אֱלֹהִים Elohim

Then said Saul to his servant: ‘But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; what have we?’

And the servant answered Saul again, and said: ‘Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver, that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.’—

Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: ‘Come and let us go to the seer’; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.—

Then said Saul to his servant: ‘Well said; come, let us go.’ So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: ‘Bid the servant pass on before us—and he passed on—but stand thou still at this time, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.’

Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the terebinth of Tabor, and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.

After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying.

And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as thy hand shall find; for God is with thee.

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.

And he said unto the children of Israel: ‘Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

But ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto Him: Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.’

And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the men of valour, whose hearts God had touched.

And the spirit of God came mightily upon Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

But they forgot the LORD their God, and He gave them over into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us; when the LORD your God was your king.

If ye will fear the LORD, and serve Him, and hearken unto His voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and both ye and also the king that reigneth over you be followers of the LORD your God—;

And all the people said unto Samuel: ‘Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not; for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.’

And Samuel said to Saul: ‘Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which He commanded thee; for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

And there was a trembling in the camp in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked; so it grew into a terror from God.

And Saul said unto Ahijah: ‘Bring hither the ark of God.’ For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

And Saul said unto Ahijah: ‘Bring hither the ark of God.’ For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel.

And Saul said: ‘Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.’ And they said: ‘Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee.’ Then said the priest: ‘Let us draw near hither unto God.’

And Saul asked counsel of God: ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?’ But He answered him not that day.

Therefore Saul said unto the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Declare the right.’ And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.

And Saul said: ‘God do so and more also; thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.’

And the people said unto Saul: ‘Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it; as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day.’ So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

And Saul said: ‘They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.’

But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.’

Then he said: ‘I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.’

And Saul’s servants said unto him: ‘Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God cometh upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.’

And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.

And David spoke to the men that stood by him, saying: ‘What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the taunt from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should have taunted the armies of the living God?’

Thy servant smote both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath taunted the armies of the living God.’

And the Philistine said unto David: ‘Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his god.

Then said David to the Philistine: ‘Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast taunted.

This day will the LORD deliver thee into my hand; and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel;

And it came to pass on the morrow, that an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house; and David played with his hand, as he did day by day; and Saul had his spear in his hand.

And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah; and the spirit of God came upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

And Jonathan said unto David: ‘The LORD, the God of Israel—when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto the king of Moab: ‘Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.’

And Saul said unto him: ‘Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?’

Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me; let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.’

And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said: ‘God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.’

Then said David: ‘O LORD, the God of Israel, Thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as Thy servant hath heard?’ O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech Thee, tell Thy servant.’ And the LORD said: ‘He will come down.’

And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.