David said to Sha’ul, ‘No one’s heart should fail him. Your servant himself will go and battle with this Pelishtite.’ Sha’ul said to David, ‘You can’t succeed in going to this Pelishtite to battle with him, because you’re a boy and he’s been a strong man from his boyhood.’

And David said, ‘Yahweh who rescued me from the hand of the lion and from the hand of the bear: he will rescue me from the hand of this Pelishtite.’ Sha’ul said to David, ‘Go, and Yahweh be with you.’

So David took his stick in his hand, chose five smooth stones for himself from the wadi, put them in the shepherds’ bag which he had, in the pouch, with his sling in his hand, and went up to the Pelishtite.

The Pelishtite kept walking and drawing near to David, with the shield-bearer before him. The Pelishtite looked out and saw David, and despised him because he was a boy, tanned and lovely in appearance. The Pelishtite said to David, ‘Am I a dog that you’re coming against me with sticks?’ And the Pelishtite slighted David by his gods. The Pelishtite said to David, ‘Come to me, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and to the animals of the wild.’

David said to the Pelishtite, ‘You’re coming against me with sword, with lance and with javelin, but I’m coming against you in the name of Yahweh of Armies the God of Yisra’el’s lines, whom you’ve reviled. This day Yahweh will deliver you into my hand and I shall strike you down and remove your head from you. I shall give the carcases of the Pelishtites’ camp this day to the birds of the heavens and to the creatures of the earth. All the earth will acknowledge that Yisra’el has a God, and this entire congregation will acknowledge that it is not by sword or by lance that Yahweh delivers, because the battle belongs to Yahweh and he will give you people into our hand.’

When the Pelishtite got up and walked and drew near to meet David, David hurried and ran to the line to meet the Pelishtite. David put his hand into the bag, got a stone from there, slung it and struck the Pelishtite on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead. He fell on his face to the ground. So David was stronger than the Pelishtite with sling and with stone. He struck the Pelishtite down and put him to death. There was no sword in David’s hand, so David ran, stood over the Pelishtite, got his sword, pulled it from its sheath and put him to death. He cut off his head with it. The Pelishtites saw that their strong man was dead, and they fled.

Goldingay, John;The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

But Yahweh said to Shemu’el, ‘How long are you going to take up grieving for Sha’ul, when I myself have rejected him from being king over Yisra’el? Fill your horn with oil and go: I shall send you to Yishay [Jesse] the Bet-lehemite because I’ve seen a king for myself among his sons.’ Shemu’el said, ‘How can I go? Sha’ul will hear and kill me.’ Yahweh said, ‘You’re to take a heifer in your possession and say “It’s to sacrifice for Yahweh that I’ve come”, and invite Yishay to the sacrifice. I myself will let you know what you’re to do and you’re to anoint for me the one that I say to you.’

Shemu’el did what Yahweh spoke. He came to Bet Lehem, and the town’s elders trembled to meet him and said, ‘Does your coming mean things are well?’ He said, ‘Things are well. It’s to sacrifice for Yahweh that I’ve come. Make yourselves sacred and come with me to the sacrifice.’ He made Yishay and his sons sacred and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he saw Eli’ab and said, ‘Surely his anointed is in front of Yahweh!’ But Yahweh said to Shemu’el, ‘Don’t look at his appearance or at the loftiness to which he stands, because I’ve rejected him, because it’s not what a human being sees, because a human being sees what appears to the eyes, but Yahweh sees into the mind.’

Yishay called Abinadab and had him pass before Shemu’el, but he said, ‘Yahweh has not chosen this one either.’ Yishay had Shammah pass, but he said, ‘Yahweh has not chosen this one either.’ Yishay had his seven sons pass before Shemu’el, but Shemu’el said to Yishay, ‘Yahweh has not chosen these.’

Shemu’el said to Yishay, ‘Have the boys come to an end?’ He said, ‘The little one still remains, but there, he’s tending the flock.’ Shemu’el said to Yishay, ‘Send and get him, because we won’t sit down till he comes here.’

So he sent and brought him. He was tanned, with lovely eyes, good-looking. Yahweh said, ‘Get up, anoint him, because this is the one.’ Shemu’el got the horn of oil and anointed him among his brothers. Yahweh’s spirit thrust itself on to David from that day onwards. And Shemu’el set off and went to The Height.

Goldingay, John. The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

Shemu’el said to Sha’ul,
‘Slow down, and I shall tell you what Yahweh spoke to me last night.’

He said to him, ‘Speak.’

Shemu’el said, ‘Though you were small in your eyes, you’re the head of Yisra’el’s clans. Yahweh anointed you as king over Yisra’el and Yahweh sent you on a journey. He said to you, “Go and devote the wrongdoers, Amaleq. Do battle against them until you’ve finished them off.” Why didn’t you listen to Yahweh’s voice but pounce on the spoil and do what was bad in Yahweh’s eyes?’ Listening is better than sacrificing

Sha’ul said to Shemu’el, ‘I listened to Yahweh’s voice! I went on the journey that Yahweh sent me on. I brought Agag king of Amaleq, but Amaleq I devoted. The company took flock and herd from the spoil, the first of what was to be devoted, to sacrifice for Yahweh your God at Gilgal.’

Shemu’el said,

Are burnt offerings and sacrifices
as pleasing to Yahweh as listening to Yahweh’s voice?
Here, listening is better than sacrificing,
heeding than the fat of rams.
Because rebellion [is as bad as] the wrongdoing that comes from divination,
arrogance [is as bad as] the trouble that comes from effigies.
Since you rejected Yahweh’s word,
he has rejected you from being king.

Goldingay, John;The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

From the day the chest lived at Ye’arim Township time went on; twenty years passed. The entire household of Yisra’el grieved after Yahweh, and Shemu’el said to the entire household of Yisra’el, ‘If with your entire heart you’re coming back to Yahweh, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtars from among you. Direct your heart firmly towards Yahweh and serve him alone, and he will rescue you from the hand of the Pelishtites.’ So the Yisra’elites removed the Masters and the Ashtars and served Yahweh alone.

Shemu’el said, ‘Gather all Yisra’el at The Watchtower and I’ll plead with Yahweh on your behalf.’ They gathered at The Watchtower and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh. They fasted that day and said there, ‘We have done wrong against Yahweh.’ So Shemu’el exercised authority for the Yisra’elites at The Watchtower. The Pelishtites heard that the Yisra’elites had gathered at The Watchtower and the Pelishtites’ lords went up against Yisra’el. The Yisra’elites heard and were afraid of the Pelishtites.

So the Yisra’elites said to Shemu’el, ‘Don’t be deaf to us and not cry out to Yahweh our God so he may deliver us from the hand of the Pelishtites.’ So Shemu’el got a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering for Yahweh. Shemu’el cried out to Yahweh on behalf of Yisra’el, and Yahweh answered him. As Shemu’el was offering up the burnt offering, the Pelishtites were coming up for battle against Yisra’el, but Yahweh thundered with a loud voice that day against the Pelishtites and threw them into a turmoil, and they took a beating before Yisra’el. The Yisra’elites went out from The Watchtower, pursued the Pelishtites and struck them down as far as below Bet Kar.

Shemu’el got a stone and put it between The Watchtower and The Tooth, and named it ‘Help Stone’. He said, ‘As far as this Yahweh helped us.’ The Pelishtites bowed down and didn’t any more come within Yisra’el’s border again. Yahweh’s hand was against the Pelishtites all the days of Shemu’el. The towns that the Pelishtites had taken from Yisra’el came back to Yisra’el, from Eqron as far as Gat. Yisra’el rescued their border from the hand of the Pelishtites, and there was peace between Yisra’el and the Amorites.

Shemu’el exercised authority for Yisra’el all the days of his life. 16He went year by year and travelled round to Bet-el, Gilgal and The Watchtower and exercised authority for Yisra’el at all these sites; then his return to The Height, because his home was there. He exercised authority for Yisra’el there and built an altar for Yahweh there.

Goldingay, John The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

Yisra’el went out to meet the Pelishtites [Philistines] in battle, and camped at Help Stone [Eben Ha’ezer], while the Pelishtites camped at Apheq. The Pelishtites lined up to meet Yisra’el and the battle spread, and Yisra’el took a beating before the Pelishtites. They struck down some 4,000 men in their line in the fields.

The company came to the camp and Yisra’el’s elders said, ‘Why did Yahweh defeat us today before the Pelishtites? Let’s get Yahweh’s pact chest from Shiloh for ourselves, so he will come among us and deliver us from our enemies’ fist.’ So the company sent to Shiloh and carried from there the pact chest of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the sphinxes. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Pinhas, were with God’s pact chest there. When Yahweh’s pact chest came into the camp, all Yisra’el gave a great shout, and the earth resounded. The Pelishtites heard the sound of the shout and said, ‘What’s this sound of a great shout in the Hebrews’ camp?’ They came to know that Yahweh’s chest had come into the camp. The Pelishtites were afraid, because they said, ‘A god has come into the camp’, and they said, ‘Alas for us! A thing like this has not happened to us in previous days. Alas for us! Who will rescue us from the hand of these august gods? These are the gods that struck down the Misrayimites (Egyptians) in total defeat in the wilderness. Summon up your strength, be men, Pelishtites, so you don’t serve the Hebrews as they served you. Be men! Do battle!’

So the Pelishtites did battle and Yisra’el took a beating. They fled, each one to his tents. The rout was very great, and from Yisra’el 30,000 men on foot fell, while God’s chest was taken, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Pinhas, died.

Goldingay, John; The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

The boy, Shemu’el, was ministering to Yahweh in the presence of Eli. Yahweh’s word was rare at that time; there was no vision spreading about. On a day when Eli was lying down in his place (his eyes had started to fail; he couldn’t see) but God’s lamp had not yet gone out, and Shemu’el was lying down in Yahweh’s palace where God’s chest was, Yahweh called to Shemu’el. He said, ‘I’m here’, and ran to Eli and said, ‘I’m here, because you called to me.’ He said, ‘I didn’t call. Go back, lie down.’ He went and lay down. Yahweh called yet again, ‘Shemu’el’, and Shemu’el got up and went to Eli and said, ‘I’m here, because you called to me.’ He said, ‘I didn’t call, son, go back, lie down.’ Now Shemu’el hadn’t yet acknowledged Yahweh; Yahweh’s word hadn’t yet revealed itself to him.

Yahweh again called Shemu’el, a third time, and he got up, went to Eli and said, ‘I’m here, because you called to me.’ Eli perceived that Yahweh was calling to the boy. Eli said to Shemu’el, ‘Go, lie down, and if he calls to you, you’re to say, “Speak, Yahweh, because your servant is listening.”’ So Shemu’el went and lay down in hi s place. Yahweh came and took his stand and called as at the other times, ‘Shemu’el, Shemu’el’. Shemu’el said, ‘Speak, because your servant is listening.’

Shemu’el grew up, and as Yahweh was with him, he didn’t allow any of his words to fall to the ground. All Yisra’el from Dan as far as Be ’er Sheba acknowledged that Shemu’el was trustworthy as a prophet belonging to Yahweh. Yahweh again appeared at Shiloh, in that Yahweh revealed himself to Shemu’el at Shiloh with Yahweh’s word, and Shemu’el’s word came to all Yisra’el.

Goldingay, John The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

Hannah got up after the eating in Shiloh and after the drinking. Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of Yahweh’s palace. She was bitter in spirit but she made a plea to Yahweh and cried and cried, and she made a pledge.

She said, ‘Yahweh of Armies, if you actually look at your handmaid’s humbling and you’re mindful of me, and you don’t put your handmaid out of mind but give your handmaid a male offspring, I’ll give him to Yahweh all the days of his life. No razor will go up on his head.’

Because she was doing much pleading before Yahweh, and Eli was watching her mouth, and Hannah was speaking in her heart (only her lips were quivering, but her voice did not make itself heard), Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, ‘How long will you behave like a drunk? Put your wine away from you.’ Hannah answered, ‘No, sir, I’m a tough-spirited woman and I haven’t drunk wine or liquor. I’ve poured myself out before Yahweh. Don’t make your handmaid into a scoundrelous woman, because it was out of the dimensions of my tetchiness and my provocation that I’ve spoken until now.’ Eli answered, ‘Go, things will be well. The God of Yisra’el: he will give the thing that you’ve asked of him.’ She said, ‘May your maidservant find grace in your eyes.’ The woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer [the same]. They started early in the morning, bowed low before Yahweh, and went back and came to their home in The Height.

Elqanah had sex with his wife Hannah and Yahweh was mindful of her, and at the end of the year Hannah had got pregnant. She gave birth to a son and named him Shemu’el [Samuel], because ‘I asked [sha’al] for him from Yahweh.’

Goldingay, John;The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

There was a man from Twin Heights in Tsophim, from the highland of Ephrayim, whose name was Elqanah ben Yeroham, son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Tsuph, an Ephrayimite. He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

That man used to go up from his town from year to year to bow low and to sacrifice for Yahweh of Armies at Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Pinhas, were priests for Yahweh there.

A day came when Elqanah sacrificed, and he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and her daughters. To Hannah he would give a portion for two people because he loved Hannah, whereas Yahweh had closed up her womb, and her rival would provoke her greatly to make her fret because Yahweh had closed up her womb. So he would do, year after year. As often as she went up to Yahweh’s house, she would provoke her in this way, and she would cry and not eat.

Elqanah, her husband, said to her, ‘Hannah, why do you cry, why don’t you eat, why does your heart feel bad? Aren’t I better for you than ten sons?’

Goldingay, John; The Bible for Everyone . SPCK. Kindle Edition.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)