THE ARK IS SENT BACK TO ISRAEL.

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when the Ark came, and they received it with great rejoicing. The Levites took it down, and sacrifices were offered in the field of Josue the Bethsamite, where

the Ark remained. After awhile, curiosity overcame the people, and they looked into the Ark: and the Lord smote the people with a great slaughter, so that

seventy men of the princes and fifty thousand of the people died. The inhabitants of Bethsames were struck with fear, and said, "Who shall be able to stand before the Lord this holy God?"

The

§ 63. The people clamour for the election of a king. (B.c. 1090.) The Philistines had been humbled, and Israel had put away Baalim and Astaroth, and had returned to serve the Lord only; and there was now peace. The ancients of Israel came to Samuel, and said: "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king to judge us as all the nations have.' word was displeasing to Samuel, and he prayed and consulted the Lord. The Lord said to Samuel: "They have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them. Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king; but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king that shall reign over them." Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him, and he said :—

SAMUEL'S WARNING.

This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots,

And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.

Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants.

But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: "Nay, but there shall be a king over

SAUL SEEKS HIS FATHER'S ASSES.

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us. And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles for us."

64. Saul, the son of Cis, is anointed king by Samuel.

There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, and he had a son whose name was Saul; among the children of Israel there was not a finer-looking man: he stood a head and shoulders above the people. He was one day sent in company with a servant in search. of the asses belonging to his father, which were lost, and as they came near the city were Samuel dwelt, his servant said to him: "There is a man of God in this city, a famous man, all that he saith certainly cometh to pass. Let us go thither; perhaps he may tell us of our way for which we are come.' Saul objected, saying: "The bread in our bags is spent, and we have no present to make to the man of God." The servant answered Saul: "Behold, there is in my hand the fourth part of a sicle of silver; let us give it to the man of God that he may tell us our way."

They accordingly went up to the city, and they found maids coming out to draw water; and they said to them: "Is the seer here?" They answered him : "He is; make haste and go up, for he came to-day into the city, and there is a sacrifice of the people today in the high place. As soon as you come into the city you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place for the people will not eat till he come, because he blesseth the victim, and afterwards they eat that are invited."

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: "Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee; this man shall reign over my people." Saul came to Samuel at

I

pray thee,

the gate of the city, and said: "Tell me, where is the house of the seer ?" Samuel answered: "I am the seer:" and Samuel invited Saul to eat with

CORONATION OF SAUL.

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him that day. On the morning, as Saul was about to depart, Samuel accompanied him to the gate of the city, and said to Saul: "Speak to thy servant to go on before us, but stand thou still, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord." And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head and kissed him, and said: "Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over His inheritance, and thou shalt deliver His people out of the hands of their enemies that are round about them." And Samuel gave him three signs, that the Lord had chosen him; all of which came to pass.

§ 65. Saul is crowned king of Israel at Galgal.

Saul returned home, and said nothing to his father or friends respecting the kingdom. Samuel in the meantime assembled the people at Maspha; and the lot for the choice of the king fell upon Saul the son of Cis. Saul was brought from home, and when he stood in the midst of the people, he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders upwards. The people cried and said: "God save the king." But some of the children of Belial said: "Shall this fellow be able

to save us?" Samuel sent all the people to their homes, and Saul returned to his house in Gabaa. Soon after this, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, and he gathered together an army of 300,000 of Israel, and 30,000 of the men of Juda; and with them he fell upon the children of Ammon, who threatened the city of Jabes Galaad, and so utterly routed and destroyed them, that not two were left together.

The people now said to Samuel: "Who is he that