140 Jehovah the same was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah.

14.36. 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 145 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. And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and 150 see wherein this sin hath been this day. For, as Jehovah liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other 155 side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee. Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. Then Saul 160 said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die. And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, 165 who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid : as Jehovah 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. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their 170 own place.

13.8. And 1he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed but Samuel came not to Gilgal;

1 i.e. Saul.

And Saul said, Bring

and the people were scattered from him. hither the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as 5 soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, 10 and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto Jehovah I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly : 15 thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah hath sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah hath commanded him to be 20 captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which Jehovah commanded thee.

15.1. Samuel also said unto Saul, Jehovah sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of Jehovah. Thus 25 saith Jehovah of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. And 30 Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with 35 them for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt. And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, 40 and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best

of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy 45 them but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

15.10. Then came the word of Jehovah unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my command50 ments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto Jehovah all night. And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul and Saul said unto 55 him, Blessed be thou of Jehovah: I have performed the commandment of Jehovah. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the 60 sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God; and

:

the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what Jehovah hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made 65 the head of the tribes of Israel, and Jehovah anointed thee king over Israel? And Jehovah sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then

didst thou not obey the voice of Jehovah, but didst fly upon 70 the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of Jehovah? And Saul

said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah, and have gone the way which Jehovah sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, 75 the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For 80 rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

15.24. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now 85 therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah. And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, and Jehovah hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold 90 upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said

unto him, Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. Then 95 he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped Jehovah. Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. 100 And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before Jehovah in Gilgal. Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul 105 went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul and Jehovah repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

sons.

16.1. And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou 110 mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take an heifer with thee, and 115 say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which Jehovah spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, 120 Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah sanctify yourselves, and come with

JUNIOR

N

me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they 125 were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him. But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him for Jehovah seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh 130 on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now 140 he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went 145 to Ramah.

135 Jehovah hath not chosen these.

LESSON XLVII

THE RISE OF DAVID

I SAMUEL 16.14 to 18.27

16.14. But the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him. And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. Let our lord now command thy servants, which are 5 before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. Then answered 10 one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse