ening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food. 25. For tho' all the people went thro' a wood where was honey dropping on the ground, 26. Yet when they came into it, and beheld the honey dropping, no man took a mouthful, for they feared the adjuration. 27. But Jonathan heard not that his father had adjured or charged the people upon oath; therefore he put forth the end of the rod in his hand, and dipped it in the wood-honey, took a mouthful, and his spirit revived. 28. Then said one of the people, Thy father strictly charged the people upon oath, saying, Accursed be the man that eateth any food this day; hence the people are faint. 29. Then said Jonathan, My father hath agrieved the people; see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, by tasting a little of this honey! 30. How much better had it been, if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

31. However, they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; but the people, tho' very faint, 32. Flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and eat them with the blood.

33. Then one told Saul, saying, Behold the people sin against the Eternal, by eating meat with the blood. He said, Ye have transgressed exceedingly; roll a great stone immediately to me, to build an altar. 34. Then Saul said to the officers, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and his sheep, and here slay, and eat; and sin not against the Eternal, in eating with the blood. So all the people brought that night every man his ox, or what he had, and slew them there. 35. Then Saul built an altar to the Eternal; it was the first altar that he built to the Eternal.

36. Then Saul said, Let us pursue the Philistines by night, and make havock among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. Then they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good to thee. But the priest said, Let us first ask counsel of God. 37. Then Saul asked counsel of God, saying, Shall I pursue the Philistines; wilt thou deliv er them into the hands of Israel? But no answer was given that day. 38. Then Saul said, Let all ranks of the people draw near to examine, and know, and see, who hath sinned this day; 39. For as the Eternal liveth, who saved Israel, though it be Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But as none among all the people answered him,

40. He said to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. Then the people said to Saul, Do what seemeth good to thee. 41. Then Saul said to the Eternal God of Israel, Shew the innocent by lot. Then Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. 42. Then Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. So Jonathan was taken. 43. Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done? So Jonathan said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of my rod, and lo I must die! 44. Then Saul answered, May God do so to me, and more also, if thou do not surely die, Jonathan. 45. But the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: As the Eternal 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 from death. 46. But Saul ceased from pursuing the Philistines; and they went to their own place.

47. Saul having now obtained the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies around, even Moab and the Ammonites, and Edom, and the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines; and wherever

he turned himself he harrassed them, 48. And acted valiantly: he also smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from those that spoiled them.

49. Now Saul's sons were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-shua; and the name of his first-born daughter was Merab; and that of the younger Michal; 50. And Saul's wife's name was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle: 51. For Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner, were sons of Abiel. 52. There was war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong valiant man, he took him into his service.

CHAP. XV.

SAUL IS ORdered to dESROY AMALek.

SAMUEL now said to Saul, The Eternal sent me to anoint thee king over his people Israel; therefore hearken to the voice of the words of the Eternal. 2. Thus saith the Eternal God of hosts, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he opposed him in his way from Egypt. 3. Now, go and utterly destroy Amalek, with all that they have, spare neither man nor woman, infant nor suckling, ox or sheep, camel nor ass.

4. Then Saul gathered the people, and numbered them at Telaim, two hundred thousand men, whereof were ten thousand men of Judah. 5. And he came to a city of Amalek, and ambushed in the valley.

6. Then Saul said to the Kenites, depart from the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye shewed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

7. Then Samuel smote the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, opposite Egypt. 8. And he took

Agag the king, alive, but utterly destroyed all the people with the sword. 9. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and oxen, and the mature camels, with their furniture, and all that was good, but whatever was vile or vitiated they, destroyed utterly.

10. Then came the word of the Eternal to Samuel, saying, 11. I relent that I made Saul king: he hath turned away from me, and hath not performed my commands. Samuel was grieved at this; and cried to the Eternal all night.

12. And rose early next morning, to meet Saul, for it was told him, that Saul came to Carmel, and, having set up a monument for himself, he went about to Gilgal.

13. When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, Blessed be thou of the Eternal; I have performed the Eternal's commands. 14. But Samuel said, What meaneth this bleating of sheep, and lowing of oxen, which I hear? 15. Then Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Eternal thy God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed. 16. Then Samuel said to Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Eternal said to me last night: he said, Say on.

17. Then Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own eyes, wast thou not made the chief over the tribes of Israel; for the Eternal anointed thee king over Israel? 18. And the Eternal sent thee on an expedition, saying, Go, and utterly destroy these sinners the Amalekites. 19. Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the Eternal, but didst flee upon the spoil, and so didst evil before the Eternal?

20. Then Saul said to Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Eternal, going the way he sent me, and brought Agag king of Amalek, and utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21. But the people

took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of what was to be uttterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Eternal thy God in Gilgal. 22. But Samuel said, Hath the Eternal as great delight in burntofferings and sacrifices, as in obeying his voice? Know that obedience is better than sacrifice, and attention than the fat of rams. 23. For rebellion

is sinful as divination, and stubbornness is as bad as idolatry; because thou hast rejected the Eternal's order, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

24. Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned; as I have transgressed the Eternal's command, and thy words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. 25. But now, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and go back with me, that I may worship the Eternal. 26. But Samuel said to Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Eternal, and the Eternal hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

27. But as Samuel turned about to go away, he took hold of the skirt of his mantle, and it rent off. 28. Then Samuel said to him, The Eternal hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to another man, better than thee. 29. Nor will the Strength of Israel lie or repent, for he is not a man that he should repent. 30. Saul again said, I have sinned; yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may wor'ship the Eternal thy God. 31. So Samuel accompanied Saul, and Saul worshipped the Eternal.

32. Then Samuel said, Bring to me Agag king of the Amalekites; and Agag came to him pleasantly; for he said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 33. But Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless. Then Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Eternal in Gilgal. 34. Samuel then went to Ramah; and Saul went to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35.