A National Turning Point

¹The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the LORD’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the LORD’s ark.

²From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

³Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

⁴Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

⁵Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.”

⁶They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

⁷When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”

⁹Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.

¹¹The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “The LORD helped us until now.”

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. The LORD’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to the LORD there.

¹When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

²Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.

³His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah.

⁵They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

⁶But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD.

⁷The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.

⁸According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you.

⁹Now therefore, listen to their voice. However, you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰Samuel told all the LORD’s words to the people who asked him for a king.

¹¹He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots.

¹²He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots.

¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers.

¹⁴He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants.

¹⁵He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants.

¹⁶He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work.

¹⁷He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants.

¹⁸You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us,

²⁰that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

²¹Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.

²²The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.” Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go to your own city.”