it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name 1 Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of Jehovah. 45 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before Jehovah, and there 50 abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him ; only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, 55 and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh : and the child was young. And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto Jehovah. For 60 this child I prayed; and Jehovah hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to Jehovah ; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there. And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli 65 the priest.

2. 12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not Jehovah, nor the priest's rightful due from the people; for when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his 70 hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh 75 to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay ; but thou shalt give it me now and if not, I will take 80 it by force. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very

1 = Name of God. Some translate it "Asked of God."

great before Jehovah: for men abhorred the offering of Jehovah.

2.18. But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, 85 girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to 90 Jehovah. And they went unto their own home. And Jehovah visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah.

2.22. Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons 95 did unto all Israel; and he said unto them, Why do ye such things for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make Jehovah's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, God shall judge him but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall 100 intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah would slay them.

3.1. And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, 105 when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that Jehovah called Samuel : and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, 110 Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not 115 yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him. And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie 120 down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went

and lay down in his place. And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both 125 the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves 130 vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Then 135 Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that Jehovah hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel 140 told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah let him do what seemeth him good. And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet 145 of Jehovah. And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

LESSON XLIII

THE PHILISTINES

I SAMUEL 4.1 to 7.2

4.1. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside 1 Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand = the stone of help.

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JUNIOR

1

M

5

men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Jehovah smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, Io it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah Sabaoth, which dwelleth between the cherubim and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark 15 of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Jehovah was 20 come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods: these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues 25 in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent and there was a very great slaughter; 30 for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a 35 seat by the wayside watching for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety 40 and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also 45 a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also,

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And

Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

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5.1. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth 55 before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the 60 stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

5.6. But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, 65 even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. And in the midst of their land there sprang up mice, and there was a great and deadly destruction throughout the 2city. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 70 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. And it was so, that, after they had 75 carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and emerods brake out upon them. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried 80 out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send

2 This sentence is given by the LXX, and seems necessary to explain verse 4 of chapter 6.