I Kings XI.

they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And
the Lord answered: Behold he is hidden at home.
And they
ran and fetched him thence: and he stood in the midst of the
people, and he was higher than any of the people from the
shoulders and upward.

And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.

And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom,* and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, every one to his own house. Saul also departed to his own house in Gabaa: and there went with him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents; but he dissembled as though he heard not.

SECT. LIX. SAUL DEFEATS THE AMMONITES. HE IS CONFIRMED AS KING.

Saul's First Victory.-And it came to pass about a month 1-15. after this that Naas the Ammonite came up, and began to fight against Jabes Galaad. And all the men of Jabes said to Naas: Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee. And Naas the Ammonite answered them: On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may pluck out all your right eyes, and make you a reproach in all Israel. And the ancients of Jabes said to him: Allow us seven days, that we may send messengers to all the coasts of Israel, and if there be no one to defend us, we will come out to thee. The messengers therefore came to Gabaa of Saul: and they spoke these words in the hearing of the people and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.

And behold Saul came, following oxen out of the field, and he said: What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words of the men of Jabes. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, when he had heard these words, and his anger was exceedingly kindled. And taking both the oxen, he cut them in pieces, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel by messengers, saying: Whosoever shall not come forth, and follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen. the fear of the Lord fell upon the people, and they went out as one man. And he numbered them in Bezec: and there were of the children of Israel three hundred thousand: and of the

And

*This had been already laid down by Moses in the law. See Sect. xliv.

men of Juda thirty thousand. And they said to the messengers that came: Thus shall you say to the men of Jabes Galaad: Tomorrow, when the sun shall be hot, you shall have relief. The messengers therefore came, and told the men of Jabes; and they were glad. And they said: In the morning we will come out to you; and you shall do what you please with us.

And it came to pass, when the morrow was come, that Saul put the people in three companies: and he came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and he slew the Ammonites until the day grew hot, and the rest were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

And the people said to Samuel: Who is he that said: Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men, and we will kill them. And Saul said: No man shall be killed this day, because the Lord this day hath wrought salvation in Israel. And Samuel said to the people: Come and let us go to Galgal, and let us renew the kingdom there. And all the people went to Galgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Galgal, and they sacrificed there victims of peace before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly.

Samuel warns the People.-And Samuel said to all Israel: 1 Kings Behold I have hearkened to your voice in all that you said to XII. 1-25. me, and have made a king over you. And now the king goeth before you, but I am old and gray-headed, and my sons are with you having then conversed with you from my youth until this day, behold here I am. Speak of me before the Lord, and before His anointed, whether I have taken any man's ox, or ass: if I have wronged any man, if I have oppressed any man, if I have taken a bribe at any man's hand, and I will despise it this day, and will restore it to you.

And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor taken ought at any man's hand. And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand. And they said: He is witness.

And Samuel said to the people: It is the Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand up, that I may plead in judgment against you before the Lord, concerning all the kindness of the Lord, which He hath shown to you, and to your fathers; how Jacob went into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. And they forgot *i.e. Saul, who had been anointed king.

the Lord their God, and He delivered them into the hands of Sisara captain of the army of Hasor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. But afterwards they cried to the Lord, and said: We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and Astaroth: but now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve Thee. And the Lord sent Jerobaal, and Badan,* and Jephte, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies round about, and you dwelt securely. But seeing that Naas king of the children of Ammon was come against you, you said to me: Nay, but a king shall reign over us: whereas the Lord your God was your king. Now therefore your king is here, whom you have chosen and desired: behold the Lord hath given you a king. If you will fear the Lord, and serve Him, and hearken to His voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord, then shall both you, and the king who reigneth over you, be followers of the Lord your God. But if you will not hearken to the voice of the Lord, but will rebel against His words, the hand of the Lord shall be upon you, and upon your fathers.

Now then stand, and see this great thing which the Lord will do in your sight. Is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call upon the Lord, and He shall send thunder and rain :† and you shall know and see that you yourselves have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord in desiring a king over you.

And Samuel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. And all the people said to Samuel: Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.

And Samuel said to the people: Fear not, you have done all this evil: but yet depart not from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And turn not aside after vain things which shall never profit you nor deliver you, because they are vain. And the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: because the Lord hath sworn to make you His people. And far from me be this sin against the Lord, that I should cease to pray for you, and I will teach you the good and right way. Therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth and with your whole heart, for you have seen the great

*It is not known who Badan was. Some think it is the same as Samson. Some versions have Barac, and Samson instead of Samuel. It is not likely he should name himself, KENRICK.

†This was a time of year when it never rains in that land.

works which He hath done among you. But if you will still do wickedly, both you and your king shall perish together.

SECT. LX. SAUL FIGHTS AGAINST THE PHILISTINES.

A MIRACULOUS VICTORY.

JONATHAN OBTAINS

Saul fights against the Philistines.-Saul was one year 1 Kings on the throne, and he reigned two years over Israel. And Saul XIII. 1-23. chose him three thousand men of Israel: and two thousand were with Saul in Machmas, and in mount Bethel : and a thousand with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent back every man to their dwellings. And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines which was in Gabaa. And when the Philistines had heard of it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying: Let the Hebrews hear. And all Israel heard this report: Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and Israel took courage against the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Galgal. The Philistines also were assembled to fight against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea-shore for number. And going up they camped in Machmas at the east of Bethaven.

And when the men of Israel saw that they were straitened (for the people were distressed), they hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in dens, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Galaad. And when Saul was yet in Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly afraid. And he waited seven days according to the appointment of Samuel, and Samuel came not to Galgal, and the people slipt away from him.

Saul's First Sin.-Then Saul said: Bring me the holocaust, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the holocaust.* And when he had made an end of offering the holocaust, behold Samuel came: and Saul went forth to meet him and salute him. And Samuel said to him: What hast thou done? Saul answered: Because I saw that the people slipped from me, and thou wast not come according to the days appointed, and the Philistines were gathered together in Machmas, I said: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Galgal, and I have not appeased the face of the Lord. Forced by necessity, I offered the holocaust.

And Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God, which He commanded thee. And if thou hadst not done thus, the * Though not of the priestly race he took on himself to offer sacrifice.

Lord would now have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever. But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought Him a man according to His own heart: and him hath the Lord commanded to be prince over His people, because thou hast not observed that which the Lord commanded.

And Samuel arose and went up from Galgal to Gabaa of Benjamin. And the rest of the people went up after Saul, to meet the people who fought against them, going from Galgal to Gabaa in the hill of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people, that were found with him, about six hundred men. And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, were in Gabaa of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Machmas.

And there went out of the camp of the Philistines three companies to plunder. One company went towards the way of Ephra to the land of Sual. And another went by the way of Bethhoron, and the third turned to the way of the border, above the valley of Seboim towards the desert.

Now there was no smith to be found in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines had taken this precaution, lest the Hebrews should make them swords or spears. So all Israel went down* to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plough-share, and his spade, and his axe, and his rake. So that their shares, and their spades, and their forks, and their axes, were blunt, even to the goad, which was to be mended. And when the day of battle was come, there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan, except Saul and Jonathan his son. And the army of the Philistines went out in order to advance further in Machmas.

1 Kings Jonathan's Success.-Now it came to pass one day that XIV. 1-49. Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour: Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines, which is on the other side of yonder place. But he told not this to his father. And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gabaa under the pomegranate-tree, which was in Magron: and the people with him were about six hundred men. And Achias the son of Achitob, brother of Ichabod the son of Phinees, the son of Heli the priest of the Lord in Silo, wore the ephod. And the people knew not whither Jonathan was gone.

Now there were between the ascents, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the garrison of the Philistines, rocks standing up on both sides, and steep cliffs like teeth on the one side, and on the other: the name of the one was Boses, and the name * i.e. were accustomed to do so before the war began.