God

And they sent messengers to the inhabitans of Kiriath-iearim, saying, The Philistims haue brought againe the Arke of the Lord: come ye downe and take it vp to you.

Then the men of Kiriath-iearim came, and tooke vp the Arke of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill: and they sanctified Eleazar his sonne, to keepe the Arke of the Lord.

(For while the Arke abode in Kiriath-iearim, the time was long, for it was twentie yeeres) and al the house of Israel lamented after ye Lord.

Then Samuel spake vnto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye be come againe vnto the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtaroth, and direct your hearts vnto the Lord, and serue him only, and he shall deliuer you out of the hand of ye Philistims.

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and serued the Lord onely.

And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you vnto the Lord.

And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drewe water and powred it out before the Lord, and fasted the same day, and sayd there, We haue sinned against the Lord. And Samuel iudged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

And the children of Israel sayd to Samuel, Cease not to crie vnto the Lord our God for vs, that hee may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistims.

Then Samuel tooke a sucking lambe, and offered it all together for a burnt offering vnto the Lord, and Samuel cryed vnto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.

And as Samuel offered the burnt offering, the Philistims came to fight against Israel: but the Lord thundred with a great thunder that day vpon the Philistims, and scattered them: so they were slaine before Israel.

Then Samuel tooke a stone and pitched it betweene Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name thereof, Eben-ezer, and he sayd, Hitherto hath the Lord holpen vs.

So the Philistims were brought vnder, and they came no more againe into the coastes of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistims all the dayes of Samuel.

Afterward hee returned to Ramah: for there was his house, and there he iudged Israel: also he built an altar there vnto the Lord.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Giue vs a King to iudge vs: and Samuel prayed vnto the Lord.

And the Lord said vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they shall say vnto thee: for they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not reigne ouer the.

As they haue euer done since I brought them out of Egypt euen vnto this day, (and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods) euen so doe they vnto thee.

So Samuel told all the wordes of the Lord vnto the people that asked a King of him.

And ye shall crie out at that day, because of your King, whom ye haue chosen you, and the Lord will not heare you at that day.

Therefore when Samuel heard all ye wordes of ye people, he rehearsed the in ye eares of ye Lord.

And the Lord saide to Samuel, Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a King. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel, Goe euery man vnto his citie.

And he said vnto him, Behold nowe, in this citie is a man of God, and he is an honorable man: all that he saith commeth to passe: let vs nowe goe thither, if so be that he can shewe vs what way we may goe.

Then saide Saul to his seruant, Well then, let vs goe: but what shall we bring vnto the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is no present to bring to the man of God: what haue we?

And the seruant answered Saul againe, and said, Beholde, I haue founde about me the fourth part of a shekell of siluer: that will I giue the man of God, to tell vs our way.

(Beforetime in Israel when a man went to seeke an answere of God, thus he spake, Come, and let vs goe to the Seer: for he that is called nowe a Prophet, was in the olde time called a Seer)

Then saide Saul to his seruant, Well saide, come, let vs goe: so they went into the citie where the man of God was.