, <t>“This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines.”</t>


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Then he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and he fastened a torch to each pair of tails.


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Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves.


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“Who did this?”</t> the Philistines demanded. <t>“Samson,”</t> was the reply, <t>“because his father-in-law from Timnah gave Samson’s wife to be married to his best man.”</t> So the Philistines went and got the woman and her father and burned them to death.


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So he attacked the Philistines with great fury and killed many of them. Then he went to live in a cave in the rock of Etam.


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<pb/>The Philistines retaliated by setting up camp in Judah and spreading out near the town of Lehi.


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The men of Judah asked the Philistines, <t>“Why are you attacking us?”</t> The Philistines replied, <t>“We’ve come to capture Samson. We’ve come to pay him back for what he did to us.”</t>


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So 3,000 men of Judah went down to get Samson at the cave in the rock of Etam. They said to Samson, <t>“Don’t you realize the Philistines rule over us? What are you doing to us?”</t> But Samson replied, <t>“I only did to them what they did to me.”</t>


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But the men of Judah told him, <t>“We have come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.”</t> <t>“All right,”</t> Samson said. <t>“But promise that you won’t kill me yourselves.”</t>


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“We will only tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines,”</t> they replied. <t>“We won’t kill you.”</t> So they tied him up with two new ropes and brought him up from the rock.


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As Samson arrived at Lehi, the Philistines came shouting in triumph. But the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon Samson, and he snapped the ropes on his arms as if they were burnt strands of flax, and they fell from his wrists.


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Then he found the jawbone of a recently killed donkey. He picked it up and killed 1,000 Philistines with it.


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Then Samson said, <t>“With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps! With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!”</t>


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<pb/>Samson was now very thirsty, and he cried out to the Lord, “You have accomplished this great victory by the strength of your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of these pagans?”


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So God caused water to gush out of a hollow in the ground at Lehi, and Samson was revived as he drank. Then he named that place <t>“The Spring of the One Who Cried Out,”</t> and it is still in Lehi to this day.


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<pb/>Samson Carries Away Gaza’s Gates One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.


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Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, <t>“When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.”</t>


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But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron.


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<pb/>Samson and Delilah Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek.


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The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, <t>“Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.”</t>


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<pb/>So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me what makes you so strong and what it would take to tie you up securely.”


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Samson replied, <t>“If I were tied up with seven new bowstrings that have not yet been dried, I would become as weak as anyone else.”</t>


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She had hidden some men in one of the inner rooms of her house, and she cried out, <t>“Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”</t> But Samson snapped the bowstrings as a piece of string snaps when it is burned by a fire. So the secret of his strength was not discovered.


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<pb/>Afterward Delilah said to him, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now please tell me how you can be tied up securely.”


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Samson replied, <t>“If I were tied up with brand-new ropes that had never been used, I would become as weak as anyone else.”</t>


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So Delilah took new ropes and tied him up with them. The men were hiding in the inner room as before, and again Delilah cried out, <t>“Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”</t> But again Samson snapped the ropes from his arms as if they were thread.


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<pb/>Then Delilah said, “You’ve been making fun of me and telling me lies! Now tell me how you can be tied up securely.” Samson replied, “If you were to weave the seven braids of my hair into the fabric on your loom and tighten it with the loom shuttle, I would become as weak as anyone else.” So while he slept, Delilah wove the seven braids of his hair into the fabric.


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Then she tightened it with the loom shuttle. Again she cried out, <t>“Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”</t> But Samson woke up, pulled back the loom shuttle, and yanked his hair away from the loom and the fabric.


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<pb/>Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!”


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Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. <t>“My hair has never been cut,”</t> he confessed, <t>“for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.”</t>


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Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. <t>“Come back one more time,”</t> she said, <t>“for he has finally told me his secret.”</t> So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands.


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Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.


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Then she cried out, <t>“Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!”</t> When he woke up, he thought, <t>“I will do as before and shake myself free.”</t> But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him.


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So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.


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Samson’s Final Victory The Philistine rulers held a great festival, offering sacrifices and praising their god, Dagon. They said, <t>“Our god has given us victory over our enemy Samson!”</t>


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When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, <t>“Our god has delivered our enemy to us! The one who killed so many of us is now in our power!”</t>


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<pb/>Half drunk by now, the people demanded, “Bring out Samson so he can amuse us!” So he was brought from the prison to amuse them, and they had him stand between the pillars supporting the roof.


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Samson said to the young servant who was leading him by the hand, <t>“Place my hands against the pillars that hold up the temple. I want to rest against them.”</t>


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Now the temple was completely filled with people. All the Philistine rulers were there, and there were about 3,000 men and women on the roof who were watching as Samson amused them.


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Then Samson prayed to the Lord, <t>“Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes.”</t>


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Then Samson put his hands on the two center pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands,


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he prayed, <t>“Let me die with the Philistines.”</t> And the temple crashed down on the Philistine rulers and all the people. So he killed more people when he died than he had during his entire lifetime.


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Later his brothers and other relatives went down to get his body. They took him back home and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol, where his father, Manoah, was buried. Samson had judged Israel for twenty years.


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One day he said to his mother, <t>“I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it.”</t> <t>“The Lord bless you for admitting it,”</t> his mother replied.


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He returned the money to her, and she said, <t>“I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”</t>


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So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house.


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Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.


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He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah’s house as he was traveling through.


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“Where are you from?”</t> Micah asked him. He replied, <t>“I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”</t>


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“Stay here with me,”</t> Micah said, <t>“and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, plus a change of clothes and your food.”</t>


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“I know the Lord will bless me now,”</t> Micah said, <t>“because I have a Levite serving as my priest.”</t>


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<pb/>Idolatry in the Tribe of Dan Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel.


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So the men of Dan chose from their clans five capable warriors from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out a land for them to settle in. When these warriors arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they came to Micah’s house and spent the night there.


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While at Micah’s house, they recognized the young Levite’s accent, so they went over and asked him, <t>“Who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”</t>


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<pb/>So the five men went on to the town of Laish, where they noticed the people living carefree lives, like the Sidonians; they were peaceful and secure. The people were also wealthy because their land was very fertile. And they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby.


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The men replied, <t>“Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. What are you waiting for? Don’t hesitate to go and take possession of it.


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When you get there, you will find the people living carefree lives. God has given us a spacious and fertile land, lacking in nothing!”</t>


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The five men who had scouted out the land around Laish explained to the others, <t>“These buildings contain a sacred ephod, as well as some household idols, a carved image, and a cast idol. What do you think you should do?”</t>


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Then the five men turned off the road and went over to Micah’s house, where the young Levite lived, and greeted him kindly.


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the five scouts entered the shrine and removed the carved image, the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the cast idol. Meanwhile, the priest was standing at the gate with the 600 armed warriors.


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When the priest saw the men carrying all the sacred objects out of Micah’s shrine, he said, <t>“What are you doing?”</t>


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“Be quiet and come with us,”</t> they said. <t>“Be a father and priest to all of us. Isn’t it better to be a priest for an entire tribe and clan of Israel than for the household of just one man?”</t>


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The young priest was quite happy to go with them, so he took along the sacred ephod, the household idols, and the carved image.


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<pb/>They turned and started on their way again, placing their children, livestock, and possessions in front of them.


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When the people from the tribe of Dan were quite a distance from Micah’s house, the people who lived near Micah came chasing after them.


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They were shouting as they caught up with them. The men of Dan turned around and said to Micah, <t>“What’s the matter? Why have you called these men together and chased after us like this?”</t>


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“What do you mean, ‘What’s the matter?’”</t> Micah replied. <t>“You’ve taken away all the gods I have made, and my priest, and I have nothing left!”</t>


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The men of Dan said, <t>“Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family.”</t>


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So the men of Dan continued on their way. When Micah saw that there were too many of them for him to attack, he turned around and went home.


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<pb/>Then, with Micah’s idols and his priest, the men of Dan came to the town of Laish, whose people were peaceful and secure. They attacked with swords and burned the town to the ground.


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There was no one to rescue the people, for they lived a great distance from Sidon and had no allies nearby. This happened in the valley near Beth-rehob. Then the people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the town and lived there.


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They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor, Israel’s son, but it had originally been called Laish.


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Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile.


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So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.


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<pb/>The Levite and His Concubine Now in those days Israel had no king. There was a man from the tribe of Levi living in a remote area of the hill country of Ephraim. One day he brought home a woman from Bethlehem in Judah to be his concubine.


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But she became angry with him and returned to her father’s home in Bethlehem. After about four months,


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her husband set out for Bethlehem to speak personally to her and persuade her to come back. He took with him a servant and a pair of donkeys. When he arrived at her father’s house, her father saw him and welcomed him.


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On the fourth day the man was up early, ready to leave, but the woman’s father said to his son-in-law, <t>“Have something to eat before you go.”</t>


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So the two men sat down together and had something to eat and drink. Then the woman’s father said, <t>“Please stay another night and enjoy yourself.”</t>


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The man got up to leave, but his father-in-law kept urging him to stay, so he finally gave in and stayed the night.


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On the morning of the fifth day he was up early again, ready to leave, and again the woman’s father said, <t>“Have something to eat; then you can leave later this afternoon.”</t> So they had another day of feasting.


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Later, as the man and his concubine and servant were preparing to leave, his father-in-law said, <t>“Look, it’s almost evening. Stay the night and enjoy yourself. Tomorrow you can get up early and be on your way.”</t>


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But this time the man was determined to leave. So he took his two saddled donkeys and his concubine and headed in the direction of Jebus (that is, Jerusalem).


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<pb/>It was late in the day when they neared Jebus, and the man’s servant said to him, “Let’s stop at this Jebusite town and spend the night there.”


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“No,”</t> his master said, <t>“we can’t stay in this foreign town where there are no Israelites. Instead, we will go on to Gibeah.


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Come on, let’s try to get as far as Gibeah or Ramah, and we’ll spend the night in one of those towns.”</t>


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so they stopped there to spend the night. They rested in the town square, but no one took them in for the night.


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<pb/>That evening an old man came home from his work in the fields. He was from the hill country of Ephraim, but he was living in Gibeah, where the people were from the tribe of Benjamin.


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When he saw the travelers sitting in the town square, he asked them where they were from and where they were going.


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“We have been in Bethlehem in Judah,”</t> the man replied. <t>“We are on our way to a remote area in the hill country of Ephraim, which is my home. I traveled to Bethlehem, and now I’m returning home. But no one has taken us in for the night,


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even though we have everything we need. We have straw and feed for our donkeys and plenty of bread and wine for ourselves.”</t>


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“You are welcome to stay with me,”</t> the old man said. <t>“I will give you anything you might need. But whatever you do, don’t spend the night in the square.”</t>


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So he took them home with him and fed the donkeys. After they washed their feet, they ate and drank together.


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<pb/>While they were enjoying themselves, a crowd of troublemakers from the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, “Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him.”


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The old man stepped outside to talk to them. <t>“No, my brothers, don’t do such an evil thing. For this man is a guest in my house, and such a thing would be shameful.


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Here, take my virgin daughter and this man’s concubine. I will bring them out to you, and you can abuse them and do whatever you like. But don’t do such a shameful thing to this man.”</t>


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But they wouldn’t listen to him. So the Levite took hold of his concubine and pushed her out the door. The men of the town abused her all night, taking turns raping her until morning. Finally, at dawn they let her go.


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At daybreak the woman returned to the house where her husband was staying. She collapsed at the door of the house and lay there until it was light.


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He said, <t>“Get up! Let’s go!”</t> But there was no answer. So he put her body on his donkey and took her home.


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When he got home, he took a knife and cut his concubine’s body into twelve pieces. Then he sent one piece to each tribe throughout all the territory of Israel.


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Everyone who saw it said, <t>“Such a horrible crime has not been committed in all the time since Israel left Egypt. Think about it! What are we going to do? Who’s going to speak up?”</t>


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<pb/>Israel’s War with Benjamin Then all the Israelites were united as one man, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, including those from across the Jordan in the land of Gilead. The entire community assembled in the presence of the Lord at Mizpah.


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The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel—400,000 warriors armed with swords—took their positions in the assembly of the people of God.


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(Word soon reached the land of Benjamin that the other tribes had gone up to Mizpah.) The Israelites then asked how this terrible crime had happened.


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The Levite, the husband of the woman who had been murdered, said, <t>“My concubine and I came to spend the night in Gibeah, a town that belongs to the people of Benjamin.


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That night some of the leading citizens of Gibeah surrounded the house, planning to kill me, and they raped my concubine until she was dead.


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So I cut her body into twelve pieces and sent the pieces throughout the territory assigned to Israel, for these men have committed a terrible and shameful crime.


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Now then, all of you—the entire community of Israel—must decide here and now what should be done about this!”</t>


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<pb/>And all the people rose to their feet in unison and declared, “None of us will return home! No, not even one of us!


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One-tenth of the men from each tribe will be chosen to supply the warriors with food, and the rest of us will take revenge on Gibeah of Benjamin for this shameful thing they have done in Israel.”</t>


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<pb/>The Israelites sent messengers to the tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What a terrible thing has been done among you!


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Give up those evil men, those troublemakers from Gibeah, so we can execute them and purge Israel of this evil.”</t> But the people of Benjamin would not listen.


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In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops who lived there.


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Among Benjamin’s elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing.


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<pb/>Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?” The Lord answered, “Judah is to go first.”


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But Benjamin’s warriors, who were defending the town, came out and killed 22,000 Israelites on the battlefield that day.


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<pb/>But the Israelites encouraged each other and took their positions again at the same place they had fought the previous day.


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For they had gone up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord until evening. They had asked the Lord, <t>“Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again?”</t> And the Lord had said, <t>“Go out and fight against them.”</t>


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but the men of Benjamin killed another 18,000 Israelites, all of whom were experienced with the sword.


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<pb/>Then all the Israelites went up to Bethel and wept in the presence of the Lord and fasted until evening. They also brought burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.


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The Israelites went up seeking direction from the Lord. (In those days the Ark of the Covenant of God was in Bethel,


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and Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron was the priest.) The Israelites asked the Lord, <t>“Should we fight against our relatives from Benjamin again, or should we stop?”</t> The Lord said, <t>“Go! Tomorrow I will hand them over to you.”</t>


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When the men of Benjamin came out to attack, they were drawn away from the town. And as they had done before, they began to kill the Israelites. About thirty Israelites died in the open fields and along the roads, one leading to Bethel and the other leading back to Gibeah.


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Then the warriors of Benjamin shouted, <t>“We’re defeating them as we did before!”</t> But the Israelites had planned in advance to run away so that the men of Benjamin would chase them along the roads and be drawn away from the town.


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When the main group of Israelite warriors reached Baal-tamar, they turned and took up their positions. Meanwhile, the Israelites hiding in ambush to the west of Gibeah jumped up to fight.


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There were 10,000 elite Israelite troops who advanced against Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that Benjamin didn’t realize the impending disaster.


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So the Lord helped Israel defeat Benjamin, and that day the Israelites killed 25,100 of Benjamin’s warriors, all of whom were experienced swordsmen.


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Then the men of Benjamin saw that they were beaten. The Israelites had retreated from Benjamin’s warriors in order to give those hiding in ambush more room to maneuver against Gibeah.


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When the Israelites saw the smoke, they turned and attacked Benjamin’s warriors. By that time Benjamin’s warriors had killed about thirty Israelites, and they shouted, <t>“We’re defeating them as we did in the first battle!”</t>


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But when the warriors of Benjamin looked behind them and saw the smoke rising into the sky from every part of the town,


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the men of Israel turned and attacked. At this point the men of Benjamin became terrified, because they realized disaster was close at hand.


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So they turned around and fled before the Israelites toward the wilderness. But they couldn’t escape the battle, and the people who came out of the nearby towns were also killed.


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The Israelites surrounded the men of Benjamin and chased them relentlessly, finally overtaking them east of Gibeah.


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The survivors fled into the wilderness toward the rock of Rimmon, but Israel killed 5,000 of them along the road. They continued the chase until they had killed another 2,000 near Gidom.


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And the Israelites returned and slaughtered every living thing in all the towns—the people, the livestock, and everything they found. They also burned down all the towns they came to.


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<pb/>Israel Provides Wives for Benjamin The Israelites had vowed at Mizpah, “We will never give our daughters in marriage to a man from the tribe of Benjamin.”


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Now the people went to Bethel and sat in the presence of God until evening, weeping loudly and bitterly.


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“O Lord, God of Israel,”</t> they cried out, <t>“why has this happened in Israel? Now one of our tribes is missing from Israel!”</t>


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<pb/>Early the next morning the people built an altar and presented their burnt offerings and peace offerings on it.


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Then they said, <t>“Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we held our assembly in the presence of the Lord?”</t> At that time they had taken a solemn oath in the Lord’s presence, vowing that anyone who refused to come would be put to death.


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The Israelites felt sorry for their brother Benjamin and said, <t>“Today one of the tribes of Israel has been cut off.


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How can we find wives for the few who remain, since we have sworn by the Lord not to give them our daughters in marriage?”</t>


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So they asked, <t>“Who among the tribes of Israel did not join us at Mizpah when we assembled in the presence of the Lord?”</t> And they discovered that no one from Jabesh-gilead had attended the assembly.


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So the assembly sent 12,000 of their best warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children.


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“This is what you are to do,”</t> they said. <t>“Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin.”</t>


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Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found 400 young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.


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<pb/>The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the remaining people of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon.


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Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the 400 women of Jabesh-gilead who had been spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them.


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<pb/>The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the Lord had made this gap among the tribes of Israel.


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So the elders of the assembly asked, <t>“How can we find wives for the few who remain, since the women of the tribe of Benjamin are dead?


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But we cannot give them our own daughters in marriage because we have sworn with a solemn oath that anyone who does this will fall under God’s curse.”</t>


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Then they thought of the annual festival of the Lord held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.


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When you see the young women of Shiloh come out for their dances, rush out from the vineyards, and each of you can take one of them home to the land of Benjamin to be your wife!


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And when their fathers and brothers come to us in protest, we will tell them, ‘Please be sympathetic. Let them have your daughters, for we didn’t find wives for all of them when we destroyed Jabesh-gilead. And you are not guilty of breaking the vow since you did not actually give your daughters to them in marriage.’”</t>


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<pb/>So the men of Benjamin did as they were told. Each man caught one of the women as she danced in the celebration and carried her off to be his wife. They returned to their own land, and they rebuilt their towns and lived in them.


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<pb/>Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him.


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The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.


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The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later,


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Naomi and Ruth Return Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.


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With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.


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But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, <t>“Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.


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May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.”</t> Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.


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<pb/>But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands?


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No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what?


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Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”</t>


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<pb/>And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.


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“Look,”</t> Naomi said to her, <t>“your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”</t>


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But Ruth replied, <t>“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.</t>


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<t>Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”</t>


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So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. <t>“Is it really Naomi?”</t> the women asked.


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“Don’t call me Naomi,”</t> she responded. <t>“Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.


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I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”</t>


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So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.


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<pb/>Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.


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One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, <t>“Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”</t> Naomi replied, <t>“All right, my daughter, go ahead.”</t>


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So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.


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While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. <t>“The Lord be with you!”</t> he said. <t>“The Lord bless you!”</t> the harvesters replied.


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She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”</t>


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<pb/>Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field.


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See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”</t>


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<pb/>Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”


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“Yes, I know,”</t> Boaz replied. <t>“But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.


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May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”</t>


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“I hope I continue to please you, sir,”</t> she replied. <t>“You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”</t>


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<pb/>At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.


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When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, <t>“Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.


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And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”</t>


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So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket.


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She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.


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“Where did you gather all this grain today?”</t> Naomi asked. <t>“Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”</t> So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, <t>“The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”</t>


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“May the Lord bless him!”</t> Naomi told her daughter-in-law. <t>“He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”</t>


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Then Ruth said, <t>“What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”</t>


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“Good!”</t> Naomi exclaimed. <t>“Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”</t>


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So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.


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<pb/>Ruth at the Threshing Floor One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for.


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Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.


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Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking.


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Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”</t>


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So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.


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After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.


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<pb/>Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet!


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“Who are you?”</t> he asked. <t>“I am your servant Ruth,”</t> she replied. <t>“Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”</t>


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“The Lord bless you, my daughter!”</t> Boaz exclaimed. <t>“You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor.


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Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.


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But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am.


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Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”</t>


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<pb/>So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.”


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Then Boaz said to her, <t>“Bring your cloak and spread it out.”</t> He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.


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<pb/>When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her,


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and she added, <t>“He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”</t>


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Then Naomi said to her, <t>“Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”</t>


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<pb/>Boaz Marries Ruth Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together.


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And Boaz said to the family redeemer, <t>“You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.


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I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”</t> The man replied, <t>“All right, I’ll redeem it.”</t>


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Then Boaz told him, <t>“Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”</t>


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“Then I can’t redeem it,”</t> the family redeemer replied, <t>“because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”</t>


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Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction.


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Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, <t>“You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.


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And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”</t>


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Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, <t>“We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.


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And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”</t>


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The Descendants of Boaz So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son.


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Then the women of the town said to Naomi, <t>“Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel.


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May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”</t>


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The neighbor women said, <t>“Now at last Naomi has a son again!”</t> And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.


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<pb/>Elkanah and His Family There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim.


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<pb/>Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas.


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On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children.


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And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children.


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So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children.


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Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.


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“Why are you crying, Hannah?”</t> Elkanah would ask. <t>“Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”</t>


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<pb/>Hannah’s Prayer for a Son Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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And she made this vow: <t>“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”</t>


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<pb/>“Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord.


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<pb/>“In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”


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“Oh, thank you, sir!”</t> she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.


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<pb/>Samuel’s Birth and Dedication The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea,


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and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, <t>“I asked the Lord for him.”</t>


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The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow.


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But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, <t>“Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.”</t>


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<pb/>“Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.


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When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine.


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“Sir, do you remember me?”</t> Hannah asked. <t>“I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord.


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Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.”</t> And they worshiped the Lord there.


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<pb/><t>Hannah’s Prayer of Praise Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.</t>


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<pb/><t>No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.</t>


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<pb/><t>Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.</t>


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<pb/><t>The Lord gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.</t>


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<pb/><t>He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order.</t>


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<pb/><t>“He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.</t>


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<pb/><t>Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.”</t>


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Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.


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or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling,


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the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way.


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<pb/>Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.


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The man offering the sacrifice might reply, <t>“Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.”</t> Then the servant would demand, <t>“No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.”</t>


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<pb/>So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.


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<pb/>But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.


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Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice.


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Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, <t>“May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.”</t>


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And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.


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<pb/>Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle.


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Eli said to them, <t>“I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning?


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If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?”</t> But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.


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A Warning for Eli’s Family One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: <t>“I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt.


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I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests.


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So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!


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<pb/>“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.


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The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.


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You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days.


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The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death.


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And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!


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“Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever.


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Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord Speaks to Samuel Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.


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The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.


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He got up and ran to Eli. <t>“Here I am. Did you call me?”</t> <t>“I didn’t call you,”</t> Eli replied. <t>“Go back to bed.”</t> So he did.


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Then the Lord called out again, <t>“Samuel!”</t> Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. <t>“Here I am. Did you call me?”</t> <t>“I didn’t call you, my son,”</t> Eli said. <t>“Go back to bed.”</t>


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So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. <t>“Here I am. Did you call me?”</t> Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.


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So he said to Samuel, <t>“Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’”</t> So Samuel went back to bed.


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<pb/>And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”


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I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them.


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So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.”</t>


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<pb/>Samuel Speaks for the Lord Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said to him.


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“What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!”</t>


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<pb/>So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”


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And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.


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4 And Samuel’s words went out to all the people of Israel. The Philistines Capture the Ark At that time Israel was at war with the Philistines. The Israelite army was camped near Ebenezer, and the Philistines were at Aphek.


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<pb/>After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.”


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<pb/>So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.


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When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!


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<pb/>“What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived,


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they panicked. <t>“The gods have come into their camp!”</t> they cried. <t>“This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!


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Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness.


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Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don’t, we will become the Hebrews’ slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!”</t>


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<pb/>So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents.


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The Death of Eli A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief.


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Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.


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<pb/>He said to Eli, “I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day.” “What happened, my son?” Eli demanded.


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“Israel has been defeated by the Philistines,”</t> the messenger replied. <t>“The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured.”</t>


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<pb/>When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel’s judge for forty years.


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<pb/>Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth.


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She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. <t>“Don’t be afraid,”</t> they said. <t>“You have a baby boy!”</t> But she did not answer or pay attention to them.


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<pb/>She named the child Ichabod (which means “Where is the glory?”), for she said, “Israel’s glory is gone.” She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead.


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<pb/>The Ark in Philistia After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.


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But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.


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But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.


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That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.


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<pb/>Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.


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When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, <t>“We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.”</t>


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<pb/>So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.


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<pb/>But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.


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So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, <t>“They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!”</t>


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The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, <t>“Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all.”</t> For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town.


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<pb/>The Philistines Return the Ark The Ark of the Lord remained in Philistine territory seven months in all.


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Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, <t>“What should we do about the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to return it to its own country.”</t>


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<pb/>“Send the Ark of the God of Israel back with a gift,” they were told. “Send a guilt offering so the plague will stop. Then, if you are healed, you will know it was his hand that caused the plague.”


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“What sort of guilt offering should we send?”</t> they asked. And they were told, <t>“Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land.


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Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land.


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Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go.


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“Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen.


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Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they want.


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If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the Lord who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don’t, we will know it was not his hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance.”</t>


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<pb/>So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen.


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Then the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart.


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And sure enough, without veering off in other directions, the cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.


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<pb/>The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed!


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The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the Lord as a burnt offering.


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Several men of the tribe of Levi lifted the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors from the cart and placed them on the large rock. Many sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered to the Lord that day by the people of Beth-shemesh.


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<pb/>The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the Lord were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.


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The five gold rats represented the five Philistine towns and their surrounding villages, which were controlled by the five rulers. The large rock at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the Lord, still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there.


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<pb/>The Ark Moved to Kiriath-Jearim But the Lord killed seventy men from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord. And the people mourned greatly because of what the Lord had done.


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“Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?”</t> they cried out. <t>“Where can we send the Ark from here?”</t>


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<pb/>So they sent messengers to the people at Kiriath-jearim and told them, “The Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord. Come here and get it!”


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So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it.


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The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.


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Samuel Leads Israel to Victory Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, <t>“If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”</t>


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So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)


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<pb/>When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching.


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“Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!”</t> they begged Samuel.


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So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.


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<pb/>Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.


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The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.


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<pb/>Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”


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So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines.


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<pb/>The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.


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Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places.


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Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the Lord at Ramah.


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But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.


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“Look,”</t> they told him, <t>“you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”</t>


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“Do everything they say to you,”</t> the Lord replied, <t>“for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.


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Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.


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<pb/>Samuel Warns against a Kingdom So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.


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“This is how a king will reign over you,”</t> Samuel said. <t>“The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.


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Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.


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The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.


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He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.


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He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.


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He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.


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When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”</t>


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<pb/>But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.


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and the Lord replied, <t>“Do as they say, and give them a king.”</t> Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home.


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<pb/>Saul Meets Samuel There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin.


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His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.


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<pb/>One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.”


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So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.


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<pb/>Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!”


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But the servant said, <t>“I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”</t>


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“But we don’t have anything to offer him,”</t> Saul replied. <t>“Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”</t>


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“Well,”</t> the servant said, <t>“I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!”</t>


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(In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, <t>“Let’s go and ask the seer,”</t> for prophets used to be called seers.)


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“All right,”</t> Saul agreed, <t>“let’s try it!”</t> So they started into the town where the man of God lived.


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<pb/>As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”


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“Yes,”</t> they replied. <t>“Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship.


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Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”</t>


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<pb/>So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.


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“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”</t>


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<pb/>When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”


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Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, <t>“Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”</t>


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<pb/>“I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way.


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And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”</t>


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<pb/>Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”


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<pb/>Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.


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Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor.


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<pb/>So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. “Go ahead and eat it,” Samuel said. “I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.


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<pb/>When they came down from the place of worship and returned to town, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a bed for him there.


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At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, <t>“Get up! It’s time you were on your way.”</t> So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together.


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When they reached the edge of town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead. After the servant was gone, Samuel said, <t>“Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God.”</t>


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<pb/>Samuel Anoints Saul as King Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.


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When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father has stopped worrying about them and is now worried about you. He is asking, ‘Have you seen my son?’


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<pb/>“When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a wineskin full of wine.


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“When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying.


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At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.


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Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and give you further instructions.”</t>


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Samuel’s Signs Are Fulfilled As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart, and all Samuel’s signs were fulfilled that day.


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When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.


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When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, <t>“What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”</t>


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<pb/>And one of those standing there said, “Can anyone become a prophet, no matter who his father is?” So that is the origin of the saying “Is even Saul a prophet?”


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<pb/>“Where have you been?” Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant. “We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied, “but we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel to ask him where they were.”


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“He told us that the donkeys had already been found,”</t> Saul replied. But Saul didn’t tell his uncle what Samuel said about the kingdom.


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<pb/>Saul Is Acclaimed King Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah.


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And he said, <t>“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you.


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But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”</t>


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<pb/>So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.


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Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared!


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So they asked the Lord, <t>“Where is he?”</t> And the Lord replied, <t>“He is hiding among the baggage.”</t>


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Then Samuel said to all the people, <t>“This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”</t> And all the people shouted, <t>“Long live the king!”</t>


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<pb/>Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.


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When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him.


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But there were some scoundrels who complained, <t>“How can this man save us?”</t> And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them. [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.]


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<pb/>Saul Defeats the Ammonites About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite town of Jabesh-gilead. But all the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. “Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants,” they pleaded.


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<pb/>“All right,” Nahash said, “but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!”


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<pb/>“Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!” replied the elders of Jabesh. “If no one comes to save us, we will agree to your terms.”


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<pb/>When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears.


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Saul had been plowing a field with his oxen, and when he returned to town, he asked, <t>“What’s the matter? Why is everyone crying?”</t> So they told him about the message from Jabesh.


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He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: <t>“This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!”</t> And the Lord made the people afraid of Saul’s anger, and all of them came out together as one.


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When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.


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<pb/>So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, “We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!” There was great joy throughout the town when that message arrived!


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The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, <t>“Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us whatever you wish.”</t>


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<pb/>But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.


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Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, <t>“Now where are those men who said, ‘Why should Saul rule over us?’ Bring them here, and we will kill them!”</t>


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So they all went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the Lord they made Saul king. Then they offered peace offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites were filled with joy.


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Samuel’s Farewell Address Then Samuel addressed all Israel: <t>“I have done as you asked and given you a king.


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Your king is now your leader. I stand here before you—an old, gray-haired man—and my sons serve you. I have served as your leader from the time I was a boy to this very day.


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Now testify against me in the presence of the Lord and before his anointed one. Whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe and perverted justice? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong.”</t>


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<pb/>“No,” they replied, “you have never cheated or oppressed us, and you have never taken even a single bribe.”


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“The Lord and his anointed one are my witnesses today,”</t> Samuel declared, <t>“that my hands are clean.”</t> <t>“Yes, he is a witness,”</t> they replied.


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<pb/>“It was the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel continued. “He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.


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Now stand here quietly before the Lord as I remind you of all the great things the Lord has done for you and your ancestors.


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“When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the Lord, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land.


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<pb/>But the people soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over to Sisera, the commander of Hazor’s army, and also to the Philistines and to the king of Moab, who fought against them.


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“Then they cried to the Lord again and confessed, ‘We have sinned by turning away from the Lord and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.’


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<pb/>“But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the Lord your God was already your king.


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All right, here is the king you have chosen. You asked for him, and the Lord has granted your request.


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“Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God.


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But if you rebel against the Lord’s commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.


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You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the Lord for a king!”</t>


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<pb/>So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were terrified of the Lord and of Samuel.


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“Pray to the Lord your God for us, or we will die!”</t> they all said to Samuel. <t>“For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king.”</t>


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<pb/>“Don’t be afraid,” Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him.


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Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless!


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The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people.


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“As for me, I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.


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But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.


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<pb/>Continued War with Philistia Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.


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Saul selected 3,000 special troops from the army of Israel and sent the rest of the men home. He took 2,000 of the chosen men with him to Micmash and the hill country of Bethel. The other 1,000 went with Saul’s son Jonathan to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin.


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<pb/>Soon after this, Jonathan attacked and defeated the garrison of Philistines at Geba. The news spread quickly among the Philistines. So Saul blew the ram’s horn throughout the land, saying, “Hebrews, hear this! Rise up in revolt!”


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All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the Philistine garrison at Geba and that the Philistines now hated the Israelites more than ever. So the entire Israelite army was summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.


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<pb/>The Philistines mustered a mighty army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! They camped at Micmash east of Beth-aven.


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The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.


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Some of them crossed the Jordan River and escaped into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul’s Disobedience and Samuel’s Rebuke Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear.


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Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.


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<pb/>So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself.


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Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him,


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<pb/>but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle.


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So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”</t>


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<pb/>“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.


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But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”</t>


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<pb/>Israel’s Military Disadvantage Samuel then left Gilgal and went on his way, but the rest of the troops went with Saul to meet the army. They went up from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin. When Saul counted the men who were still with him, he found only 600 were left!


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Saul and Jonathan and the troops with them were staying at Geba in the land of Benjamin. The Philistines set up their camp at Micmash.


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Three raiding parties soon left the camp of the Philistines. One went north toward Ophrah in the land of Shual,


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another went west to Beth-horon, and the third moved toward the border above the valley of Zeboim near the wilderness.


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<pb/>There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears for the Hebrews.


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So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith.


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The charges were as follows: a quarter of an ounce of silver for sharpening a plowshare or a pick, and an eighth of an ounce for sharpening an ax or making the point of an ox goad.


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So on the day of the battle none of the people of Israel had a sword or spear, except for Saul and Jonathan.


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Jonathan’s Daring Plan One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, <t>“Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.”</t> But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron.


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Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh. No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp.


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<pb/>To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh.


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<pb/>“Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”


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“Do what you think is best,”</t> the armor bearer replied. <t>“I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”</t>


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But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”</t>


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<pb/>When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!”


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Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, <t>“Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”</t> <t>“Come on, climb right behind me,”</t> Jonathan said to his armor bearer, <t>“for the Lord will help us defeat them!”</t>


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<pb/>So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them.


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<pb/>Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.


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<pb/>Israel Defeats the Philistines Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.


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“Call the roll and find out who’s missing,”</t> Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.


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Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, <t>“Bring the ephod here!”</t> For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.


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But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, <t>“Never mind; let’s get going!”</t>


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<pb/>Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.


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Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites.


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Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away.


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Saul’s Foolish Oath Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, <t>“Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies.”</t> So no one ate anything all day,


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But Jonathan had not heard his father’s command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed.


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But one of the men saw him and said, <t>“Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint.”</t>


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“My father has made trouble for us all!”</t> Jonathan exclaimed. <t>“A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey.


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If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!”</t>


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<pb/>They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint.


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That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood.


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<pb/>Someone reported to Saul, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.” “That is very wrong,” Saul said. “Find a large stone and roll it over here.


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Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’”</t> So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there.


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Then Saul said, <t>“Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.”</t> His men replied, <t>“We’ll do whatever you think is best.”</t> But the priest said, <t>“Let’s ask God first.”</t>


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So Saul asked God, <t>“Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?”</t> But God made no reply that day.


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<pb/>Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today.


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I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!”</t> But no one would tell him what the trouble was.


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<pb/>Then Saul said, “Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there.” And the people responded to Saul, “Whatever you think is best.”


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<pb/>Then Saul prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent.” Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent.


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Then Saul said, <t>“Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan.”</t> And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.


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<pb/>“Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan. “I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”


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“Yes, Jonathan,”</t> Saul said, <t>“you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”</t>


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<pb/>But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.


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<pb/>Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.


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Saul’s Military Successes Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel’s throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.


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He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.


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Saul’s sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal.


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Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was Abner, the son of Saul’s uncle Ner.


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<pb/>The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.


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<pb/>Saul Defeats the Amalekites One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord!


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This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt.


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Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”</t>


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<pb/>So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.


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Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: <t>“Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.”</t> So the Kenites packed up and left.


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Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.


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“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.”</t> Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.


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<pb/>Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.”


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When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. <t>“May the Lord bless you,”</t> he said. <t>“I have carried out the Lord’s command!”</t>


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<pb/>“Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.


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“It’s true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle,”</t> Saul admitted. <t>“But they are going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. We have destroyed everything else.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Listen to what the Lord told me last night!” “What did he tell you?” Saul asked.


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And Samuel told him, <t>“Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord has anointed you king of Israel.


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And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’


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Why haven’t you obeyed the Lord? Why did you rush for the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”</t>


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<pb/>“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul insisted. “I carried out the mission he gave me. I brought back King Agag, but I destroyed everyone else.


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Then my troops brought in the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and plunder to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”</t>


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<pb/><t>But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.</t>


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<pb/><t>Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”</t>


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Saul Pleads for Forgiveness Then Saul admitted to Samuel, <t>“Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.


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<pb/>But Samuel replied, “I will not go back with you! Since you have rejected the Lord’s command, he has rejected you as king of Israel.”


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And Samuel said to him, <t>“The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to someone else—one who is better than you.


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And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”</t>


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Then Saul pleaded again, <t>“I know I have sinned. But please, at least honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.”</t>


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Samuel Executes King Agag Then Samuel said, <t>“Bring King Agag to me.”</t> Agag arrived full of hope, for he thought, <t>“Surely the worst is over, and I have been spared!”</t>


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But Samuel said, <t>“As your sword has killed the sons of many mothers, now your mother will be childless.”</t> And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.


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Samuel never went to meet with Saul again, but he mourned constantly for him. And the Lord was sorry he had ever made Saul king of Israel.


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<pb/>Samuel Anoints David as King Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”


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<pb/>But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord.


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<pb/>So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”


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“Yes,”</t> Samuel replied. <t>“I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.”</t> Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.


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<pb/>When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!”


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But the Lord said to Samuel, <t>“Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.”


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In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, <t>“The Lord has not chosen any of these.”</t>


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Then Samuel asked, <t>“Are these all the sons you have?”</t> <t>“There is still the youngest,”</t> Jesse replied. <t>“But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”</t> <t>“Send for him at once,”</t> Samuel said. <t>“We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”</t>


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<pb/>So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”


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So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.


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David Serves in Saul’s Court Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.


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Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.”</t>


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One of the servants said to Saul, <t>“One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.”</t>


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Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.


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So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.


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Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, <t>“Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.”</t>


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<pb/>And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.


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<pb/>Goliath Challenges the Israelites The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes-dammim.


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<pb/>Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!


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The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.


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<pb/>Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!


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<pb/>Jesse Sends David to Saul’s Camp Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.


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Jesse’s three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea—had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.


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<pb/>For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.


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One day Jesse said to David, <t>“Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.


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And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”</t>


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David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.


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<pb/>So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries.


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David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers.


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As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.


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<pb/>“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man’s entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!”


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<pb/>David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?”


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And these men gave David the same reply. They said, <t>“Yes, that is the reward for killing him.”</t>


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<pb/>But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!”


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“Don’t be ridiculous!”</t> Saul replied. <t>“There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”</t>


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<pb/>But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,


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I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.


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I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!


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The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”</t> Saul finally consented. <t>“All right, go ahead,”</t> he said. <t>“And may the Lord be with you!”</t>


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David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. <t>“I can’t go in these,”</t> he protested to Saul. <t>“I’m not used to them.”</t> So David took them off again.


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He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.


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“Am I a dog,”</t> he roared at David, <t>“that you come at me with a stick?”</t> And he cursed David by the names of his gods.


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<pb/>David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.


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Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!


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And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”</t>


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Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.


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Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. Israel Routs the Philistines When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.


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<pb/>Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron.


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<pb/>As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “I really don’t know,” Abner declared.


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<pb/>As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.


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“Tell me about your father, young man,”</t> Saul said. And David replied, <t>“His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”</t>


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<pb/>Saul Becomes Jealous of David After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.


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Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.


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<pb/>Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.


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<pb/>When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.


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This made Saul very angry. <t>“What’s this?”</t> he said. <t>“They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!”</t>


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<pb/>The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand,


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Finally, Saul sent him away and appointed him commander over 1,000 men, and David faithfully led his troops into battle.


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But all Israel and Judah loved David because he was so successful at leading his troops into battle.


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<pb/>David Marries Saul’s Daughter One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them kill him rather than doing it myself.”


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<pb/>“Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed. “My father’s family is nothing!”


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So when the time came for Saul to give his daughter Merab in marriage to David, he gave her instead to Adriel, a man from Meholah.


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<pb/>In the meantime, Saul’s daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and Saul was delighted when he heard about it.


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“Here’s another chance to see him killed by the Philistines!”</t> Saul said to himself. But to David he said, <t>“Today you have a second chance to become my son-in-law!”</t>


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<pb/>Then Saul told his men to say to David, “The king really likes you, and so do we. Why don’t you accept the king’s offer and become his son-in-law?”


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When Saul’s men said these things to David, he replied, <t>“How can a poor man from a humble family afford the bride price for the daughter of a king?”</t>


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he told them, <t>“Tell David that all I want for the bride price is 100 Philistine foreskins! Vengeance on my enemies is all I really want.”</t> But what Saul had in mind was that David would be killed in the fight.


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he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. Then David fulfilled the king’s requirement by presenting all their foreskins to him. So Saul gave his daughter Michal to David to be his wife.


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Every time the commanders of the Philistines attacked, David was more successful against them than all the rest of Saul’s officers. So David’s name became very famous.


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<pb/>Saul Tries to Kill David Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David,


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told him what his father was planning. <t>“Tomorrow morning,”</t> he warned him, <t>“you must find a hiding place out in the fields.


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I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”</t>


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<pb/>The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could.


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Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”</t>


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<pb/>So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”


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Afterward Jonathan called David and told him what had happened. Then he brought David to Saul, and David served in the court as before.


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<pb/>War broke out again after that, and David led his troops against the Philistines. He attacked them with such fury that they all ran away.


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But one day when Saul was sitting at home, with spear in hand, the tormenting spirit from the Lord suddenly came upon him again. As David played his harp,


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Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.


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<pb/>Michal Saves David’s Life Then Saul sent troops to watch David’s house. They were told to kill David when he came out the next morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t escape tonight, you will be dead by morning.”


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<pb/>Then she took an idol and put it in his bed, covered it with blankets, and put a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.


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<pb/>But Saul sent the troops back to get David. He ordered, “Bring him to me in his bed so I can kill him!”


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But when they came to carry David out, they discovered that it was only an idol in the bed with a cushion of goat’s hair at its head.


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<pb/>“Why have you betrayed me like this and let my enemy escape?” Saul demanded of Michal. “I had to,” Michal replied. “He threatened to kill me if I didn’t help him.”


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<pb/>So David escaped and went to Ramah to see Samuel, and he told him all that Saul had done to him. Then Samuel took David with him to live at Naioth.


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he sent troops to capture him. But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy.


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When Saul heard what had happened, he sent other troops, but they, too, prophesied! The same thing happened a third time.


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Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great well in Secu. <t>“Where are Samuel and David?”</t> he demanded. <t>“They are at Naioth in Ramah,”</t> someone told him.


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<pb/>But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy all the way to Naioth!


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He tore off his clothes and lay naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of Samuel. The people who were watching exclaimed, <t>“What? Is even Saul a prophet?”</t>


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<pb/>Jonathan Helps David David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”


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<pb/>“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”


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<pb/>Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the Lord and by your own soul!”


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<pb/>David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.


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If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.


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If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.


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Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”</t>


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<pb/>“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”


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Then Jonathan told David, <t>“I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.


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But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.


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treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”</t>


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And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.


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Then Jonathan said, <t>“Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty.


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The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile.


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I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target.


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Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble.


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But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away.


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<pb/>So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.


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He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.


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Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, <t>“Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”</t>


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But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, <t>“Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”</t>


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He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”</t>


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<pb/>Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother?


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As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”</t>


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Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.


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Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.


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<pb/>The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.


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“Start running,”</t> he told the boy, <t>“so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.”</t> So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.


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Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.”</t> So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.


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<pb/>As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.


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At last Jonathan said to David, <t>“Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.”</t> Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.


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<pb/>David Runs from Saul David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”


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“The king has sent me on a private matter,”</t> David said. <t>“He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.


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<pb/>“We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”


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“Don’t worry,”</t> David replied. <t>“I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”</t>


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<pb/>Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.


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Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord.


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David asked Ahimelech, <t>“Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”</t>


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“I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,”</t> the priest replied. <t>“It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”</t> <t>“There is nothing like it!”</t> David replied. <t>“Give it to me!”</t>


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But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. <t>“Isn’t this David, the king of the land?”</t> they asked. <t>“Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”</t>


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<pb/>David at the Cave of Adullam So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.


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Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men.


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<pb/>Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.”


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So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold.


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One day the prophet Gad told David, <t>“Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.”</t> So David went to the forest of Hereth.


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The news of his arrival in Judah soon reached Saul. At the time, the king was sitting beneath the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, holding his spear and surrounded by his officers.


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“Listen here, you men of Benjamin!”</t> Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. <t>“Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army?


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Is that why you have conspired against me? For not one of you told me when my own son made a solemn pact with the son of Jesse. You’re not even sorry for me. Think of it! My own son—encouraging him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day!”</t>


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<pb/>Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub.


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Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”</t>


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<pb/>The Slaughter of the Priests King Saul immediately sent for Ahimelech and all his family, who served as priests at Nob.


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When they arrived, Saul shouted at him, <t>“Listen to me, you son of Ahitub!”</t> <t>“What is it, my king?”</t> Ahimelech asked.


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“Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?”</t> Saul demanded. <t>“Why did you give him food and a sword? Why have you consulted God for him? Why have you encouraged him to kill me, as he is trying to do this very day?”</t>


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<pb/>“But sir,” Ahimelech replied, “is anyone among all your servants as faithful as David, your son-in-law? Why, he is the captain of your bodyguard and a highly honored member of your household!


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This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.”</t>


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And he ordered his bodyguards, <t>“Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!”</t> But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.


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<pb/>Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.


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Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.


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David exclaimed, <t>“I knew it! When I saw Doeg the Edomite there that day, I knew he was sure to tell Saul. Now I have caused the death of all your father’s family.


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Stay here with me, and don’t be afraid. I will protect you with my own life, for the same person wants to kill us both.”</t>


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<pb/>David Protects the Town of Keilah One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.


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David asked the Lord, <t>“Should I go and attack them?”</t> <t>“Yes, go and save Keilah,”</t> the Lord told him.


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<pb/>But David’s men said, “We’re afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don’t want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!”


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So David asked the Lord again, and again the Lord replied, <t>“Go down to Keilah, for I will help you conquer the Philistines.”</t>


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<pb/>So David and his men went to Keilah. They slaughtered the Philistines and took all their livestock and rescued the people of Keilah.


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Saul soon learned that David was at Keilah. <t>“Good!”</t> he exclaimed. <t>“We’ve got him now! God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself in a walled town!”</t>


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<pb/>But David learned of Saul’s plan and told Abiathar the priest to bring the ephod and ask the Lord what he should do.


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Then David prayed, <t>“O Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here.


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Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.”</t> And the Lord said, <t>“He will come.”</t>


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Again David asked, <t>“Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?”</t> And the Lord replied, <t>“Yes, they will betray you.”</t>


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<pb/>David Hides in the Wilderness So David and his men—about 600 of them now—left Keilah and began roaming the countryside. Word soon reached Saul that David had escaped, so he didn’t go to Keilah after all.


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David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.


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One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.


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“Don’t be afraid,”</t> Jonathan reassured him. <t>“My father will never find you! You are going to be the king of Israel, and I will be next to you, as my father, Saul, is well aware.”</t>


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So the two of them renewed their solemn pact before the Lord. Then Jonathan returned home, while David stayed at Horesh.


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<pb/>But now the men of Ziph went to Saul in Gibeah and betrayed David to him. “We know where David is hiding,” they said. “He is in the strongholds of Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, which is in the southern part of Jeshimon.


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Go and check again to be sure of where he is staying and who has seen him there, for I know that he is very crafty.


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Discover his hiding places, and come back when you are sure. Then I’ll go with you. And if he is in the area at all, I’ll track him down, even if I have to search every hiding place in Judah!”</t>


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<pb/>So the men of Ziph returned home ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved into the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah Valley south of Jeshimon.


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When David heard that Saul and his men were searching for him, he went even farther into the wilderness to the great rock, and he remained there in the wilderness of Maon. But Saul kept after him in the wilderness.


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Saul and David were now on opposite sides of a mountain. Just as Saul and his men began to close in on David and his men,


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<pb/>So Saul quit chasing David and returned to fight the Philistines. Ever since that time, the place where David was camped has been called the Rock of Escape.


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<pb/>David Spares Saul’s Life After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi.


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So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.


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At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!


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“Now’s your opportunity!”</t> David’s men whispered to him. <t>“Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’”</t> So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.


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He said to his men, <t>“The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.”</t>


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So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,


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<pb/>David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.


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This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’


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Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.


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“May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.


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As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you.


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Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea?


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May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”</t>


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<pb/>When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry.


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Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it.


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Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.


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And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule.


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Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”</t>


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<pb/>So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.


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<pb/>The Death of Samuel Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah. Nabal Angers David Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon.


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There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time.


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This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.


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I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them.


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Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.”</t>


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“Who is this fellow David?”</t> Nabal sneered to the young men. <t>“Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters.


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Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”</t>


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“Get your swords!”</t> was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them.


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These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us.


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You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”</t>


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<pb/>Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys


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and said to her servants, <t>“Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.”</t> But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.


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<pb/>As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her.


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David had just been saying, <t>“A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good.


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May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”</t>


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<pb/>Abigail Intercedes for Nabal When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him.


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She fell at his feet and said, <t>“I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say.


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I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.


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<pb/>“Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is.


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Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.


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“Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!


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don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”</t>


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<pb/>David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today!


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Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.


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For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.”</t>


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Then David accepted her present and told her, <t>“Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”</t>


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<pb/>When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day.


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In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone.


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<pb/>David Marries Abigail When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.” Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.


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<pb/>When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”


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She bowed low to the ground and responded, <t>“I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!”</t>


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Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife.


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Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.


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<pb/>David Spares Saul Again Now some men from Ziph came to Saul at Gibeah to tell him, “David is hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which overlooks Jeshimon.”


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Saul camped along the road beside the hill of Hakilah, near Jeshimon, where David was hiding. When David learned that Saul had come after him into the wilderness,


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<pb/>David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors.


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“Who will volunteer to go in there with me?”</t> David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. <t>“I’ll go with you,”</t> Abishai replied.


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<pb/>So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him.


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“God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!”</t> Abishai whispered to David. <t>“Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!”</t>


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<pb/>“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one?


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The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!”</t>


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So David took the spear and jug of water that were near Saul’s head. Then he and Abishai got away without anyone seeing them or even waking up, because the Lord had put Saul’s men into a deep sleep.


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Then he shouted down to the soldiers and to Abner son of Ner, <t>“Wake up, Abner!”</t> <t>“Who is it?”</t> Abner demanded.


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“Well, Abner, you’re a great man, aren’t you?”</t> David taunted. <t>“Where in all Israel is there anyone as mighty? So why haven’t you guarded your master the king when someone came to kill him?


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This isn’t good at all! I swear by the Lord that you and your men deserve to die, because you failed to protect your master, the Lord’s anointed! Look around! Where are the king’s spear and the jug of water that were beside his head?”</t>


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<pb/>Saul recognized David’s voice and called out, “Is that you, my son David?” And David replied, “Yes, my lord the king.


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But now let my lord the king listen to his servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, then let him accept my offering. But if this is simply a human scheme, then may those involved be cursed by the Lord. For they have driven me from my home, so I can no longer live among the Lord’s people, and they have said, ‘Go, worship pagan gods.’


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Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of the Lord? Why has the king of Israel come out to search for a single flea? Why does he hunt me down like a partridge on the mountains?”</t>


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<pb/>Then Saul confessed, “I have sinned. Come back home, my son, and I will no longer try to harm you, for you valued my life today. I have been a fool and very, very wrong.”


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“Here is your spear, O king,”</t> David replied. <t>“Let one of your young men come over and get it.


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The Lord gives his own reward for doing good and for being loyal, and I refused to kill you even when the Lord placed you in my power, for you are the Lord’s anointed one.


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Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles.”</t>


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And Saul said to David, <t>“Blessings on you, my son David. You will do many heroic deeds, and you will surely succeed.”</t> Then David went away, and Saul returned home.


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<pb/>David among the Philistines But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.”


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David and his men and their families settled there with Achish at Gath. David brought his two wives along with him—Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel.


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<pb/>One day David said to Achish, “If it is all right with you, we would rather live in one of the country towns instead of here in the royal city.”


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<pb/>David and his men spent their time raiding the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites—people who had lived near Shur, toward the land of Egypt, since ancient times.


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David did not leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, goats, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish.


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“Where did you make your raid today?”</t> Achish would ask. And David would reply, <t>“Against the south of Judah, the Jerahmeelites, and the Kenites.”</t>


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No one was left alive to come to Gath and tell where he had really been. This happened again and again while he was living among the Philistines.


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Achish believed David and thought to himself, <t>“By now the people of Israel must hate him bitterly. Now he will have to stay here and serve me forever!”</t>


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<pb/>Saul Consults a Medium About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”


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“Very well!”</t> David agreed. <t>“Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”</t> Then Achish told David, <t>“I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”</t>


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.


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The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.


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He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.


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Saul then said to his advisers, <t>“Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”</t> His advisers replied, <t>“There is a medium at Endor.”</t>


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<pb/>So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men. “I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”


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<pb/>“Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”


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But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised, <t>“As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”</t>


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Finally, the woman said, <t>“Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”</t> <t>“Call up Samuel,”</t> Saul replied.


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“Don’t be afraid!”</t> the king told her. <t>“What do you see?”</t> <t>“I see a god coming up out of the earth,”</t> she said.


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“What does he look like?”</t> Saul asked. <t>“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,”</t> she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.


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“Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?”</t> Samuel asked Saul. <t>“Because I am in deep trouble,”</t> Saul replied. <t>“The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”</t>


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The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.


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The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.


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What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”</t>


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<pb/>Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.


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When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said, <t>“Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.


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Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”</t>


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<pb/>But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.


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The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.


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<pb/>The Philistines Reject David The entire Philistine army now mobilized at Aphek, and the Israelites camped at the spring in Jezreel.


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As the Philistine rulers were leading out their troops in groups of hundreds and thousands, David and his men marched at the rear with King Achish.


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<pb/>But the Philistine commanders demanded, “What are these Hebrews doing here?” And Achish told them, “This is David, the servant of King Saul of Israel. He’s been with me for years, and I’ve never found a single fault in him from the day he arrived until today.”


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<pb/>But the Philistine commanders were angry. “Send him back to the town you’ve given him!” they demanded. “He can’t go into the battle with us. What if he turns against us in battle and becomes our adversary? Is there any better way for him to reconcile himself with his master than by handing our heads over to him?


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Isn’t this the same David about whom the women of Israel sing in their dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”</t>


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So Achish finally summoned David and said to him, <t>“I swear by the Lord that you have been a trustworthy ally. I think you should go with me into battle, for I’ve never found a single flaw in you from the day you arrived until today. But the other Philistine rulers won’t hear of it.


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<pb/>“What have I done to deserve this treatment?” David demanded. “What have you ever found in your servant, that I can’t go and fight the enemies of my lord the king?”


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But Achish insisted, <t>“As far as I’m concerned, you’re as perfect as an angel of God. But the Philistine commanders are afraid to have you with them in the battle.


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<pb/>So David and his men headed back into the land of the Philistines, while the Philistine army went on to Jezreel.


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<pb/>David Destroys the Amalekites Three days later, when David and his men arrived home at their town of Ziklag, they found that the Amalekites had made a raid into the Negev and Ziklag; they had crushed Ziklag and burned it to the ground.


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David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured.


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David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the Lord his God.


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Then David asked the Lord, <t>“Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?”</t> And the Lord told him, <t>“Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”</t>


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But 200 of the men were too exhausted to cross the brook, so David continued the pursuit with 400 men.


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<pb/>Along the way they found an Egyptian man in a field and brought him to David. They gave him some bread to eat and water to drink.


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They also gave him part of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins, for he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink for three days and nights. Before long his strength returned.


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“To whom do you belong, and where do you come from?”</t> David asked him. <t>“I am an Egyptian—the slave of an Amalekite,”</t> he replied. <t>“My master abandoned me three days ago because I was sick.


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We were on our way back from raiding the Kerethites in the Negev, the territory of Judah, and the land of Caleb, and we had just burned Ziklag.”</t>


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“Will you lead me to this band of raiders?”</t> David asked. The young man replied, <t>“If you take an oath in God’s name that you will not kill me or give me back to my master, then I will guide you to them.”</t>


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<pb/>So he led David to them, and they found the Amalekites spread out across the fields, eating and drinking and dancing with joy because of the vast amount of plunder they had taken from the Philistines and the land of Judah.


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David and his men rushed in among them and slaughtered them throughout that night and the entire next day until evening. None of the Amalekites escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels.


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Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back.


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He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock. <t>“This plunder belongs to David!”</t> they said.


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<pb/>Then David returned to the brook Besor and met up with the 200 men who had been left behind because they were too exhausted to go with him. They went out to meet David and his men, and David greeted them joyfully.


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But some evil troublemakers among David’s men said, <t>“They didn’t go with us, so they can’t have any of the plunder we recovered. Give them their wives and children, and tell them to be gone.”</t>


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<pb/>But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the Lord has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us.


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Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.”</t>


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<pb/>From then on David made this a decree and regulation for Israel, and it is still followed today.


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<pb/>When he arrived at Ziklag, David sent part of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends. “Here is a present for you, taken from the Lord’s enemies,” he said.


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The gifts were sent to the people of the following towns David had visited: Bethel, Ramoth-negev, Jattir,


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<pb/>The Death of Saul Now the Philistines attacked Israel, and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.


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The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.


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The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely.


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<pb/>Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.


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When his armor bearer realized that Saul was dead, he fell on his own sword and died beside the king.


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<pb/>When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.


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<pb/>The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa.


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So they cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. Then they proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia.


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They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths, and they fastened his body to the wall of the city of Beth-shan.


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all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies.


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Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.


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<pb/>David Learns of Saul’s Death After the death of Saul, David returned from his victory over the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag.


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On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s army camp. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show that he was in mourning. He fell to the ground before David in deep respect.


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“What happened?”</t> David demanded. <t>“Tell me how the battle went.”</t> The man replied, <t>“Our entire army fled from the battle. Many of the men are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”</t>


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The man answered, <t>“I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear with the enemy chariots and charioteers closing in on him.


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“Then he begged me, ‘Come over here and put me out of my misery, for I am in terrible pain and want to die.’


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“So I killed him,”</t> the Amalekite told David, <t>“for I knew he couldn’t live. Then I took his crown and his armband, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”</t>


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They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the Lord’s army and the nation of Israel, because they had died by the sword that day.


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<pb/>Then David said to the young man who had brought the news, “Where are you from?” And he replied, “I am a foreigner, an Amalekite, who lives in your land.”


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Then David said to one of his men, <t>“Kill him!”</t> So the man thrust his sword into the Amalekite and killed him.


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“You have condemned yourself,”</t> David said, <t>“for you yourself confessed that you killed the Lord’s anointed one.”</t>


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<t>and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The Book of Jashar.</t>


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<pb/><t>Don’t announce the news in Gath, don’t proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice and the pagans will laugh in triumph.</t>


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<pb/><t>O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.</t>


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<pb/><t>The bow of Jonathan was powerful, and the sword of Saul did its mighty work. They shed the blood of their enemies and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes.</t>


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<pb/><t>How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.</t>


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<pb/><t>O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold.</t>


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<pb/><t>How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!</t>


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<pb/>David Anointed King of Judah After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the Lord replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered.


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David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives


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Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul,


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he sent them this message: <t>“May the Lord bless you for being so loyal to your master Saul and giving him a decent burial.


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May the Lord be loyal to you in return and reward you with his unfailing love! And I, too, will reward you for what you have done.


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Now that Saul is dead, I ask you to be my strong and loyal subjects like the people of Judah, who have anointed me as their new king.”</t>


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Ishbosheth Proclaimed King of Israel But Abner son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had already gone to Mahanaim with Saul’s son Ishbosheth.


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There he proclaimed Ishbosheth king over Gilead, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, the land of the Ashurites, and all the rest of Israel.


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Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he became king, and he ruled from Mahanaim for two years. Meanwhile, the people of Judah remained loyal to David.


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About the same time, Joab son of Zeruiah led David’s troops out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. The two groups sat down there, facing each other from opposite sides of the pool.


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Then Abner suggested to Joab, <t>“Let’s have a few of our warriors fight hand to hand here in front of us.”</t> <t>“All right,”</t> Joab agreed.


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<pb/>So twelve men were chosen to fight from each side—twelve men of Benjamin representing Ishbosheth son of Saul, and twelve representing David.


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Each one grabbed his opponent by the hair and thrust his sword into the other’s side so that all of them died. So this place at Gibeon has been known ever since as the Field of Swords.


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<pb/>A fierce battle followed that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by the forces of David.


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The Death of Asahel Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—the three sons of Zeruiah—were among David’s forces that day. Asahel could run like a gazelle,


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<pb/>When Abner looked back and saw him coming, he called out, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it is,” he replied.


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“Go fight someone else!”</t> Abner warned. <t>“Take on one of the younger men, and strip him of his weapons.”</t> But Asahel kept right on chasing Abner.


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Again Abner shouted to him, <t>“Get away from here! I don’t want to kill you. How could I ever face your brother Joab again?”</t>


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But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.


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<pb/>When Joab and Abishai found out what had happened, they set out after Abner. The sun was just going down as they arrived at the hill of Ammah near Giah, along the road to the wilderness of Gibeon.


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<pb/>Abner shouted down to Joab, “Must we always be killing each other? Don’t you realize that bitterness is the only result? When will you call off your men from chasing their Israelite brothers?”


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Then Joab said, <t>“God only knows what would have happened if you hadn’t spoken, for we would have chased you all night if necessary.”</t>


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All that night Abner and his men retreated through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, traveling all through the morning, and didn’t stop until they arrived at Mahanaim.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Joab and his men also returned home. When Joab counted his casualties, he discovered that only 19 men were missing in addition to Asahel.


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Joab and his men took Asahel’s body to Bethlehem and buried him there in his father’s tomb. Then they traveled all night and reached Hebron at daybreak.


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That was the beginning of a long war between those who were loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.


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<pb/>David’s Sons Born in Hebron These are the sons who were born to David in Hebron: The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.


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The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.


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The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.


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The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife. These sons were all born to David in Hebron.


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Abner Joins Forces with David As the war between the house of Saul and the house of David went on, Abner became a powerful leader among those loyal to Saul.


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One day Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, accused Abner of sleeping with one of his father’s concubines, a woman named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah.


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<pb/>Abner was furious. “Am I some Judean dog to be kicked around like this?” he shouted. “After all I have done for your father, Saul, and his family and friends by not handing you over to David, is this my reward—that you find fault with me about this woman?


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May God strike me and even kill me if I don’t do everything I can to help David get what the Lord has promised him!


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I’m going to take Saul’s kingdom and give it to David. I will establish the throne of David over Israel as well as Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, “Doesn’t the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you.”


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“All right,”</t> David replied, <t>“but I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.”</t>


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<pb/>David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son: “Give me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives of 100 Philistines.”


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Palti followed along behind her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he went. Then Abner told him, <t>“Go back home!”</t> So Palti returned.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Abner had consulted with the elders of Israel. “For some time now,” he told them, “you have wanted to make David your king.


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Now is the time! For the Lord has said, ‘I have chosen David to save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’”</t>


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<pb/>Abner also spoke with the men of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron to tell David that all the people of Israel and Benjamin had agreed to support him.


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Then Abner said to David, <t>“Let me go and call an assembly of all Israel to support my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you to make you their king, and you will rule over everything your heart desires.”</t> So David sent Abner safely on his way.


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Joab Murders Abner But just after David had sent Abner away in safety, Joab and some of David’s troops returned from a raid, bringing much plunder with them.


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When Joab arrived, he was told that Abner had just been there visiting the king and had been sent away in safety.


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<pb/>Joab rushed to the king and demanded, “What have you done? What do you mean by letting Abner get away?


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<pb/>Joab then left David and sent messengers to catch up with Abner, asking him to return. They found him at the well of Sirah and brought him back, though David knew nothing about it.


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When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel.


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<pb/>When David heard about it, he declared, “I vow by the Lord that I and my kingdom are forever innocent of this crime against Abner son of Ner.


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Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May the family of Joab be cursed in every generation with a man who has open sores or leprosy or who walks on crutches or dies by the sword or begs for food!”</t>


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<pb/>So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.


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<pb/>David Mourns Abner’s Death Then David said to Joab and all those who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on burlap. Mourn for Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the procession to the grave.


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<t>Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained. No, you were murdered— the victim of a wicked plot.” All the people wept again for Abner.</t>


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David had refused to eat anything on the day of the funeral, and now everyone begged him to eat. But David had made a vow, saying, <t>“May God strike me and even kill me if I eat anything before sundown.”</t>


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<pb/>Then King David said to his officials, “Don’t you realize that a great commander has fallen today in Israel?


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And even though I am the anointed king, these two sons of Zeruiah—Joab and Abishai—are too strong for me to control. So may the Lord repay these evil men for their evil deeds.”</t>


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<pb/>The Murder of Ishbosheth When Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, heard about Abner’s death at Hebron, he lost all courage, and all Israel became paralyzed with fear.


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Now there were two brothers, Baanah and Recab, who were captains of Ishbosheth’s raiding parties. They were sons of Rimmon, a member of the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Beeroth. The town of Beeroth is now part of Benjamin’s territory


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<pb/>(Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled as a child. He was five years old when the report came from Jezreel that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle. When the child’s nurse heard the news, she picked him up and fled. But as she hurried away, she dropped him, and he became crippled.)


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<pb/>One day Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth, went to Ishbosheth’s house around noon as he was taking his midday rest.


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The doorkeeper, who had been sifting wheat, became drowsy and fell asleep. So Recab and Baanah slipped past her.


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<pb/>They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night.


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When they arrived at Hebron, they presented Ishbosheth’s head to David. <t>“Look!”</t> they exclaimed to the king. <t>“Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you. Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!”</t>


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<pb/>But David said to Recab and Baanah, “The Lord, who saves me from all my enemies, is my witness.


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Someone once told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing me good news. But I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That’s the reward I gave him for his news!


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How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn’t I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?”</t>


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<pb/>So David ordered his young men to kill them, and they did. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies beside the pool in Hebron. Then they took Ishbosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.


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<pb/>David Becomes King of All Israel Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood.


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In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”</t>


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<pb/>So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.


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He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.


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David Captures Jerusalem David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, <t>“You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!”</t> For the Jebusites thought they were safe.


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On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, <t>“I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites. Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.”</t> That is the origin of the saying, <t>“The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”</t>


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<pb/>So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.


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<pb/>Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace.


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And David realized that the Lord had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.


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After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.


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David Conquers the Philistines When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold.


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So David asked the Lord, <t>“Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”</t> The Lord replied to David, <t>“Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”</t>


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<pb/>So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The Lord did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”).


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And again David asked the Lord what to do. <t>“Do not attack them straight on,”</t> the Lord replied. <t>“Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees.


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When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”</t>


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So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.


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<pb/>Moving the Ark to Jerusalem Then David again gathered all the elite troops in Israel, 30,000 in all.


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He led them to Baalah of Judah to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim.


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They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s house, which was on a hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab’s sons, were guiding the cart


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David and all the people of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets, and cymbals.


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<pb/>But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand and steadied the Ark of God.


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Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him dead because of this. So Uzzah died right there beside the Ark of God.


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<pb/>David was angry because the Lord’s anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means “to burst out against Uzzah”), as it is still called today.


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David was now afraid of the Lord, and he asked, <t>“How can I ever bring the Ark of the Lord back into my care?”</t>


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So David decided not to move the Ark of the Lord into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath.


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The Ark of the Lord remained there in Obed-edom’s house for three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and his entire household.


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Then King David was told, <t>“The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.”</t> So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration.


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After the men who were carrying the Ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.


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So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.


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<pb/>Michal’s Contempt for David But as the Ark of the Lord entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.


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They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.


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When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.


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Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes.


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When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, <t>“How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!”</t>


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<pb/>David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.


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Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”</t>


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<pb/>The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies,


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the king summoned Nathan the prophet. <t>“Look,”</t> David said, <t>“I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”</t>


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Nathan replied to the king, <t>“Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”</t>


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“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in?


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I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling.


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Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, <t>“Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’


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<pb/>“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.


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I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth!


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And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past,


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starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. <t>“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings!


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For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong.


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He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever.


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I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do.


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Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”</t>


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David’s Prayer of Thanks Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, <t>“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?


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And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?


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Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.


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“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you!


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What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.


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“And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.


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And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.


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“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’


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For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant.


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And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”</t>


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<pb/>David’s Military Victories After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town.


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David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.


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David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River.


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David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.


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Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.


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he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.


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King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated—


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<pb/>So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.


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He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.


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Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary.


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Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. And David’s sons served as priestly leaders.


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<pb/>David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”


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<pb/>He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked. “Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.


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The king then asked him, <t>“Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”</t> Ziba replied, <t>“Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”</t>


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“Where is he?”</t> the king asked. <t>“In Lo-debar,”</t> Ziba told him, <t>“at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”</t>


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His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, <t>“Greetings, Mephibosheth.”</t> Mephibosheth replied, <t>“I am your servant.”</t>


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<pb/>“Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”


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Mephibosheth bowed respectfully and exclaimed, <t>“Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”</t>


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<pb/>Then the king summoned Saul’s servant Ziba and said, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.


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You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for your master’s household. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will eat here at my table.”</t> (Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)


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<pb/>Ziba replied, “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.


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<pb/>Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. From then on, all the members of Ziba’s household were Mephibosheth’s servants.


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And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, lived in Jerusalem and ate regularly at the king’s table.


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<pb/>David Defeats the Ammonites Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king.


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David said, <t>“I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.”</t> So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death. But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon,


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the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, their master, <t>“Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come in and conquer it!”</t>


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<pb/>So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.


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When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men, <t>“Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.”</t> For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.


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<pb/>When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob.


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The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.


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<pb/>When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel’s elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields.


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He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.


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“If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me,”</t> Joab told his brother. <t>“And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.


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Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the Lord’s will be done.”</t>


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And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. After the battle was over, Joab returned to Jerusalem.


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they were joined by additional Aramean troops summoned by Hadadezer from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived at Helam under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s forces.


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<pb/>When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and led the army to Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle formation and fought against David.


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But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.


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When all the kings allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to Israel and became their subjects. After that, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites.


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<pb/>David and Bathsheba In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.


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Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.


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He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, <t>“She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”</t>


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<pb/>Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home.


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Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, <t>“I’m pregnant.”</t>


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When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.


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Then he told Uriah, <t>“Go on home and relax.”</t> David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace.


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<pb/>When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?”


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Uriah replied, <t>“The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.”</t>


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“Well, stay here today,”</t> David told him, <t>“and tomorrow you may return to the army.”</t> So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.


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Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.


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<pb/>David Arranges for Uriah’s Death So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.


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The letter instructed Joab, <t>“Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting.


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And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.


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But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls?


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Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’”</t>


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“The enemy came out against us in the open fields,”</t> he said. <t>“And as we chased them back to the city gate,


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the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”</t>


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“Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,”</t> David said. <t>“The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”</t>


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When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.


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<pb/>Nathan Rebukes David So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.


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The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.


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<pb/>One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”


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<pb/>David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!


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<pb/>Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.


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I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.


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Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.


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From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.


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“This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view.


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<pb/>David Confesses His Guilt Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.


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Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.”</t>


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<pb/>After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife.


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<pb/>Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?”


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<pb/>When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”


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Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.


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<pb/>His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”


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David replied, <t>“I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’


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But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.”</t>


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<pb/>Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child


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and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means <t>“beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded.


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David Captures Rabbah Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.


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Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.”</t>


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<pb/>So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.


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David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city.


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He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.


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<pb/>The Rape of Tamar Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.


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Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.


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<pb/>But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimea.


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One day Jonadab said to Amnon, <t>“What’s the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?”</t> So Amnon told him, <t>“I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”</t>


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“Well,”</t> Jonadab said, <t>“I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you’ll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands.”</t>


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<pb/>So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.”


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When Tamar arrived at Amnon’s house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him.


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But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. <t>“Everyone get out of here,”</t> Amnon told his servants. So they all left.


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<pb/>Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him.


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But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, <t>“Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”</t>


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<pb/>“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel.


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Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.”</t>


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Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. <t>“Get out of here!”</t> he snarled at her.


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<pb/>“No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her.


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He shouted for his servant and demanded, <t>“Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!”</t>


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So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters.


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But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.


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<pb/>Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house.


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And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.


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Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast.


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He went to the king and said, <t>“My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?”</t>


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<pb/>The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.


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<pb/>“Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?” “Why Amnon?” the king asked.


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But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.


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<pb/>Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!”


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So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.


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<pb/>As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!”


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The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.


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<pb/>But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar.


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<pb/>Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”


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“Look!”</t> Jonadab told the king. <t>“There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”</t>


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<pb/>They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them.


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And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.


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So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, <t>“Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don’t put on lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.


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Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you.”</t> Then Joab told her what to say.


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<pb/>When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, “O king! Help me!”


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“What’s the trouble?”</t> the king asked. <t>“Alas, I am a widow!”</t> she replied. <t>“My husband is dead.


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My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.


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Now the rest of the family is demanding, ‘Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”</t>


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“Oh, thank you, my lord the king,”</t> the woman from Tekoa replied. <t>“If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”</t>


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<pb/>“If anyone objects,” the king said, “bring him to me. I can assure you he will never harm you again!”


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Then she said, <t>“Please swear to me by the Lord your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.”</t> <t>“As surely as the Lord lives,”</t> he replied, <t>“not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”</t>


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<pb/>“Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said. “Go ahead and speak,” he responded.


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She replied, <t>“Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.


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All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.


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“I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me


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Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you.”</t>


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<pb/>“I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.” “Yes, my lord the king,” she responded.


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“Did Joab put you up to this?”</t> And the woman replied, <t>“My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.


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He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!”</t>


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Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, <t>“At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!”</t>


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But the king gave this order: <t>“Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.”</t> So Absalom did not see the king.


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<pb/>Absalom Reconciled to David Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.


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He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!


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Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come.


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So Absalom said to his servants, <t>“Go and set fire to Joab’s barley field, the field next to mine.”</t> So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.


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<pb/>Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”


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And Absalom replied, <t>“Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me.”</t>


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<pb/>So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.


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<pb/>Absalom’s Rebellion After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.


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He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.


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Then Absalom would say, <t>“You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it.


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I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”</t>


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<pb/>When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.


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Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.


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<pb/>After four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and fulfill a vow I made to him.


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For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the Lord in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem.”</t>


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<pb/>But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. “As soon as you hear the ram’s horn,” his message read, “you are to say, ‘Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.’”


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While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David’s counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.


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David Escapes from Jerusalem A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, <t>“All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!”</t>


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“Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!”</t> David urged his men. <t>“Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster.”</t>


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<pb/>So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.


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to let all the king’s men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king’s bodyguard.


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<pb/>Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, “Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile.


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You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the Lord show you his unfailing love and faithfulness.”</t>


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<pb/>But Ittai said to the king, “I vow by the Lord and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death.”


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David replied, <t>“All right, come with us.”</t> So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.


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<pb/>Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.


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Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city.


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<pb/>Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. “If the Lord sees fit,” David said, “he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again.


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<pb/>The king also told Zadok the priest, “Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan.


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<pb/>David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.


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When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, <t>“O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”</t>


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<pb/>When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.


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Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, ‘I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father’s adviser in the past.’ Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel’s advice.


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Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king’s palace,


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<pb/>David and Ziba When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine.


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<pb/>“What are these for?” the king asked Ziba. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”


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“And where is Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson?”</t> the king asked him. <t>“He stayed in Jerusalem,”</t> Ziba replied. <t>“He said, ‘Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.’”</t>


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“In that case,”</t> the king told Ziba, <t>“I give you everything Mephibosheth owns.”</t> <t>“I bow before you,”</t> Ziba replied. <t>“May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king.”</t>


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Shimei Curses David As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family.


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“The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”</t>


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<pb/>“Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”


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“No!”</t> the king said. <t>“Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”</t>


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Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, <t>“My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it.


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And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.”</t>


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<pb/>So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.


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The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River.


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Ahithophel Advises Absalom Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel.


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When David’s friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. <t>“Long live the king!”</t> he exclaimed. <t>“Long live the king!”</t>


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“I’m here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the Lord and by all the men of Israel,”</t> Hushai replied.


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“And anyway, why shouldn’t I serve you? Just as I was your father’s adviser, now I will be your adviser!”</t>


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Ahithophel told him, <t>“Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.”</t>


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So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.


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<pb/>Absalom followed Ahithophel’s advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.


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I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged. He and his troops will panic, and everyone will run away. Then I will kill only the king,


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and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride returns to her husband. After all, it is only one man’s life that you seek. Then you will be at peace with all the people.”</t>


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Hushai Counters Ahithophel’s Advice But then Absalom said, <t>“Bring in Hushai the Arkite. Let’s see what he thinks about this.”</t>


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When Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had said. Then he asked, <t>“What is your opinion? Should we follow Ahithophel’s advice? If not, what do you suggest?”</t>


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You know your father and his men; they are mighty warriors. Right now they are as enraged as a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs. And remember that your father is an experienced man of war. He won’t be spending the night among the troops.


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He has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and the word will spread that Absalom’s men are being slaughtered.


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Then even the bravest soldiers, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty warrior your father is and how courageous his men are.


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“I recommend that you mobilize the entire army of Israel, bringing them from as far away as Dan in the north and Beersheba in the south. That way you will have an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And I advise that you personally lead the troops.


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When we find David, we’ll fall on him like dew that falls on the ground. Then neither he nor any of his men will be left alive.


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And if David were to escape into some town, you will have all Israel there at your command. Then we can take ropes and drag the walls of the town into the nearest valley until every stone is torn down.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “Hushai’s advice is better than Ahithophel’s.” For the Lord had determined to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel, which really was the better plan, so that he could bring disaster on Absalom!


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<pb/>Hushai Warns David to Escape Hushai told Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, what Ahithophel had said to Absalom and the elders of Israel and what he himself had advised instead.


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“Quick!”</t> he told them. <t>“Find David and urge him not to stay at the shallows of the Jordan River tonight. He must go across at once into the wilderness beyond. Otherwise he will die and his entire army with him.”</t>


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<pb/>Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.


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But a boy spotted them at En-rogel, and he told Absalom about it. So they quickly escaped to Bahurim, where a man hid them down inside a well in his courtyard.


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The man’s wife put a cloth over the top of the well and scattered grain on it to dry in the sun; so no one suspected they were there.


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<pb/>When Absalom’s men arrived, they asked her, “Have you seen Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman replied, “They were here, but they crossed over the brook.” Absalom’s men looked for them without success and returned to Jerusalem.


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<pb/>Then the two men crawled out of the well and hurried on to King David. “Quick!” they told him, “cross the Jordan tonight!” And they told him how Ahithophel had advised that he be captured and killed.


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So David and all the people with him went across the Jordan River during the night, and they were all on the other bank before dawn.


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<pb/>When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey, went to his hometown, set his affairs in order, and hanged himself. He died there and was buried in the family tomb.


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<pb/>David soon arrived at Mahanaim. By now, Absalom had mobilized the entire army of Israel and was leading his troops across the Jordan River.


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Absalom had appointed Amasa as commander of his army, replacing Joab, who had been commander under David. (Amasa was Joab’s cousin. His father was Jether, an Ishmaelite. His mother, Abigail daughter of Nahash, was the sister of Joab’s mother, Zeruiah.)


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<pb/>When David arrived at Mahanaim, he was warmly greeted by Shobi son of Nahash, who came from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and by Makir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and by Barzillai of Gilead from Rogelim.


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They brought sleeping mats, cooking pots, serving bowls, wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans, lentils,


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honey, butter, sheep, goats, and cheese for David and those who were with him. For they said, <t>“You must all be very hungry and tired and thirsty after your long march through the wilderness.”</t>


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<pb/>Absalom’s Defeat and Death David now mustered the men who were with him and appointed generals and captains to lead them.


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He sent the troops out in three groups, placing one group under Joab, one under Joab’s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and one under Ittai, the man from Gath. The king told his troops, <t>“I am going out with you.”</t>


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<pb/>But his men objected strongly. “You must not go,” they urged. “If we have to turn and run—and even if half of us die—it will make no difference to Absalom’s troops; they will be looking only for you. You are worth 10,000 of us, and it is better that you stay here in the town and send help if we need it.”


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“If you think that’s the best plan, I’ll do it,”</t> the king answered. So he stood alongside the gate of the town as all the troops marched out in groups of hundreds and of thousands.


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And the king gave this command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: <t>“For my sake, deal gently with young Absalom.”</t> And all the troops heard the king give this order to his commanders.


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and the Israelite troops were beaten back by David’s men. There was a great slaughter that day, and 20,000 men laid down their lives.


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The battle raged all across the countryside, and more men died because of the forest than were killed by the sword.


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<pb/>During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David’s men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air.


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<pb/>One of David’s men saw what had happened and told Joab, “I saw Absalom dangling from a great tree.”


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“What?”</t> Joab demanded. <t>“You saw him there and didn’t kill him? I would have rewarded you with ten pieces of silver and a hero’s belt!”</t>


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<pb/>“I would not kill the king’s son for even a thousand pieces of silver,” the man replied to Joab. “We all heard the king say to you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, please spare young Absalom.’


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And if I had betrayed the king by killing his son—and the king would certainly find out who did it—you yourself would be the first to abandon me.”</t>


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<pb/>“Enough of this nonsense,” Joab said. Then he took three daggers and plunged them into Absalom’s heart as he dangled, still alive, in the great tree.


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They threw Absalom’s body into a deep pit in the forest and piled a great heap of stones over it. And all Israel fled to their homes.


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<pb/>During his lifetime, Absalom had built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to carry on my name.” He named the monument after himself, and it is known as Absalom’s Monument to this day.


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David Mourns Absalom’s Death Then Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said, <t>“Let me run to the king with the good news that the Lord has rescued him from his enemies.”</t>


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“No,”</t> Joab told him, <t>“it wouldn’t be good news to the king that his son is dead. You can be my messenger another time, but not today.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Joab said to a man from Ethiopia, “Go tell the king what you have seen.” The man bowed and ran off.


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But Ahimaaz continued to plead with Joab, <t>“Whatever happens, please let me go, too.”</t> <t>“Why should you go, my son?”</t> Joab replied. <t>“There will be no reward for your news.”</t>


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“Yes, but let me go anyway,”</t> he begged. Joab finally said, <t>“All right, go ahead.”</t> So Ahimaaz took the less demanding route by way of the plain and ran to Mahanaim ahead of the Ethiopian.


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<pb/>While David was sitting between the inner and outer gates of the town, the watchman climbed to the roof of the gateway by the wall. As he looked, he saw a lone man running toward them.


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He shouted the news down to David, and the king replied, <t>“If he is alone, he has news.”</t> As the messenger came closer,


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<pb/>the watchman saw another man running toward them. He shouted down, “Here comes another one!” The king replied, “He also will have news.”


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“The first man runs like Ahimaaz son of Zadok,”</t> the watchman said. <t>“He is a good man and comes with good news,”</t> the king replied.


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<pb/>Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “Everything is all right!” He bowed before the king with his face to the ground and said, “Praise to the Lord your God, who has handed over the rebels who dared to stand against my lord the king.”


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<pb/>“What about young Absalom?” the king demanded. “Is he all right?” Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn’t know what was happening.”


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<pb/>Then the man from Ethiopia arrived and said, “I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you.”


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“What about young Absalom?”</t> the king demanded. <t>“Is he all right?”</t> And the Ethiopian replied, <t>“May all of your enemies, my lord the king, both now and in the future, share the fate of that young man!”</t>


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<pb/>The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son.”


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As all the people heard of the king’s deep grief for his son, the joy of that day’s victory was turned into deep sadness.


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The king covered his face with his hands and kept on crying, <t>“O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!”</t>


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<pb/>Then Joab went to the king’s room and said to him, “We saved your life today and the lives of your sons, your daughters, and your wives and concubines. Yet you act like this, making us feel ashamed of ourselves.


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You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that your commanders and troops mean nothing to you. It seems that if Absalom had lived and all of us had died, you would be pleased.


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Now go out there and congratulate your troops, for I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a single one of them will remain here tonight. Then you will be worse off than ever before.”</t>


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<pb/>So the king went out and took his seat at the town gate, and as the news spread throughout the town that he was there, everyone went to him. Meanwhile, the Israelites who had supported Absalom fled to their homes.


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And throughout all the tribes of Israel there was much discussion and argument going on. The people were saying, <t>“The king rescued us from our enemies and saved us from the Philistines, but Absalom chased him out of the country.


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Now Absalom, whom we anointed to rule over us, is dead. Why not ask David to come back and be our king again?”</t>


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<pb/>Then King David sent Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, to say to the elders of Judah, “Why are you the last ones to welcome back the king into his palace? For I have heard that all Israel is ready.


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You are my relatives, my own tribe, my own flesh and blood! So why are you the last ones to welcome back the king?”</t>


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And David told them to tell Amasa, <t>“Since you are my own flesh and blood, like Joab, may God strike me and even kill me if I do not appoint you as commander of my army in his place.”</t>


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<pb/>Then Amasa convinced all the men of Judah, and they responded unanimously. They sent word to the king, “Return to us, and bring back all who are with you.”


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David’s Return to Jerusalem So the king started back to Jerusalem. And when he arrived at the Jordan River, the people of Judah came to Gilgal to meet him and escort him across the river.


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Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David.


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A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king.


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They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could. David’s Mercy to Shimei As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him.


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“My lord the king, please forgive me,”</t> he pleaded. <t>“Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind.


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I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.”</t>


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“Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah!”</t> David exclaimed. <t>“Why have you become my adversary today? This is not a day for execution, for today I am once again the king of Israel!”</t>


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<pb/>David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down from Jerusalem to meet the king. He had not cared for his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes since the day the king left Jerusalem.


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Mephibosheth replied, <t>“My lord the king, my servant Ziba deceived me. I told him, ‘Saddle my donkey so I can go with the king.’ For as you know I am crippled.


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Ziba has slandered me by saying that I refused to come. But I know that my lord the king is like an angel of God, so do what you think is best.


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All my relatives and I could expect only death from you, my lord, but instead you have honored me by allowing me to eat at your own table! What more can I ask?”</t>


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<pb/>“You’ve said enough,” David replied. “I’ve decided that you and Ziba will divide your land equally between you.”


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“Give him all of it,”</t> Mephibosheth said. <t>“I am content just to have you safely back again, my lord the king!”</t>


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<pb/>David’s Kindness to Barzillai Barzillai of Gilead had come down from Rogelim to escort the king across the Jordan.


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He was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.


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“Come across with me and live in Jerusalem,”</t> the king said to Barzillai. <t>“I will take care of you there.”</t>


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I am eighty years old today, and I can no longer enjoy anything. Food and wine are no longer tasty, and I cannot hear the singers as they sing. I would only be a burden to my lord the king.


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Then let me return again to die in my own town, where my father and mother are buried. But here is your servant, my son Kimham. Let him go with my lord the king and receive whatever you want to give him.”</t>


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<pb/>“Good,” the king agreed. “Kimham will go with me, and I will help him in any way you would like. And I will do for you anything you want.”


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<pb/>So all the people crossed the Jordan with the king. After David had blessed Barzillai and kissed him, Barzillai returned to his own home.


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The king then crossed over to Gilgal, taking Kimham with him. All the troops of Judah and half the troops of Israel escorted the king on his way.


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<pb/>An Argument over the King But all the men of Israel complained to the king, “The men of Judah stole the king and didn’t give us the honor of helping take you, your household, and all your men across the Jordan.”


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The men of Judah replied, <t>“The king is one of our own kinsmen. Why should this make you angry? We haven’t eaten any of the king’s food or received any special favors!”</t>


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<t><t>“But there are ten tribes in Israel,”</t> the others replied. <t>“So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. What right do you have to treat us with such contempt? Weren’t we the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again?”</t> The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah spoke even more harshly than the men of Israel.


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<pb/>The Revolt of Sheba There happened to be a troublemaker there named Sheba son of Bicri, a man from the tribe of Benjamin. Sheba blew a ram’s horn and began to chant: “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Come on, you men of Israel, back to your homes!”</t>


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So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed with their king and escorted him from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.


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<pb/>When David came to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and placed them in seclusion. Their needs were provided for, but he no longer slept with them. So each of them lived like a widow until she died.


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<pb/>Then the king told Amasa, “Mobilize the army of Judah within three days, and report back at that time.”


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<pb/>Then David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us more than Absalom did. Quick, take my troops and chase after him before he gets into a fortified town where we can’t reach him.”


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So Abishai and Joab, together with the king’s bodyguard and all the mighty warriors, set out from Jerusalem to go after Sheba.


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<pb/>As they arrived at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. Joab was wearing his military tunic with a dagger strapped to his belt. As he stepped forward to greet Amasa, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.


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<pb/>“How are you, my cousin?” Joab said and took him by the beard with his right hand as though to kiss him.


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Amasa didn’t notice the dagger in his left hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach with it so that his insides gushed out onto the ground. Joab did not need to strike again, and Amasa soon died. Joab and his brother Abishai left him lying there and continued after Sheba.


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<pb/>One of Joab’s young men shouted to Amasa’s troops, “If you are for Joab and David, come and follow Joab.”


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But Amasa lay in his blood in the middle of the road, and Joab’s man saw that everyone was stopping to stare at him. So he pulled him off the road into a field and threw a cloak over him.


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<pb/>Meanwhile, Sheba traveled through all the tribes of Israel and eventually came to the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the members of his own clan, the Bicrites, assembled for battle and followed him into the town.


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When Joab’s forces arrived, they attacked Abel-beth-maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town’s fortifications and began battering down the wall.


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But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, <t>“Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you.”</t>


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<pb/>As he approached, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. So she said, “Listen carefully to your servant.” “I’m listening,” he said.


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Then she continued, <t>“There used to be a saying, ‘If you want to settle an argument, ask advice at the town of Abel.’


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I am one who is peace loving and faithful in Israel. But you are destroying an important town in Israel. Why do you want to devour what belongs to the Lord?”</t>


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That’s not my purpose. All I want is a man named Sheba son of Bicri from the hill country of Ephraim, who has revolted against King David. If you hand over this one man to me, I will leave the town in peace.”</t> <t>“All right,”</t> the woman replied, <t>“we will throw his head over the wall to you.”</t>


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<pb/>Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and called his troops back from the attack. They all returned to their homes, and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.


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<pb/>Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard.


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<pb/>David Avenges the Gibeonites There was a famine during David’s reign that lasted for three years, so David asked the Lord about it. And the Lord said, “The famine has come because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”


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<pb/>So the king summoned the Gibeonites. They were not part of Israel but were all that was left of the nation of the Amorites. The people of Israel had sworn not to kill them, but Saul, in his zeal for Israel and Judah, had tried to wipe them out.


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David asked them, <t>“What can I do for you? How can I make amends so that you will bless the Lord’s people again?”</t>


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<pb/>“Well, money can’t settle this matter between us and the family of Saul,” the Gibeonites replied. “Neither can we demand the life of anyone in Israel.” “What can I do then?” David asked. “Just tell me and I will do it for you.”


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Then they replied, <t>“It was Saul who planned to destroy us, to keep us from having any place at all in the territory of Israel.


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So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the Lord at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord.”</t> <t>“All right,”</t> the king said, <t>“I will do it.”</t>


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<pb/>The king spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, who was Saul’s grandson, because of the oath David and Jonathan had sworn before the Lord.


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But he gave them Saul’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whose mother was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. He also gave them the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, the wife of Adriel son of Barzillai from Meholah.


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The men of Gibeon executed them on the mountain before the Lord. So all seven of them died together at the beginning of the barley harvest.


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<pb/>Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the mother of two of the men, spread burlap on a rock and stayed there the entire harvest season. She prevented the scavenger birds from tearing at their bodies during the day and stopped wild animals from eating them at night.


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he went to the people of Jabesh-gilead and retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. (When the Philistines had killed Saul and Jonathan on Mount Gilboa, the people of Jabesh-gilead stole their bodies from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them.)


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So David obtained the bones of Saul and Jonathan, as well as the bones of the men the Gibeonites had executed.


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<pb/>Then the king ordered that they bury the bones in the tomb of Kish, Saul’s father, at the town of Zela in the land of Benjamin. After that, God ended the famine in the land.


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Battles against Philistine Giants Once again the Philistines were at war with Israel. And when David and his men were in the thick of battle, David became weak and exhausted.


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Ishbi-benob was a descendant of the giants; his bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him.


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But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men declared, <t>“You are not going out to battle with us again! Why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”</t>


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<pb/>After this, there was another battle against the Philistines at Gob. As they fought, Sibbecai from Hushah killed Saph, another descendant of the giants.


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During another battle at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair from Bethlehem killed the brother of Goliath of Gath. The handle of his spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam!


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In another battle with the Philistines at Gath, they encountered a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all, who was also a descendant of the giants.


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But when he defied and taunted Israel, he was killed by Jonathan, the son of David’s brother Shimea.


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These four Philistines were descendants of the giants of Gath, but David and his warriors killed them.


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<pb/>David’s Song of Praise David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.


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<pb/><t>my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.</t>


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<pb/><t>But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.</t>


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<pb/><t>“Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.</t>


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<pb/><t>Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.</t>


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<pb/><t>He shot arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused.</t>


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<pb/><t>Then at the command of the Lord, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.</t>


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<pb/><t>He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.</t>


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<pb/><t>“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.</t>


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<pb/><t>“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.</t>


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<pb/><t>They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.</t>


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<pb/><t>I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trampled them in the gutter like dirt.</t>


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<pb/><t>“You gave me victory over my accusers. You preserved me as the ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me.</t>


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<pb/><t>and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.</t>


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<pb/><t>For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.</t>


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<pb/><t>You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.”</t>


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<pb/><t>David’s Last Words These are the last words of David: “David, the son of Jesse, speaks— David, the man who was raised up so high, David, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, David, the sweet psalmist of Israel.</t>


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<pb/><t>The God of Israel spoke. The Rock of Israel said to me: ‘The one who rules righteously, who rules in the fear of God,</t>


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<pb/><t>is like the light of morning at sunrise, like a morning without clouds, like the gleaming of the sun on new grass after rain.’</t>


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<pb/><t>“Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success.</t>


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<pb/><t>But the godless are like thorns to be thrown away, for they tear the hand that touches them.</t>


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David’s Mightiest Warriors These are the names of David’s mightiest warriors. The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the three mightiest warriors among David’s men. He once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.


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Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar and David stood together against the Philistines when the entire Israelite army had fled.


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He killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory that day. The rest of the army did not return until it was time to collect the plunder!


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<pb/>Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils. The Israelite army fled,


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but Shammah held his ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.


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<pb/>Once during the harvest, when David was at the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there.


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David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.


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David remarked longingly to his men, <t>“Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.”</t>


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So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord.


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“The Lord forbid that I should drink this!”</t> he exclaimed. <t>“This water is as precious as the blood of these men who risked their lives to bring it to me.”</t> So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.


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<pb/>David’s Thirty Mighty Men Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty. He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three.


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Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.


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<pb/>There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.


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Once, armed only with a club, he killed an imposing Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.


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He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.


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<pb/>Other members of the Thirty included: Asahel, Joab’s brother; Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;


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<pb/>David Takes a Census Once again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him.


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So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, <t>“Take a census of all the tribes of Israel—from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south—so I may know how many people there are.”</t>


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<pb/>But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord your God let you live to see a hundred times as many people as there are now! But why, my lord the king, do you want to do this?”


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<pb/>But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.


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<pb/>First they crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, south of the town in the valley, in the direction of Gad. Then they went on to Jazer,


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Then they came to the fortress of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went south to Judah as far as Beersheba.


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<pb/>Joab reported the number of people to the king. There were 800,000 capable warriors in Israel who could handle a sword, and 500,000 in Judah.


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<pb/>Judgment for David’s Sin But after he had taken the census, David’s conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing.”


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<pb/>The next morning the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message:


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“Go and say to David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’”</t>


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<pb/>So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the Lord who sent me.”


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“I’m in a desperate situation!”</t> David replied to Gad. <t>“But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”</t>


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<pb/>So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.


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But as the angel was preparing to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented and said to the death angel, <t>“Stop! That is enough!”</t> At that moment the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.


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<pb/>When David saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.”


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David Builds an Altar That day Gad came to David and said to him, <t>“Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”</t>


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<pb/>When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.


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“Why have you come, my lord the king?”</t> Araunah asked. David replied, <t>“I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that he will stop the plague.”</t>


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“Take it, my lord the king, and use it as you wish,”</t> Araunah said to David. <t>“Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing boards and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.


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But the king replied to Araunah, <t>“No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing.”</t> So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.


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David built an altar there to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.


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<pb/>David in His Old Age King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm.


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So his advisers told him, <t>“Let us find a young virgin to wait on you and look after you, my lord. She will lie in your arms and keep you warm.”</t>


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So they searched throughout the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag from Shunem and brought her to the king.


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The girl was very beautiful, and she looked after the king and took care of him. But the king had no sexual relations with her.


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<pb/>Adonijah Claims the Throne About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him.


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Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, <t>“Why are you doing that?”</t> Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome.


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Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king.


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But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.


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Adonijah went to the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of En-rogel, where he sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. He invited all his brothers—the other sons of King David—and all the royal officials of Judah.


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<pb/>Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it?


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Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, didn’t you make a vow and say to me, <t>“Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’


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<pb/>So Bathsheba went into the king’s bedroom. (He was very old now, and Abishag was taking care of him.)


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She replied, <t>“My lord, you made a vow before the Lord your God when you said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne.’


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He has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon.


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And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you.


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If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died.”</t>


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The king’s officials told him, <t>“Nathan the prophet is here to see you.”</t> Nathan went in and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.


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Nathan asked, <t>“My lord the king, have you decided that Adonijah will be the next king and that he will sit on your throne?


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Today he has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They are feasting and drinking with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’


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Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king?”</t>


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David Makes Solomon King King David responded, <t>“Call Bathsheba!”</t> So she came back in and stood before the king.


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And the king repeated his vow: <t>“As surely as the Lord lives, who has rescued me from every danger,


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your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the Lord, the God of Israel.”</t>


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Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, <t>“May my lord King David live forever!”</t>


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<pb/>Then King David ordered, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came into the king’s presence,


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the king said to them, <t>“Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule.


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There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’


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Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”</t>


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“Amen!”</t> Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. <t>“May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen.


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And may the Lord be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!”</t>


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<pb/>So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule.


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There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil. Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, <t>“Long live King Solomon!”</t>


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And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.


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<pb/>Adonijah and his guests heard the celebrating and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet. When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he asked, “What’s going on? Why is the city in such an uproar?”


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And while he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. <t>“Come in,”</t> Adonijah said to him, <t>“for you are a good man. You must have good news.”</t>


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The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king’s bodyguard. They had him ride on the king’s own mule,


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and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is about.


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And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon’s reign be even greater than yours!’ Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed,


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and he said, ‘Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.’”</t>


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Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.


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Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, <t>“Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!”</t>


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Solomon replied, <t>“If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.”</t>


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So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, <t>“Go on home.”</t>


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<pb/>David’s Final Instructions to Solomon As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:


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Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.


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If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’


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<pb/>“And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood.


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<pb/>“Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.


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<pb/>“And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him.


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But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”</t>


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David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.


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Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.


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<pb/>Solomon Establishes His Rule One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him. “Yes,” he said, “I come in peace.


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He replied, <t>“As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it.


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So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”</t> <t>“What is it?”</t> she asked.


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He replied, <t>“Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”</t>


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<pb/>So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.


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“I have one small request to make of you,”</t> she said. <t>“I hope you won’t turn me down.”</t> <t>“What is it, my mother?”</t> he asked. <t>“You know I won’t refuse you.”</t>


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“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?”</t> King Solomon demanded. <t>“You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”</t>


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<pb/>Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request.


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The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!”</t>


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<pb/>Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.”


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So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.


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<pb/>Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.


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Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the Lord and said to Joab, <t>“The king orders you to come out!”</t> But Joab answered, <t>“No, I will die here.”</t> So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.


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“Do as he said,”</t> the king replied. <t>“Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family.


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The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.


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May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”</t>


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So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness.


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Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.


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<pb/>The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else.


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On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”</t>


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Shimei replied, <t>“Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.”</t> So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.


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<pb/>But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were,


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he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.


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So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, <t>“Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’


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The king also said to Shimei, <t>“You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head.


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But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.”</t>


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Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him. So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.


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<pb/>Solomon Asks for Wisdom Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married one of his daughters. He brought her to live in the City of David until he could finish building his palace and the Temple of the Lord and the wall around the city.


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At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the Lord had not yet been built.


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Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship.


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<pb/>The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.


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That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, <t>“What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”</t>


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Solomon replied, <t>“You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.


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“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.


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And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted!


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Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”</t>


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So God replied, <t>“Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—


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I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!


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And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!


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And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”</t>


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Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.


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“Please, my lord,”</t> one of them began, <t>“this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house.


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Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her.


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And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”</t>


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Then the other woman interrupted, <t>“It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”</t> <t>“No,”</t> the first woman said, <t>“the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.”</t> And so they argued back and forth before the king.


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<pb/>Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other.


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Then he said, <t>“Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”</t>


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Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, <t>“Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!”</t> But the other woman said, <t>“All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”</t>


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Then the king said, <t>“Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”</t>


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When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.


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<pb/>Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.


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<pb/>Azariah son of Nathan was in charge of the district governors. Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king.


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<pb/>Ahishar was manager of the palace property. Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of forced labor.


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<pb/>Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food for the king’s household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year.


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<pb/>Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam.


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<pb/>Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair of the tribe of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty large fortified towns with bronze bars on their gates.


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<pb/>Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. There was also one governor over the land of Judah.


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Solomon’s Prosperity and Wisdom The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink.


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Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime.


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The daily food requirements for Solomon’s palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal;


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also 10 oxen from the fattening pens, 20 pasture-fed cattle, 100 sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roe deer, and choice poultry.


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Solomon’s dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace on all his borders.


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During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, each family had its own home and garden.


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The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court; each made sure nothing was lacking during the month assigned to him.


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<pb/>God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.


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He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and the sons of Mahol—Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations.


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He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish.


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<pb/>Preparations for Building the Temple King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.


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“You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies.


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So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’


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“Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”</t>


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<pb/>When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.”


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Then he sent this reply to Solomon: <t>“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need.


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My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”</t>


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In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil.


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So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.


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He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force.


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At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple.


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Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.


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<pb/>Solomon Builds the Temple It was in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, that he began to construct the Temple of the Lord. This was 480 years after the people of Israel were rescued from their slavery in the land of Egypt.


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The entry room at the front of the Temple was 30 feet wide, running across the entire width of the Temple. It projected outward 15 feet from the front of the Temple.


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He built a complex of rooms against the outer walls of the Temple, all the way around the sides and rear of the building.


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The complex was three stories high, the bottom floor being 7 1⁄2 feet wide, the second floor 9 feet wide, and the top floor 10 1⁄2 feet wide. The rooms were connected to the walls of the Temple by beams resting on ledges built out from the wall. So the beams were not inserted into the walls themselves.


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The stones used in the construction of the Temple were finished at the quarry, so there was no sound of hammer, ax, or any other iron tool at the building site.


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The entrance to the bottom floor was on the south side of the Temple. There were winding stairs going up to the second floor, and another flight of stairs between the second and third floors.


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As already stated, he built a complex of rooms along the sides of the building, attached to the Temple walls by cedar timbers. Each story of the complex was 7 1⁄2 feet high.


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“Concerning this Temple you are building, if you keep all my decrees and regulations and obey all my commands, I will fulfill through you the promise I made to your father, David.


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The entire inside, from floor to ceiling, was paneled with wood. He paneled the walls and ceilings with cedar, and he used planks of cypress for the floors.


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He partitioned off an inner sanctuary—the Most Holy Place—at the far end of the Temple. It was 30 feet deep and was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.


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Cedar paneling completely covered the stone walls throughout the Temple, and the paneling was decorated with carvings of gourds and open flowers.


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<pb/>He prepared the inner sanctuary at the far end of the Temple, where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant would be placed.


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This inner sanctuary was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. He overlaid the inside with solid gold. He also overlaid the altar made of cedar.


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Then Solomon overlaid the rest of the Temple’s interior with solid gold, and he made gold chains to protect the entrance to the Most Holy Place.


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So he finished overlaying the entire Temple with gold, including the altar that belonged to the Most Holy Place.


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<pb/>He made two cherubim of wild olive wood, each 15 feet tall, and placed them in the inner sanctuary.


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He placed them side by side in the inner sanctuary of the Temple. Their outspread wings reached from wall to wall, while their inner wings touched at the center of the room.


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<pb/>He decorated all the walls of the inner sanctuary and the main room with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.


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For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, he made double doors of wild olive wood with five-sided doorposts.


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These double doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. The doors, including the decorations of cherubim and palm trees, were overlaid with gold.


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These doors were decorated with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers—all overlaid evenly with gold.


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The walls of the inner courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone.


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<pb/>The foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid in midspring, in the month of Ziv, during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.


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The entire building was completed in every detail by midautumn, in the month of Bul, during the eleventh year of his reign. So it took seven years to build the Temple.


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<pb/>Solomon Builds His Palace Solomon also built a palace for himself, and it took him thirteen years to complete the construction.


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One of Solomon’s buildings was called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. It was 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. There were four rows of cedar pillars, and great cedar beams rested on the pillars.


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The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms, arranged in three tiers of fifteen each.


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All the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and were arranged in sets of three, facing each other.


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Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars, which was 75 feet long and 45 feet wide. There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars.


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Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling.


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Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way. He also built similar living quarters for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.


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From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides.


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The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used.


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The walls of the great courtyard were built so that there was one layer of cedar beams between every three layers of finished stone, just like the walls of the inner courtyard of the Lord’s Temple with its entry room.


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He was half Israelite, since his mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father had been a craftsman in bronze from Tyre. Huram was extremely skillful and talented in any work in bronze, and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.


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He also encircled the latticework with two rows of pomegranates to decorate the capitals over the pillars.


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The capitals on the columns inside the entry room were shaped like water lilies, and they were six feet tall.


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The capitals on the two pillars had 200 pomegranates in two rows around them, beside the rounded surface next to the latticework.


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Huram set the pillars at the entrance of the Temple, one toward the south and one toward the north. He named the one on the south Jakin, and the one on the north Boaz.


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The capitals on the pillars were shaped like water lilies. And so the work on the pillars was finished.


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<pb/>Then Huram cast a great round basin, 15 feet across from rim to rim, called the Sea. It was 7 1⁄2 feet deep and about 45 feet in circumference.


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It was encircled just below its rim by two rows of decorative gourds. There were about six gourds per foot all the way around, and they were cast as part of the basin.


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The Sea was placed on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east, and the Sea rested on them.


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The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a water lily blossom. It could hold about 11,000 gallons of water.


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Both the panels and the crossbars were decorated with carved lions, oxen, and cherubim. Above and below the lions and oxen were wreath decorations.


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Each of these carts had four bronze wheels and bronze axles. There were supporting posts for the bronze basins at the corners of the carts; these supports were decorated on each side with carvings of wreaths.


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The top of each cart had a rounded frame for the basin. It projected 1 1⁄2 feet above the cart’s top like a round pedestal, and its opening was 2 1⁄4 feet across; it was decorated on the outside with carvings of wreaths. The panels of the carts were square, not round.


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Under the panels were four wheels that were connected to axles that had been cast as one unit with the cart. The wheels were 2 1⁄4 feet in diameter


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and were similar to chariot wheels. The axles, spokes, rims, and hubs were all cast from molten bronze.


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There were handles at each of the four corners of the carts, and these, too, were cast as one unit with the cart.


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Around the top of each cart was a rim nine inches wide. The corner supports and side panels were cast as one unit with the cart.


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Carvings of cherubim, lions, and palm trees decorated the panels and corner supports wherever there was room, and there were wreaths all around.


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<pb/>Huram also made ten smaller bronze basins, one for each cart. Each basin was six feet across and could hold 220 gallons of water.


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He set five water carts on the south side of the Temple and five on the north side. The great bronze basin called the Sea was placed near the southeast corner of the Temple.


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<pb/>He also made the necessary washbasins, shovels, and bowls. So at last Huram completed everything King Solomon had assigned him to make for the Temple of the Lord:


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the two pillars; the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; the two networks of interwoven chains that decorated the capitals;


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the 400 pomegranates that hung from the chains on the capitals (two rows of pomegranates for each of the chain networks that decorated the capitals on top of the pillars);


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the ash buckets, the shovels, and the bowls. Huram made all these things of burnished bronze for the Temple of the Lord, just as King Solomon had directed.


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Solomon did not weigh all these things because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be measured.


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<pb/>Solomon also made all the furnishings of the Temple of the Lord: the gold altar; the gold table for the Bread of the Presence;


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the lampstands of solid gold, five on the south and five on the north, in front of the Most Holy Place; the flower decorations, lamps, and tongs—all of gold;


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the small bowls, lamp snuffers, bowls, ladles, and incense burners—all of solid gold; the doors for the entrances to the Most Holy Place and the main room of the Temple, with their fronts overlaid with gold.


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So King Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.


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<pb/>The Ark Brought to the Temple Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of the Israelites. They were to bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion.


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So all the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn in the month of Ethanim.


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The priests and Levites brought up the Ark of the Lord along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it.


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There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!


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<pb/>Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim.


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These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place, which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day.


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Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.


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The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.


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<pb/>Solomon Praises the Lord Then Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness.


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Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing:


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“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father,


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‘From the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. But I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”</t>


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Then Solomon said, <t>“My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.


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“And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.


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And I have prepared a place there for the Ark, which contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”</t>


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Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven,


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and he prayed, <t>“O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.


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You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.


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“And now, O Lord, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’


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<pb/>“But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!


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Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you today.


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May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, ‘My name will be there.’ May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.


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May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.


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<pb/>“If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar in this Temple,


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then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Punish the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence.


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<pb/>“If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn to you and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple,


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then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave their ancestors.


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<pb/>“If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,


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then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.


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<pb/>“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—


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then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart.


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<pb/>“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands because of your name,


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for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple,


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then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.


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<pb/>“If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to the Lord by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name,


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<pb/>“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to their land far away or near.


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But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’


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If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their enemies and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—


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Forgive your people who have sinned against you. Forgive all the offenses they have committed against you. Make their captors merciful to them,


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for they are your people—your special possession—whom you brought out of the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt.


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<pb/>“May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people Israel. May you hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you.


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For when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign Lord, you told your servant Moses that you had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be your own special possession.”</t>


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<pb/>The Dedication of the Temple When Solomon finished making these prayers and petitions to the Lord, he stood up in front of the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands raised toward heaven.


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“Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses.


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May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that he gave our ancestors.


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And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justice to me and to his people Israel, according to each day’s needs.


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And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey his decrees and commands, just as you are doing today.”</t>


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Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.


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That same day the king consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.


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Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters in the presence of the Lord our God. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. The celebration went on for fourteen days in all—seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters.


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After the festival was over, Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the Lord had been good to his servant David and to his people Israel.


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<pb/>The Lord’s Response to Solomon So Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do.


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The Lord said to him, <t>“I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.


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“As for you, if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations,


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then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever. For I made this promise to your father, David: ‘One of your descendants will always sit on the throne of Israel.’


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<pb/>“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods,


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then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make Israel an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations.


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And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will gasp in horror. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’


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“And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’”</t>


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Solomon’s Agreement with Hiram It took Solomon twenty years to build the Lord’s Temple and his own royal palace. At the end of that time,


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he gave twenty towns in the land of Galilee to King Hiram of Tyre. (Hiram had previously provided all the cedar and cypress timber and gold that Solomon had requested.)


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But when Hiram came from Tyre to see the towns Solomon had given him, he was not at all pleased with them.


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“What kind of towns are these, my brother?”</t> he asked. So Hiram called that area Cabul (which means <t>“worthless”), as it is still known today.


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<pb/>Solomon’s Many Achievements This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.


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(Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, killing the Canaanite population and burning it down. He gave the city to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon.


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He built towns as supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm.


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There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.


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These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day.


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But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers.


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Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. Then he constructed the supporting terraces.


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<pb/>Three times each year Solomon presented burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord. He also burned incense to the Lord. And so he finished the work of building the Temple.


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<pb/>King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea.


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<pb/>Visit of the Queen of Sheba When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.


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She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.


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When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,


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she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the Lord.


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She exclaimed to the king, <t>“Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!


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I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told.


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How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!


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Praise the Lord your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.”</t>


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Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.


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(In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels.


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The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)


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King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.


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This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.


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He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.


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The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.


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There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!


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<pb/>All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon’s day!


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The king had a fleet of trading ships of Tarshish that sailed with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.


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Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.


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<pb/>Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.


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The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.


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Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.


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At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.


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<pb/>Solomon’s Many Wives Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.


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The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, <t>“You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.”</t> Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.


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He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.


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In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David, had been.


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Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.


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In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely, as his father, David, had done.


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On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.


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Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.


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<pb/>The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.


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He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command.


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So now the Lord said to him, <t>“Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.


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But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son.


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And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.”</t>


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<pb/>Solomon’s Adversaries Then the Lord raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom’s royal family, to be Solomon’s adversary.


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Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom.


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But Hadad and a few of his father’s royal officials escaped and headed for Egypt. (Hadad was just a boy at the time.)


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They set out from Midian and went to Paran, where others joined them. Then they traveled to Egypt and went to Pharaoh, who gave them a home, food, and some land.


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Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife’s sister in marriage—the sister of Queen Tahpenes.


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She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s own sons.


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When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David and his commander Joab were both dead, he said to Pharaoh, <t>“Let me return to my own country.”</t>


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“Why?”</t> Pharaoh asked him. <t>“What do you lack here that makes you want to go home?”</t> <t>“Nothing,”</t> he replied. <t>“But even so, please let me return home.”</t>


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<pb/>God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon’s adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,


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and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.


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Rezon was Israel’s bitter adversary for the rest of Solomon’s reign, and he made trouble, just as Hadad did. Rezon hated Israel intensely and continued to reign in Aram.


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<pb/>Jeroboam Rebels against Solomon Another rebel leader was Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon’s own officials. He came from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow.


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This is the story behind his rebellion. Solomon was rebuilding the supporting terraces and repairing the walls of the city of his father, David.


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Jeroboam was a very capable young man, and when Solomon saw how industrious he was, he put him in charge of the labor force from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph.


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One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field,


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Then he said to Jeroboam, <t>“Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!


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But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.


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For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.


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“‘But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life.


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His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.


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If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.


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Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.


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Summary of Solomon’s Reign The rest of the events in Solomon’s reign, including all his deeds and his wisdom, are recorded in The Book of the Acts of Solomon.


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When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.


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<pb/>The Northern Tribes Revolt Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.


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When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.


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The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.


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“Your father was a hard master,”</t> they said. <t>“Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”</t>


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Rehoboam replied, <t>“Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer.”</t> So the people went away.


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<pb/>Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he asked. “How should I answer these people?”


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The older counselors replied, <t>“If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects.”</t>


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But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.


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“What is your advice?”</t> he asked them. <t>“How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?”</t>


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The young men replied, <t>“This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!


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Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’”</t>


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<pb/>Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision, just as the king had ordered.


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and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, <t>“My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!”</t>


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So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the Lord, for it fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.


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<pb/>When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!” So the people of Israel returned home.


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King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.


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When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.


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<pb/>Shemaiah’s Prophecy When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.


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“Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,


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‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’”</t> So they obeyed the message of the Lord and went home, as the Lord had commanded.


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Jeroboam Makes Gold Calves Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.


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Jeroboam thought to himself, <t>“Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.


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When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”</t>


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So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, <t>“It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”</t>


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But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.


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<pb/>Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.


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And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.


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So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.


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A Prophet Denounces Jeroboam At the Lord’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense.


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Then at the Lord’s command, he shouted, <t>“O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.”</t>


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That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, <t>“The Lord has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.”</t>


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When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, <t>“Seize that man!”</t> But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back.


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At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the Lord.


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The king cried out to the man of God, <t>“Please ask the Lord your God to restore my hand again!”</t> So the man of God prayed to the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it again.


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Then the king said to the man of God, <t>“Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.”</t>


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But the man of God said to the king, <t>“Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place.


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For the Lord gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’”</t>


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<pb/>As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king.


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The old prophet asked them, <t>“Which way did he go?”</t> So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken.


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“Quick, saddle the donkey,”</t> the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it.


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Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him, <t>“Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”</t> <t>“Yes, I am,”</t> he replied.


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But the old prophet answered, <t>“I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the Lord: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’”</t> But the old man was lying to him.


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He cried out to the man of God from Judah, <t>“This is what the Lord says: You have defied the word of the Lord and have disobeyed the command the Lord your God gave you.


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You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.”</t>


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<pb/>After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for him,


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and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.


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People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived.


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When the prophet heard the report, he said, <t>“It is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.”</t>


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and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey.


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So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him.


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Afterward the prophet said to his sons, <t>“When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.


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For the message the Lord told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”</t>


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But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the common people. He appointed anyone who wanted to become a priest for the pagan shrines.


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This became a great sin and resulted in the utter destruction of Jeroboam’s dynasty from the face of the earth.


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So Jeroboam told his wife, <t>“Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king.


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Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy.”</t>


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<pb/>So Jeroboam’s wife went to Ahijah’s home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see.


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But the Lord had told Ahijah, <t>“Jeroboam’s wife will come here, pretending to be someone else. She will ask you about her son, for he is very sick. Give her the answer I give you.”</t>


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So when Ahijah heard her footsteps at the door, he called out, <t>“Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else?”</t> Then he told her, <t>“I have bad news for you.


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Give your husband, Jeroboam, this message from the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I promoted you from the ranks of the common people and made you ruler over my people Israel.


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I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart and always did whatever I wanted.


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You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me,


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I will bring disaster on your dynasty and will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will burn up your royal dynasty as one burns up trash until it is all gone.


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The members of Jeroboam’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures. I, the Lord, have spoken.’”</t>


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<pb/>Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam’s wife, “Go on home, and when you enter the city, the child will die.


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All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only member of your family who will have a proper burial, for this child is the only good thing that the Lord, the God of Israel, sees in the entire family of Jeroboam.


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“In addition, the Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will destroy the family of Jeroboam. This will happen today, even now!


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Then the Lord will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the Lord with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship.


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<pb/>So Jeroboam’s wife returned to Tirzah, and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home.


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The rest of the events in Jeroboam’s reign, including all his wars and how he ruled, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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Jeroboam reigned in Israel twenty-two years. When Jeroboam died, his son Nadab became the next king.


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Rehoboam Rules in Judah Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.


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<pb/>During Rehoboam’s reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, provoking his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors.


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For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.


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There were even male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.


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<pb/>In the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem.


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He ransacked the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.


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King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.


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Whenever the king went to the Temple of the Lord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Rehoboam’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.


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When Rehoboam died, he was buried among his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman. Then his son Abijam became the next king.


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<pb/>Abijam Rules in Judah Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.


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He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been.


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But for David’s sake, the Lord his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem.


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For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.


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The rest of the events in Abijam’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. There was constant war between Abijam and Jeroboam.


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Asa Rules in Judah Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.


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He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.


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He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.


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Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the Lord throughout his life.


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He brought into the Temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.


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King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.


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Asa responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:


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“Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”</t>


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Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali.


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As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.


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Then King Asa sent an order throughout Judah, requiring that everyone, without exception, help to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the town of Geba in Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Asa’s reign—the extent of his power, everything he did, and the names of the cities he built—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. In his old age his feet became diseased.


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When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king.


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Nadab Rules in Israel Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years.


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But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.


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<pb/>Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.


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Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel.


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He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the Lord had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.


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This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Nadab’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years.


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But he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.


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“I lifted you out of the dust to make you ruler of my people Israel, but you have followed the evil example of Jeroboam. You have provoked my anger by causing my people Israel to sin.


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So now I will destroy you and your family, just as I destroyed the descendants of Jeroboam son of Nebat.


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The members of Baasha’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.”</t>


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Baasha’s reign and the extent of his power are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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The message from the Lord against Baasha and his family came through the prophet Jehu son of Hanani. It was delivered because Baasha had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight (just as the family of Jeroboam had done), and also because Baasha had destroyed the family of Jeroboam. The Lord’s anger was provoked by Baasha’s sins.


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Elah Rules in Israel Elah son of Baasha began to rule over Israel in the twenty-sixth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in the city of Tirzah for two years.


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Then Zimri, who commanded half of the royal chariots, made plans to kill him. One day in Tirzah, Elah was getting drunk at the home of Arza, the supervisor of the palace.


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Zimri walked in and struck him down and killed him. This happened in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Then Zimri became the next king.


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Zimri immediately killed the entire royal family of Baasha, leaving him not even a single male child. He even destroyed distant relatives and friends.


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This happened because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed, and because of the sins they led Israel to commit. They provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Elah’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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Zimri Rules in Israel Zimri began to rule over Israel in the twenty-seventh year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, but his reign in Tirzah lasted only seven days. The army of Israel was then attacking the Philistine town of Gibbethon.


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When they heard that Zimri had committed treason and had assassinated the king, that very day they chose Omri, commander of the army, as the new king of Israel.


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When Zimri saw that the city had been taken, he went into the citadel of the palace and burned it down over himself and died in the flames.


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For he, too, had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He followed the example of Jeroboam in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Zimri’s reign and his conspiracy are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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Omri Rules in Israel But now the people of Israel were split into two factions. Half the people tried to make Tibni son of Ginath their king, while the other half supported Omri.


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But Omri’s supporters defeated the supporters of Tibni. So Tibni was killed, and Omri became the next king.


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<pb/>Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-first year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned twelve years in all, six of them in Tirzah.


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Then Omri bought the hill now known as Samaria from its owner, Shemer, for 150 pounds of silver. He built a city on it and called the city Samaria in honor of Shemer.


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He followed the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat in all the sins he had committed and led Israel to commit. The people provoked the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, with their worthless idols.


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<pb/>The rest of the events in Omri’s reign, the extent of his power, and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.


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Ahab Rules in Israel Ahab son of Omri began to rule over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria twenty-two years.


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But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.


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And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal.


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Then he set up an Asherah pole. He did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.


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<pb/>It was during his reign that Hiel, a man from Bethel, rebuilt Jericho. When he laid its foundations, it cost him the life of his oldest son, Abiram. And when he completed it and set up its gates, it cost him the life of his youngest son, Segub. This all happened according to the message from the Lord concerning Jericho spoken by Joshua son of Nun.


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<pb/>Elijah Fed by Ravens Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”


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Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”</t>


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“Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”</t>


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So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, <t>“Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?”</t>


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But she said, <t>“I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”</t>


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But Elijah said to her, <t>“Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son.


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For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”</t>


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There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.


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Then she said to Elijah, <t>“O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”</t>


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But Elijah replied, <t>“Give me your son.”</t> And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed.


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Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, <t>“O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”</t>


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And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, <t>“O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.”</t>


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Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. <t>“Look!”</t> he said. <t>“Your son is alive!”</t>


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Then the woman told Elijah, <t>“Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”</t>


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<pb/>The Contest on Mount Carmel Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!”


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So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord.


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Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.)


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Ahab said to Obadiah, <t>“We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules.”</t>


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So they divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.


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<pb/>As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bowed low to the ground before him. “Is it really you, my lord Elijah?” he asked.


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“Oh, sir,”</t> Obadiah protested, <t>“what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab?


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For I swear by the Lord your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, ‘Elijah isn’t here,’ King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim.


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But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life.


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Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.


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And now you say, ‘Go and tell your master, <t>“Elijah is here.”’ Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me.”</t>


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But Elijah said, <t>“I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day.”</t>


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“I have made no trouble for Israel,”</t> Elijah replied. <t>“You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead.


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Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.”</t>


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Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, <t>“How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!”</t> But the people were completely silent.


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Then Elijah said to them, <t>“I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.


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Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it.


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Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!”</t> And all the people agreed.


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<pb/>Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.”


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So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, <t>“O Baal, answer us!”</t> But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made.


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About noontime Elijah began mocking them. <t>“You’ll have to shout louder,”</t> he scoffed, <t>“for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!”</t>


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So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.


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They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.


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<pb/>Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.


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and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons.


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He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, <t>“Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.”</t>


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After they had done this, he said, <t>“Do the same thing again!”</t> And when they were finished, he said, <t>“Now do it a third time!”</t> So they did as he said,


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At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, <t>“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command.


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O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”</t>


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Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!


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And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, <t>“The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”</t>


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Then Elijah commanded, <t>“Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one escape!”</t> So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.


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<pb/>Elijah Prays for Rain Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”


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So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.


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Then he said to his servant, <t>“Go and look out toward the sea.”</t> The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, <t>“I didn’t see anything.”</t> Seven times Elijah told him to go and look.


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Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, <t>“I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”</t> Then Elijah shouted, <t>“Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”</t>


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And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel.


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Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.


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<pb/>Elijah Flees to Sinai When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.


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So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: <t>“May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”</t>


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<pb/>Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.


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Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. <t>“I have had enough, Lord,”</t> he said. <t>“Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”</t>


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Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, <t>“Get up and eat!”</t>


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He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.


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Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said, <t>“Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”</t>


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So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.


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<pb/>There he came to a cave, where he spent the night. The Lord Speaks to Elijah But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”


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Elijah replied, <t>“I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”</t>


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“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,”</t> the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.


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And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.


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When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, <t>“What are you doing here, Elijah?”</t>


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He replied again, <t>“I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”</t>


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Then the Lord told him, <t>“Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram.


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Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet.


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Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha!


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<pb/>The Call of Elisha So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.


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Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, <t>“First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!”</t> Elijah replied, <t>“Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.”</t>


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So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.


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<pb/>Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it.


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Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: <t>“This is what Ben-hadad says:


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<pb/>Soon Ben-hadad’s messengers returned again and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children.


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But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take away everything you consider valuable!’”</t>


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Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, <t>“Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold.”</t>


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So Ahab told the messengers from Ben-hadad, <t>“Say this to my lord the king: ‘I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but I cannot accept this last demand of yours.’”</t> So the messengers returned to Ben-hadad with that response.


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<pb/>Then Ben-hadad sent this message to Ahab: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers.”


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The king of Israel sent back this answer: <t>“A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.”</t>


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Ahab’s reply reached Ben-hadad and the other kings as they were drinking in their tents. <t>“Prepare to attack!”</t> Ben-hadad commanded his officers. So they prepared to attack the city.


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Ahab’s Victory over Ben-Hadad Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him, <t>“This is what the Lord says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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Ahab asked, <t>“How will he do it?”</t> And the prophet replied, <t>“This is what the Lord says: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it.”</t> <t>“Should we attack first?”</t> Ahab asked. <t>“Yes,”</t> the prophet answered.


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<pb/>So Ahab mustered the troops of the 232 provincial commanders. Then he called out the rest of the army of Israel, some 7,000 men.


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About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor,


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the troops of the provincial commanders marched out of the city as the first contingent. As they approached, Ben-hadad’s scouts reported to him, <t>“Some troops are coming from Samaria.”</t>


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Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.


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Afterward the prophet said to King Ahab, <t>“Get ready for another attack. Begin making plans now, for the king of Aram will come back next spring.”</t>


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Ben-Hadad’s Second Attack After their defeat, Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, <t>“The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains.


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Recruit another army like the one you lost. Give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them on the plains. There’s no doubt that we will beat them.”</t> So King Ben-hadad did as they suggested.


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<pb/>The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek.


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Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside!


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Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, <t>“This is what the Lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”</t>


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<pb/>The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.


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The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room.


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Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, <t>“Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let’s humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live.”</t>


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So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, <t>“Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’”</t> The king of Israel responded, <t>“Is he still alive? He is my brother!”</t>


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The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. <t>“Yes,”</t> they said, <t>“your brother Ben-hadad!”</t> <t>“Go and get him,”</t> the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot.


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Ben-hadad told him, <t>“I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”</t> Then Ahab said, <t>“I will release you under these conditions.”</t> So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free.


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A Prophet Condemns Ahab Meanwhile, the Lord instructed one of the group of prophets to say to another man, <t>“Hit me!”</t> But the man refused to hit the prophet.


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Then the prophet told him, <t>“Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.”</t> And when he had gone, a lion did attack and kill him.


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Then the prophet turned to another man and said, <t>“Hit me!”</t> So he struck the prophet and wounded him.


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The prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king.


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As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, <t>“Sir, I was in the thick of battle, and suddenly a man brought me a prisoner. He said, ‘Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!’


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But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!”</t> <t>“Well, it’s your own fault,”</t> the king replied. <t>“You have brought the judgment on yourself.”</t>


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Then the prophet quickly pulled the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.


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The prophet said to him, <t>“This is what the Lord says: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people.”</t>


