When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray.  Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship.  Hannah was brokenhearted and was crying as she prayed, "LORD All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son.  I will give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut."
Hannah prayed silently to the LORD for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.  "How long are you going to stay drunk?" he asked. "Sober up!"
"Sir, please don't think I'm no good!" Hannah answered. "I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking.  But I do feel miserable and terribly upset.  I've been praying all this time, telling the LORD about my problems."
Eli replied, "You may go home now and stop worrying.  I'm sure the God of Israel will answer your prayer."
"Sir, thank you for being so kind to me," Hannah said.  Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.

Samuel Is Born
Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and worshiped the LORD.  Then they went back home to Ramah.  Later the LORD blessed Elkanah and Hannah with a son.  She named him Samuel because she had asked the LORD for him.

Hannah Gives Samuel to the LORD
The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the LORD.  But Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, "Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the LORD, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life."
"You know what's best," Elkanah said. "Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him.  I'm sure the LORD will help you do what you have promised."
Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.  When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah took Samuel to the LORD's house.  They brought along a three-year-old bull, a twenty-pound sack of flour, and a clay jar full of wine.  Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.  "Sir," Hannah said, "a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the LORD to give me a child.  Here he is!  The LORD gave me just what I asked for.  Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will be the LORD's servant for as long as he lives."

Hannah Prays
Hannah prayed:
You make me strong and happy, LORD.  You rescued me.  Now I can be glad and laugh at my enemies.  No other god is like you. We're safer with you than on a high mountain.  I can tell those proud people, "Stop your boasting!  Nothing is hidden from the LORD, and he judges what we do."

Our LORD, you break the bows of warriors, but you give strength to everyone who stumbles.  People who once had plenty to eat must now hire themselves out for only a piece of bread.  But you give the hungry more than enough to eat.  A woman did not have a child, and you gave her seven, but a woman who had many was left with none.

You take away life, and you give life.  You send people down to the world of the dead and bring them back again.  Our LORD, you are the one who makes us rich or poor.  You put some in high positions and bring disgrace on others.  You lift the poor and homeless out of the garbage dump and give them places of honor in royal palaces.  You set the world on foundations, and they belong to you.

You protect your loyal people, but everyone who is evil will die in darkness.  We cannot win a victory by our own strength.  Our LORD, those who attack you will be broken in pieces when you fight back with thunder from heaven.  You will judge the whole earth and give power and strength to your chosen king.

Samuel Stays with Eli
Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the LORD.

Eli's Sons
Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the LORD.  So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork.  The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to the priests.  That is how these two priests treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh.  Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the LORD.   Then the servant would tell them, "The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!"
Usually the people answered, "Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the LORD."
"No," the servant would reply. "If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force."

Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the LORD very angry.

Hannah Visits Samuel
The boy Samuel served the LORD and wore a special linen garment and the clothes his mother made for him.  She would bring new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.  Eli would always bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "Samuel was born in answer to your prayers.  Now you have given him to the LORD.  I pray that the LORD will bless you with more children to take his place."
After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.  The LORD was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters.  But Samuel grew up at the LORD's house in Shiloh.

Eli Warns His Sons
Eli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel.  "Why are you doing these awful things?" he asked them. "I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the LORD's people.  If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you.  But if you commit a crime against the LORD, no one can help you!"
But the LORD had already decided to kill them.  So he kept them from listening to their father.

A Prophet Speaks to Eli
Each day the LORD and his people liked Samuel more and more.  One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD:
When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am.  Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests.  I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do.  I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.

But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all gotten fat from eating the best parts.  I am the LORD, the God of Israel.  I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer!  I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me.  The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.

Your family will have a lot of trouble.  I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young.  If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow.  But most of the men in your family will die a violent death!  To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.  I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me.  I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king.  But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread.  He may even say to my priest, "Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat."

The LORD Speaks to Samuel
Samuel served the LORD by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind.  In those days, the LORD hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often.  But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the LORD's house.  They had not been asleep very long when the LORD called out Samuel's name.  "Here I am!" Samuel answered.
Then he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. What do you want?"
"I didn't call you," Eli answered. "Go back to bed."

Samuel went back.

Again the LORD called out Samuel's name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. "Here I am," he said. "What do you want?"
Eli told him, "Son, I didn't call you. Go back to sleep."

The LORD had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice.  When the LORD called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, "Here I am. What do you want?"

Eli finally realized that it was the LORD who was speaking to Samuel.  So he said, "Go back and lie down!  If someone speaks to you again, answer, `I'm listening, LORD.  What do you want me to do?' "

Once again Samuel went back and lay down.

The LORD then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, "Samuel! Samuel!"
"I'm listening," Samuel answered. "What do you want me to do?"

The LORD said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it!  I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised.  He knew that his sons refused to respect me, and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever.  I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right!  His family has done too many disgusting things.  The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the LORD's house.  He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said.  But Eli told him, "Samuel, my boy, come here!"
"Here I am," Samuel answered.
Eli said, "What did God say to you? Tell me everything.  I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!"
Samuel told Eli everything.  Then Eli said, "He is the LORD, and he will do what's right."

The LORD Helps Samuel
As Samuel grew up, the LORD helped him and made everything Samuel said come true.  From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the LORD's prophet.  The LORD often appeared to Samuel at Shiloh and told him what to say.

The people of Kiriath-Jearim got the chest and took it to Abinadab's house, which was on a hill in their town.  They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it, and it stayed there for twenty years.

During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the LORD for help.

The People of Israel Turn Back to the LORD
One day, Samuel told all the people of Israel, "If you really want to turn back to the LORD, then prove it.  Get rid of your foreign idols, including the ones of the goddess Astarte.  Turn to the LORD with all your heart and worship only him.  Then he will rescue you from the Philistines."
The people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only the LORD.
Then Samuel said, "Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you."

The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader.  They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the LORD.  On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the LORD.

The Philistines Attack Israel
When the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel.  The Israelites were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming. "Don't stop praying!" they told Samuel. "Ask the LORD our God to rescue us."

Samuel begged the LORD to rescue Israel, then he sacrificed a young lamb to the LORD.  Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack.  But the LORD answered his prayer and made thunder crash all around them.  The Philistines panicked and ran away.  The men of Israel left Mizpah and went after them as far as the hillside below Beth-Car, killing every enemy soldier they caught.

The Philistines were so badly beaten that it was quite a while before they attacked Israel again.  After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs.  He named it "Help Monument" to remind Israel how much the LORD had helped them.  For as long as Samuel lived, the LORD helped Israel fight the Philistines.  The Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath.

Israel was also at peace with the Amorites.

Samuel Is a Leader in Israel

Samuel was a leader in Israel all his life.  Every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as judge for the people.  Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there.  He also had an altar built for the LORD at Ramah.

The People of Israel Want a King

Samuel had two sons.  The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah.  When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba.  But they were not like their father.  They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions.  One day the nation's leaders came to Samuel at Ramah 5and said, "You are an old man.  You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations.  Choose one for us!"
Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it.  The LORD answered: 
Samuel, do everything they want you to do.  I am really the one they have rejected as their king.  Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols.  Now they are turning away from you.  Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them.

Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the LORD had said:
If you have a king, this is how he will treat you.  He will force your sons to join his army.  Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot.  Some of them will be officers in charge of a thousand soldiers, and others will be in charge of fifty.  Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots.  Your daughters will have to make perfume or do his cooking and baking.  The king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials.  He will also take a tenth of your grain and grapes and give it to his officers and officials.

The king will take your slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work.  He will also take a tenth of your sheep and goats.  You will become the king's slaves, and you will finally cry out for the LORD to save you from the king you wanted.  But the LORD won't answer your prayers.

The people would not listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want to be like other nations.  We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle."
Samuel listened to them and then told the LORD exactly what they had said. "Do what they want," the LORD answered. "Give them a king."

Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.

Saul Meets Samuel

Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.  His father was Abiel, his grandfather was Zeror, his great-grandfather was Becorath, and his great-great-grandfather was Aphiah.  Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.  Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off.  So he told Saul, "Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys."

Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys.  Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys.  Finally they came to the territory where the clan of Zuph lived.  "Let's go back home," Saul told his servant.  "If we don't go back soon, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!"
"Wait!" the servant answered.  "There's a man of God who lives in a town near here.  He's amazing!  Everything he says comes true.  Let's talk to him.  Maybe he can tell us where to look."
Saul said, "How can we talk to the prophet when I don't have anything to give him?  We don't even have any bread left in our sacks.  What can we give him?"
"I have a small piece of silver," the servant answered. "We can give him that, and then he will tell us where to look for the donkeys."
"Great!" Saul replied. "Let's go to the man who can see visions!"  He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets.

Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived.  As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water, and the two men said to them, "We're looking for the man who can see visions. Is he in town?"
"Yes, he is," they replied. "He's in town today because there's going to be a sacrifice and a sacred meal at the place of worship.  In fact, he's just ahead of you.  Hurry and you should find him right inside the town gate.  He's on his way out to the place of worship to eat with the invited guests.  They can't start eating until he blesses the sacrifice. If you go now, you should find him."

They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship.

The day before Saul came, the LORD had told Samuel, "I've seen how my people are suffering, and I've heard their call for help.  About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who will rescue my people from the Philistines.  I want you to pour olive oil on his head to show that he will be their leader."
Samuel looked at Saul, and the LORD told Samuel, "This is the man I told you about. He's the one who will rule Israel."

Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, "A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?"
"I am the one who sees visions!" Samuel answered. "Go on up to the place of worship.  You will eat with me today, and in the morning I'll answer your questions.  Don't worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago.  They've already been found.  Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family."
"Why are you telling me this?" Saul asked. "I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe."

Saul Eats with Samuel and Stays at His House

Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship.  About thirty people were there for the dinner, but Samuel gave Saul and his servant the places of honor.  Then Samuel told the cook, "I gave you the best piece of meat and told you to set it aside. Bring it here now."
The cook brought the meat over and set it down in front of Saul. "This is for you," Samuel told him. "Go ahead and eat it. I had this piece saved especially for you, and I invited these guests to eat with you."

After Saul and Samuel had finished eating, they went down from the place of worship and back into town.  A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel's house, and Saul slept there.  About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, "Time to get up!  I'll help you get started on your way."
Saul got up.  He and Samuel left together and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, "Have your servant go on.  Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I'll tell you what God has told me."

After the servant had gone, Samuel Tells Saul He Will Be King

Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head.  Then he kissed Saul and told him: The LORD has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.  When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin.  They'll tell you, "The donkeys you've been looking for have been found.  Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you."
Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel.  One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine.  After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread.

Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp.  As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship.  They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.  The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you.  You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them.  After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.  Then you should go to Gilgal.  I'll come a little later, so wait for me.  It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD.  I'll also tell you what to do next.

Saul Goes Back Home

As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person.  That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said.  When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him.  The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.  Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet.  They said to each other, "What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?"
"Why not?" one of them answered. "Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!"
That's why everyone started saying, "How can Saul be a prophet?"  After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.

Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?"
Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."
"And what did he tell you?" Saul's uncle asked.
Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king."

The LORD Shows Israel that Saul Will Be King

Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the LORD. 18When everyone had arrived, Samuel said:
The LORD God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.

God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times.  But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king.  Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.

Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe.  Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan.  Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen.  But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.

The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?"
"Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."

The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd.  He was more than a head taller than anyone else.  "Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!" Samuel told the crowd. "There is no one like him!"
The crowd shouted, "Long live the king!"

Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book.  He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the LORD was worshiped.  Then Samuel sent everyone home.

God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him.  But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" 
They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts.  But Saul kept calm.

Samuel's Farewell Speech

Samuel told the Israelites:
I have given you a king, just as you asked.  You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man.  I'm already old.  My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.

Let me ask this.  Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything?  Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision?  Answer me so the LORD and his chosen king can hear you.  And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.

"No," the Israelites answered. "You've never cheated us in any way!"
Samuel said, "The LORD and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said."
"That's true," they replied.

Then Samuel told them:
The LORD brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders.  Now the LORD will be your judge.  So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the LORD has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.

After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron.  They led your ancestors out of Egypt and had them settle in this land.  But your ancestors forgot the LORD, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.

Again your ancestors cried out to the LORD for help.  They said, "We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our LORD, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte.  But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you."

The LORD sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked.  Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you.  And even though the LORD your God is your king, you told me, "This time it's different.  We want a king to rule us!"

You asked for a king, and you chose one.  Now he stands here where all of you can see him.  But it was really the LORD who made him your king.  If you and your king want to be followers of the LORD, you must worship him and do what he says.  Don't be stubborn!  If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the LORD, he will turn against you and your king.  Just stand here and watch the LORD show his mighty power.  Isn't this the dry season?  I'm going to ask the LORD to send a thunderstorm.  When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.  Samuel prayed, and that same day the LORD sent a thunderstorm.  Everyone was afraid of the LORD and of Samuel.  They told Samuel, "Please, pray to the LORD your God for us!  We don't want to die.  We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king."

Samuel answered:
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid.  But you must always follow the LORD and worship him with all your heart.  Don't worship idols!  They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble.  But the LORD has chosen you to be his own people.  He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.

I would be disobeying the LORD if I stopped praying for you!  I will always teach you how to live right.  You also must obey the LORD--you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you.  But if you and your king do evil, the LORD will wipe you out.

Saul Disobeys the LORD

One day, Samuel told Saul:
The LORD had me choose you to be king of his people, Israel.  Now listen to this message from the LORD:  "When the Israelites were on their way out of Egypt, the nation of Amalek attacked them.  I am the LORD All-Powerful, and now I am going to make Amalek pay!  Go and attack the Amalekites!  Destroy them and all their possessions.  Don't have any pity.  Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys."

Saul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim.  There were two hundred ten thousand troops in all, and ten thousand of these were from Judah.  Saul organized them, then led them to a valley near one of the towns in Amalek, where they got ready to make a surprise attack.  Some Kenites lived nearby, and Saul told them, "Your people were kind to our nation when we left Egypt, and I don't want you to get killed when I wipe out the Amalekites.  Leave here and stay away from them."

The Kenites left, and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt.  Every Amalekite was killed except King Agag.  Saul and his army let Agag live, and they also spared the best sheep and cattle.  They didn't want to destroy anything of value, so they only killed the animals that were worthless or weak.

The LORD Rejects Saul

The LORD told Samuel, "Saul has stopped obeying me, and I'm sorry that I made him king."
Samuel was angry, and he cried out in prayer to the LORD all night.  Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory.  Then he left for Gilgal."
Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, "I hope the LORD will bless you! I have done what the LORD told me."
"Then why," Samuel asked, "do I hear sheep and cattle?"
"The army took them from the Amalekites," Saul explained. "They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the LORD your God.  But we destroyed everything else."
"Stop!" Samuel said. "Let me tell you what the LORD told me last night."
"All right," Saul answered.

Samuel continued, "You may not think you're very important, but the LORD chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel.  When the LORD sent you on this mission, he told you to wipe out those worthless Amalekites.  Why didn't you listen to the LORD? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?"
"But I did listen to the LORD!" Saul answered. "He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation.  All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway.  That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the LORD your God."
"Tell me," Samuel said. "Does the LORD really want sacrifices and offerings?  No!  He doesn't want your sacrifices.  He wants you to obey him.  Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice.  You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can't be king."
"I have sinned," Saul admitted. "I disobeyed both you and the LORD.  I was afraid of the army, and I listened to them instead.  Please forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the LORD."
"No!" Samuel replied, "You disobeyed the LORD, and I won't go back with you.  Now the LORD has said that you can't be king of Israel any longer."

As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe.  It tore!  Samuel said, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he will give it to someone who is better than you.  Besides, the eternal God of Israel isn't a human being. He doesn't tell lies or change his mind."
Saul said, "I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel.  Come back with me, so I can worship the LORD your God."

Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the LORD.  Then Samuel shouted, "Bring me King Agag of Amalek!"

Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, "Surely they won't kill me now."
But Samuel said, "Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them.  Now your mother will be without children."
Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.

Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah.  Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again.  The LORD was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.

The LORD Chooses David To Be King

One day he said, "Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer.  Stop feeling sad about him.  Put some olive oil in a small container and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem.  I've chosen one of his sons to be my king."
Samuel answered, "If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed."
"Take a calf with you," the LORD replied. "Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me, then invite Jesse to the sacrifice.  When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head."
Samuel did what the LORD told him and went to Bethlehem.  The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, "Is this a friendly visit?"
"Yes, it is!" Samuel answered. "I've come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.  Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me."
Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.  When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's oldest son, Eliab.  "He has to be the one the LORD has chosen," Samuel said to himself.

But the LORD told him, "Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome.  He isn't the one I've chosen.  People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts."

Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, "No, the LORD hasn't chosen him." 

Next, Jesse sent his son Shammah to him, and Samuel said, "The LORD hasn't chosen him either."

Jesse had all seven of his sons go over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel said, "Jesse, the LORD hasn't chosen any of these young men.  Do you have any more sons?"
"Yes," Jesse answered. "My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep."
"Send for him!" Samuel said. "We won't start the ceremony until he gets here."

Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes.  As soon as David came, the LORD told Samuel, "He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head."
Samuel poured the oil on David's head while his brothers watched.  At that moment, the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and stayed with him from then on.  Samuel returned home to Ramah.

David Plays the Harp for Saul

The Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD was terrifying him.  "It's an evil spirit from God that's frightening you," Saul's officials told him. "Your Majesty, let us go and look for someone who is good at playing the harp.  He can play for you whenever the evil spirit from God bothers you, and you'll feel better."
"All right," Saul answered. "Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him here."
"A man named Jesse who lives in Bethlehem has a son who can play the harp," one official said. "He's a brave warrior, he's good-looking, he can speak well, and the LORD is with him." 

Saul sent a message to Jesse: "Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me."

Jesse loaded a donkey with bread and a goatskin full of wine, then he told David to take the donkey and a young goat to Saul.  David went to Saul and started working for him.  Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons.  Not long after this, Saul sent another message to Jesse: "I really like David.  Please let him stay with me."
Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.