CEB Common English Bible with Apocrypha - eBook [ePub]. Common English Bible
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and we will worship you.' 11So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak,p Jephthah, and Samson,q and he delivered you from the power of your enemies on every side. And you lived safe and secure. 12But when you saw that Nahash the Ammonite king was coming against you, you said to me, 'No! There must be a king to rule over us.' But the LORD your God was already your king!
13"So now, here is the king you chose, the one you asked for. Yes, the LORD has put a king over you!14If you will fear the LORD, worship him, obey him, and not rebel against the LORD's command, and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the LORD your God--all will be well. 15But if you don't obey the LORD and rebel against the LORD's command, then the LORD's power will go against you and your king to destroy you.r
16"So now take a stand! Look at this awesome thing the LORD is doing. 17Isn't the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. Then you will know and will see for yourselves what great evil you've done in the LORD's eyes by asking for a king."
18Samuel called upon the LORD, and God sent thunder and rain on that very day. Then all the people were in awe of the LORD and Samuel.
19All of them said to Samuel, "Please pray for us, your servants, to the LORD your God so we don't die because we have added to our many sins the evil of asking for a king."
20But Samuel answered the people, "Don't be afraid. Yes, you've done all this evil; just don't turn back from following the LORD. Serve the LORD with all your heart. 21Don't turn aside to follow useless idols that can't help you or save you. They're absolutely useless!22For the sake of his reputation, the LORD won't abandon his people, because the LORD has decided to make you his very own people. 23But me? I would never sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. I will teach you what is good and right. 24Just fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Look at what great things he has done for you!25But if you continue to do evil, then both you and your king will be destroyed."
Samuel rejects Saul's dynasty
1Samuel 13Saul was 30 years olds when he became king, and he ruled over Israel forty-two years.t 2Saul selected three thousand men from Israel. Two thousand of those were with Saul at Michmash in the hills near Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. He sent the remaining men home. 3Jonathan attacked the Philistine fort at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. So Saul sounded the alarmu throughout the land and said, "Hebrews! Listen up!"4When all Israel heard that Saul had attacked the Philistine fort and that Israel was hated by the Philistines, the troops were called to Saul's side at Gilgal. 5The Philistines also were gathered to fight against Israel. They brought thirty thousand chariots with them, six thousand cavalry, and as many soldiers as there is sand on the seashore to fight Israel.v They marched up and camped at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6When the Israelites saw that they were in trouble and that their troops were threatened, they hid in caves, in thickets, among rocks, in tunnels, and in cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan River, going into the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul stayed at Gilgal, and the troops followed him anxiously. 8He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal, and his troops began to desert. 9So Saul ordered, "Bring me the entirely burned offering and the well-being sacrifices." Then he offered the entirely burned offering.
10The very moment Saul finished offering up the entirely burned offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet him and welcome him. 11But Samuel said, "What have you done?"
"I saw that my troops were deserting," Saul replied. "You hadn't arrived by the appointed time, and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash. 12I thought, The Philistines are about to march against me at Gilgal and I haven't yet sought the LORD's favor. So I took control of myselfw and offered the entirely burned offering."
13"How stupid of you to have broken the commands the LORD your God gave you!" Samuel told Saul. "The LORD would have established your rule over Israel forever,14but now your rule won't last. The LORD will search for a man following the Lord's own heart,x and the LORD will commission him as leader over God's people, because you didn't keep the LORD's command."
15Samuel got up and went on his way from Gilgal, but the rest of the people followed Saul to join the army, and they went from Gilgaly to Gibeah in Benjamin. Saul counted about six hundred men still with him. 16Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were with him were staying at Geba in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Michmash. 17Three raiding parties left the Philistine camp. One took the road to Ophrah toward the territory of Shual. 18Another took the road to Beth-horon, and the last took the border road that overlooks the Zeboim Valley toward the desert.
Philistine ironworking
19No metalworker was to be found anywhere in Israelite territory because the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews must not make swords and spears."20So every Israelite had to go down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, and sickles. 21The cost was two-thirds of a shekelz for plowshares and mattocks, but one-third of a shekel for sharpening axes and for setting goads. 22So on the day of the battle, no swords or spears were to be found in the possession of any of the troops with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
Jonathan leads Israel to victory
23Now a group of Philistine soldiers had marched out to the pass at Michmash.
1Samuel 14One day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to his young armor-bearer, "Come on! Let's go over to the Philistine fort on the opposite side." But he didn't tell his father. 2Saul was sitting on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree at Migron. He had about six hundred men with him, 3including Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, who was Ichabod's brother and the son of Phinehas the son of Eli, who was the LORD's priest at Shiloh. He was wearing a priestly vest.a None of the troops knew that Jonathan had gone.
4There were two stone outcroppings in the pass where Jonathan planned on crossing over to the Philistine fort--one on each side. One of these was named Bozez; the other was named Seneh. 5One outcropping was on the north side, in front of Michmash, and the other was on the south side, in front of Geba. 6Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, "Come on, let's go over to the fort of these uncircumcised men. Maybe the LORD will act on our behalf. After all, nothing can stop the LORD from saving, whether there are many soldiersb or few."
7"Go ahead with whatever you're planning," his armor-bearer replied. "I'm with you, whatever you decide."
8"All right then," Jonathan said. "We'll go over to the men and show ourselves. 9If they say to us, 'Stay there until we get to you,' then we'll stay where we are and won't go up to them. 10But if they say, 'Come on up,' then we'll go up because that will be the sign that the LORD has handed them over to us."
11So they showed themselves to the Philistine fort, and the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes they've been hiding in!"12Then the troops in the fort yelled to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come on up! We'll teach you a lesson!"
So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Follow me, because the LORD has handed them over to Israel!"13So Jonathan scrambled up on his hands and feet with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan. His armor-bearer, coming behind him, would then finish them off. 14In the first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre.c 15Panic broke out in the camp, in the field, and among all the troops. Even those in the fort and the raiders shook with fear. The very ground shook! It was a terror from God.
16Now