The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

So when the people were come into the campe, the Elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten vs this day before ye Philistims? let vs bring the Arke of the couenant of the Lord out of Shiloh vnto vs, that when it commeth among vs, it may saue vs out of the hande of our enemies.

Then the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from thence the Arke of the couenant of the Lord of hostes, who dwelleth betweene the Cherubims: and there were the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, with the Arke of the couenant of God.

And when the Arke of the couenant of the Lord came into the hoste, all Israel shouted a mightie shoute, so that the earth rang againe.

And when the Philistims heard the noyse of the shoute, they said, What meaneth the sound of this mightie shoute in the host of the Ebrewes? and they vnderstoode, that the Arke of the Lord was come into the hoste.

And the Philistims were afraide, and saide, God is come into the hoste: therefore saide they, Wo vnto vs: for it hath not bene so heretofore.

Wo vnto vs, who shall deliuer vs out of the hande of these mightie Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wildernes.

Be strong and play the men, O Philistims, that ye be not seruants vnto the Ebrewes, as they haue serued you: be valiant therefore, and fight.

And the Philistims fought, and Israel was smitten downe, and fled euery man into his tent: and there was an exceeding great slaughter: for there fell of Israel thirtie thousand footemen.

And the Arke of God was taken, and the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas died.

And there ranne a man of Beniamin out of the armie, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head.

And when hee came, loe, Eli sate vpon a seate by the wayside, wayting: for his heart feared for the Arke of God and when the man came into the citie to tell it, all the citie cried out.

And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he sayd, What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? and the man came in hastily, and tolde Eli.

(Nowe Eli was fourescore and eighteene yeere olde, and his eyes were dimme that hee could not see)

And the man sayd vnto Eli, I came from the armie, and I fled this day out of the hoste: and he sayd, What thing is done, my sonne?

Then the messenger answered and sayd, Israel is fled before the Philistims, and there hath bene also a great slaughter among the people: and moreouer thy two sonnes, Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and the Arke of God is taken.

And when he had made mention of the Arke of God, Eli fell from his seate backward by the side of the gate, and his necke was broken, and he dyed: for he was an olde man and heauie: and he had iudged Israel fourtie yeeres.

And his daughter in lawe Phinehas wife was with childe neere her trauell: and when she heard the report that the Arke of God was taken, and that her father in lawe and her husband were dead, she bowed her selfe, and trauailed: for her paines came vpon her.

And about the time of her death, the women that stoode about her, sayd vnto her, Feare not: for thou hast borne a sonne: but she answered not, nor regarded it.

And she named the childe Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken, and because of her father in lawe and her husband.

She sayde againe, The glory is departed from Israel: for the Arke of God is taken.

Then the Philistims tooke the Arke of God and caried it from Eben-ezer vnto Ashdod,

Euen the Philistims tooke ye Arke of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

And when they of Ashdod rose the next day in the morning, beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke of the Lord, and they tooke vp Dagon, and set him in his place againe.

Also they rose vp earely in the morning the next day, and beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the ground before the Arke of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and the two palmes of his hands were cut off vpon the thresholde: onely the stumpe of Dagon was left to him.

Therefore the Priests of Dagon, and all that come into Dagons house tread not on the thresholde of Dagon in Ashdod, vnto this day.

But the hand of the Lord was heauie vpon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and smote them with the emerods, both Ashdod, and the coastes thereof.

And when the men of Ashdod sawe this, they sayd, Let not the Arke of the God of Israel abide with vs: for his hand is sore vpon vs and vpon Dagon our god.

They sent therefore and gathered all the princes of the Philistims vnto them, and sayde, What shall we doe with the Arke of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the Arke of the God of Israel be caried about vnto Gath: and they caried the Arke of the God of Israel about.

And when they had caried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the citie with a very great destruction, and he smote the men of the citie both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret partes.

Therefore they sent the Arke of God to Ekron: and assoone as the Arke of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cryed out, saying, They haue brought the Arke of the God of Israel to vs to slay vs and our people.

Therefore they sent, and gathered together all the princes of the Philistims and sayd, Sende away the Arke of the God of Israel, and let it returne to his owne place, that it slay vs not and our people: for there was a destruction and death throughout all the citie, and the hand of God was very sore there.

And the men that dyed not, were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the citie went vp to heauen.

So the Arke of the Lord was in the countrey of the Philistims seuen moneths.

And the Philistims called the priests and the soothsayers, saying, What shall we doe with the Arke of the Lord? tell vs wherewith we shall send it home againe.

And they sayd, If you send away the Arke of the God of Israel, send it not away emptie, but giue vnto it a sinne offering: then shall ye be healed, and it shall be knowen to you, why his hand departeth not from you.

Then sayd they, What shalbe the sinne offring, which we shall giue vnto it? And they answered, Fiue golden emerods and fiue golden mise, according to the number of the princes of the Philistims: for one plague was on you all, and on your princes.

Wherefore ye shall make the similitudes of your emerods, and the similitudes of your mise that destroy the land: so ye shall giue glory vnto the God of Israel, that he may take his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.

Wherefore then should ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let them goe, and they departed?

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on whome there hath come no yoke: and tye the kine to the cart, and bring the calues home from them.

Then take the Arke of the Lord, and set it vpon the cart, and put the iewels of gold which ye giue it for a sinne offering in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away, that it may go.

And take heede, if it goe vp by the way of his owne coast to Beth-shemesh, it is he that did vs this great euill: but if not, we shall know then, that it is not his hand that smote vs, but it was a chance that happened vs.

And the men did so: for they tooke two kine that gaue milke, and tied them to the cart, and shut the calues at home.

So they set the Arke of the Lord vpon the cart, and the coffer with the mise of golde, and with the similitudes of their emerods.

And the kine went the streight way to Beth-shemesh, and kept one path and lowed as they went, and turned neither to the right hand nor to the left: also the Princes of the Philistims went after them, vnto the borders of Beth-shemesh.

Nowe they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheate haruest in the valley, and they lift vp their eyes, and spied the Arke, and reioyced when they sawe it.

And the cart came into the fielde of Ioshua a Beth-shemite, and stood still there. There was also a great stone, and they claue the wood of the cart, and offered the kine for a burnt offring vnto the Lord.

And the Leuites tooke downe the Arke of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the iewels of golde were, and put them on the great stone, and the men of Beth-shemesh offred burnt offring, and sacrificed sacrifices that same day vnto the Lord.

And when the fiue Princes of ye Philistims had seene it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

So these are the golden emerods, which the Philistims gaue for a sinne offering to the Lord: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, and for Ekron one,

And golden mise, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistims, belonging to the fiue princes, both of walled townes, and of townes vnwalled, vnto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set the Arke of the Lord: which stone remaineth vnto this day in the fielde of Ioshua the Beth-shemite.

And hee smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked in the Arke of the Lord: he slew euen among the people fiftie thousand men and three score and ten men. and the people lamented, because the Lord had slaine the people with so great a slaughter.

Wherefore the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go from vs?

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.

When the Philistims heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the princes of the Philistims went vp against Israel: and when the children of Israel heard that, they were afraide of the Philistims.

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.

And the men of Israel went from Mizpeh and pursued the Philistims, and smote them vntill they came vnder Beth-car.

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.

Also the cities which the Philistims had taken from Israel, were restored to Israel, from Ekron euen to Gath: and Israel deliuered the coastes of the same out of the hands of the Philistims: and there was peace betweene Israel and the Amorites.

And Samuel iudged Israel all the dayes of his life,

And went about yeere by yere to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and iudged Israel in all those places.

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

When Samuel was nowe become olde, he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.

(And the name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the second Abiah) euen Iudges in Beer-sheba.

And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewards, and peruerted the iudgement.

Wherefore all the Elders of Israel gathered them together, and came to Samuel vnto Ramah,

And said vnto him, Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: make vs nowe a King to iudge vs like all nations.

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.

Nowe therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit yet testifie vnto them, and shewe them the maner of ye King that shall reigne ouer them.

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

And he saide, This shall be the maner of the King that shall reigne ouer you: he will take your sonnes, and appoint them to his charets, and to be his horsemen, and some shall runne before his charet.

Also he will make them his captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer fifties, and to eare his ground, and to reape his haruest, and to make instruments of warre, and the thinges that serue for his charets.

He will also take your daughters and make them apoticaries, and cookes, and bakers.

And he will take your fieldes, and your vineyardes, and your best Oliue trees, and giue them to his seruants.

And he will take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyards, and giue it to his Eunuches, and to his seruants.

And he will take your men seruants, and your maide seruants, and the chiefe of your yong men, and your asses, and put them to his worke.

He will take the tenth of your sheepe, and ye shall be his seruants.

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.

But the people would not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, but there shall be a King ouer vs.

And we also will be like all other nations, and our King shall iudge vs, and goe out before vs, and fight our battels.

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.

There was nowe a man of Beniamin, mightie in power named Kish, the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeror, the sonne of Bechorath, the sonne of Aphiah, the sonne of a man of Iemini.

And he had a sonne called Saul, a goodly yong man and a faire: so that among the children of Israel there was none goodlier then he: from the shoulders vpwarde he was hier then any of the people.

And the asses of Kish Sauls father were lost: therefore Kish said to Saul his sonne, Take nowe one of the seruants with thee, and arise, goe, and seeke the asses.

So he passed through mount Ephraim, and went through the lande of Shalishah, but they found them not. Then they went through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: he went also through ye land of Iemini, but they found the not.

When they came to the lande of Zuph, Saul saide vnto his seruant that was with him, Come and let vs returne, lest my father leaue the care of asses, and take thought for vs.

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.