wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they bind me with seven new bowstrings that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. Then the Philistines brought up to her seven new bowstrings which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he brake the bowstrings, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies; now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall shall I become weak, and be as another So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake the ropes from off his arms like a thread.

man.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies! tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

And Delilah said unto Samson, These three times hast thou mocked me, and hast not told me

wherein thy great strength lieth.

And it came

to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death. And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, It is because of my vow. There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my birth; but if I break my vow and be shaven, then will my strength go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

And when Delilah saw that Samson had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. And when she had caused Samson to sleep, she called for the men, and shaved off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to afflict him, and said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he wist not that his strength had left him, and that the Spirit of the Lord was departed from him. And the Philistines laid hold on him, and brought him down to Gaza; and Samson did grind in the prisonhouse.

THE FIRST BOOK

OF SAMUEL

I SAMUEL II, III

Now Samuel began to minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And the child Samuel grew on, and increased in favour.

rare in those

And it came

Now the word of the Lord was days; there was no frequent vision. to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the Lord, that the Lord called Samuel. Howbeit Samuel did not know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me! And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt

So

say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath spoken unto thee? And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And Eli said, It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.

I SAMUEL IX, X, XI

There was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish; and he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: yea, there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. And the asses of Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. And Saul passed through the hillcountry of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us. And the servant said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honour; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go. And Saul said to his servant, Well said; come, let us go.

So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

And when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel, the man of God, came out against them, on his way to the high place. Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before, saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people. When therefore Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold, the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is. And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer. But as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee? And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?