I Samuel - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 288
The History of the People of Israel
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Mitzeraim and fixed them in this ·· · ~ 9 place. Yet they forgot their EvER· LIVING GOD, so He sold them to the hand of Sisera, the General of the army of Khatzor, and to the hands of the Philishtim and to the hand of the king of Moab, who fought with them. XO II I2 16 x8 ‘Then they cried to the EVER-LIVING and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the EVER- LIVING and served the Balim and Ashteroth, but now deliver us from the powe: of our enemies, and we will serve You!’ So the EVER- LIVING sent ]eruba.l and the Danite, and japhthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the power of your enemies all around, and restored you to security. You have your- selves seen how Nakhash, king of the Amonites, came upon you when you said to me, ‘We have no leader over us,’ though the EvER—L1v1NG GOD was your Leader. So, now, see the Leader you have chosen, for whom you asked. The EvER—L1v1NG has now placed a Leader over you! If you reverence the EVER-LIVING, and serve Him, and listen to His voice, and do not rebel against the utterance of the EVER-LIVING, then you and your Leader who directs you will be in union with your EVER- LIVING GOD. But if you do not listen to the voice of the EVER- LIVING, but rebel against the direc- tion of the EvER—L1VIN<;, then the hand of the EvsR~L1v1Nc will be against you as it was against your fathers. ‘ Stand, therefore, now, and see
the great event which the EVER- LIVING will effect in your sight. Is it not wheat harvest at present? I will call to the Ev:eR·r.Iv1N<;, and He will send out the thunder and rain that you may recognize and see how great a sin you committed inthe sight ofthe EVER-Lxvme when you asked for a Leader! ’ Then Samuel called to the EVER-
Lrvmc-, and the EVER-Lxvme sent thunder with rain- at once, and all the people saw the greatness of the
xg Even-uvrnc and of Samuel. Con- sequently all the assembly said to Pray for your servants to your EVER-Lrvmo Gon that we may not be killed, although we have added to all our offences the sin of demanding a Leader for ourselves} zo But Samuel replied to the people, ‘Fear not, although you have done this wrong! only do not turn away from the EvER·LIVING, but serve the EvEn—r.1v1No with all your heart, and turn not after Phantasms which cannot benefit or protect, for they are Phantasms! The Evsiz-Lxvmo, however,will never forsake His People, because of His Great Name, for the EvER~L1VING undertook to make you His People! As for myself it would be a shame for me, a sin against the EVER-LIVING, if I ceased to pray for you, and direct you in the way of honour and straightforwardness! So remember the Even-Livlno, and serve Him in truth with all your heart,—for you see it is this which will make you great ! But if you sin, then both you and your Leader will ihizlurg uf Saul as (tirucrnl.
Saul was a year in his Leadership. (s.c. rogg.) When he had been Leader over
Israel to the second year, Saul him- self selected three regiments from Israel. And two regiments were retained with Saul in Mikmash, and in the Hill of Bethel, and one regi- ment went with jonathan to Gibeah of Benjamin. The remainder he sent away to their homes. §mtatbau attacks it ghhilizlixtz lhltrrisnu, ruth Tllflar begins. Wye ‘iBalil2 uf Zgizily-uhm. jonathan then attacked a garrison
of the Philishtim, who were in Gibeah, and the Philishtim heard of it. Saul consequently proclaimed byrtrumpet Let the So all Israel heard the news that Saul had defeated a 21 22
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garrison of the Philishtim, and the people collected after Saul in Gilgal. Wye Qhbilizlinzz uhhuncz in tbz war. The Philishtim also prepared for 5 war with Israel, thirty thousand I That ls,in the second year of his reign Saul Sraunmo ARMY of chose out a giooo men, sending home the rest 2,ooo of t ese were under himself, and r,ooo under his son. Then oi v. 22, viz., by the bold attack of jonathan, a most heroic act, described in Ch. 14.-—F. F. 288
