The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 9: 1 Kings

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6:9. And you shall look: and if it go up by the way of his own coasts,
towards Bethsames, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, we
shall know that it is not his hand hath touched us, but it hath happened
by chance.

6:10. They did therefore in this manner: and taking two kine, that had
sucking calves, they yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at
home.

6:11. And they laid the ark of God upon the cart, and the little box
that had in it the golden mice, and the likeness of the emerods.

6:12. And the kine took the straight way, that leadeth to Bethsames, and
they went along the way, lowing as they went: and turned not aside
neither to the right hand nor to the left: and the lords of the
Philistines followed them as far as the borders of Bethsames.

6:13. Now the Bethsamites were reaping wheat in the valley: and lifting
up their eyes, they saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

6:14. And the cart came into the field of Josue, a Bethsamite, and stood
there. And there was a great stone, and they cut in pieces the wood of
the cart, and laid the kine upon it a holocaust to the Lord.

6:15. And the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that
was at the side of it, wherein were the vessels of gold, and they put
them upon the great stone. The men also of Bethsames offered holocausts,
and sacrificed victims that day to the Lord.

6:16. And the five princes of the Philistines saw, and they returned to
Accaron the same day.

6:17. And these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines returned
for sin to the Lord: For Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for
Geth one, for Accaron one:

6:18. And the golden mice, according to the number of the cities of the
Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fenced city to the village
that was without wall, and to the great Abel (the stone) whereon they
set down the ark of the Lord, which was till that day in the field of
Josue the Bethsamite.

6:19. But he slew of the men of Bethsames, because they had seen the ark
of the Lord, and he slew of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand
of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had
smitten the people with a great slaughter.

Seen... And curiously looked into. It is likely this plague reached to
all the neighbouring country, as well as the city of Bethsames.

6:20. And the men of Bethsames said: Who shall be able to stand before
the Lord this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

6:21. And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Cariathiarim,
saying: The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord, come ye
down and fetch it up to you.

1 Kings Chapter 7

The ark is brought to Cariathiarim. By Samuel's exhortation the people
cast away their idols and serve God alone. The Lord defeateth the
Philistines, while Samuel offereth sacrifice.

7:1. And the men of Cariathiarim came, and fetched up the ark of the
Lord, and carried it into the house of Abinadab, in Gabaa: and they
sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the ark of the Lord.

In Gabaa... That is, on the hill, for Gabaa signifieth a hill.

7:2. And it came to pass, that from the day the ark of the Lord abode in
Cariathiarim, days were multiplied (for it was now the twentieth year)
and all the house of Israel rested, following the Lord.

7:3. And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying: If you turn to
the Lord with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you,
Baalim and Astaroth: and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve
him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

7:4. Then the children of Israel put away Baalim and Astaroth, and
served the Lord only.

7:5. And Samuel said: Gather all Israel to Masphath, that I may pray to
the Lord for you.

7:6. And they gathered together to Masphath, and they drew water, and
poured it out before the Lord, and they fasted on that day, and they
said there: We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the
children of Israel in Masphath.

7:7. And the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered
together to Masphath, and the lords of the Philistines went up against
Israel. And when the children of Israel heard this, they were afraid of
the Philistines.

7:8. And they said to Samuel: Cease not to cry to the Lord our God for
us, that he may save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

7:9. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it whole for a
holocaust to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the
Lord heard him.

7:10. And it came to pass, when Samuel was offering the holocaust, the
Philistines began the battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with
a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and terrified them,
and they were overthrown before the face of Israel.

7:11. And the men of Israel going out of Masphath, pursued after the
Philistines, and made slaughter of them till they came under Bethchar.

7:12. And Samuel took a stone, and laid it between Masphath and Sen: and
he called the place The stone of help. And he said: Thus far the Lord
hath helped us.

7:13. And the Philistines were humbled, and they did not come any more
into the borders of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the
Philistines, all the days of Samuel.

7:14. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel, were
restored to Israel, from Accaron to Geth, and their borders: and he
delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and there was peace
between Israel and the Amorrhites.

7:15. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life:

7:16. And he went every year about to Bethel and to Galgal and to
Masphath, and he judged Israel in the foresaid places.

7:17. And he returned to Ramatha: for there was his house, and there he
judged Israel: he built also there an altar to the Lord.

1 Kings Chapter 8

Samuel growing old, and his sons not walking in his ways, the people
desire a king.

8:1. And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he appointed his
sons to be judges over Israel.

8:2. Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel: and the name of the
second was Abia, judges in Bersabee.

8:3. And his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after
lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

8:4. Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled came to Samuel to
Ramatha.

8:5. And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in
thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.

8:6. And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they
should say: Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

8:7. And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in
all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that
I should not reign over them.

Rejected, etc... The government of Israel hitherto had been a theocracy,
in which God himself immediately ruled, by laws which he had enacted,
and by judges extraordinarily raised up by himself; and therefore he
complains that his people rejected him, in desiring a change of
government.

8:8. According to all their works, they have done from the day that I
brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and
served strange gods, so do they also unto thee.

8:9. Now, therefore, hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them,
and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.

The right... That is, the manner (misphat) after which he shall proceed,
having no one to control him, when he has the power in his hand.

8:10. Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had
desired a king of him,

8:11. And said: 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,

8:12. And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and his
centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make
him arms and chariots.

8:13. Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be
his cooks, and bakers.

8:14. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best
oliveyards, and give them to his servants.

8:15. Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues
of your vineyards, to give to his eunuchs and servants.

8:16. Your servants also, and handmaids, and your goodliest young men,
and your asses, he will take away, and put them to his work.

8:17. Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.

8:18. And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom
you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that
day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.

8:19. But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said,
Nay: but there shall be a king over us,

8:20. 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.

8:21. And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them
in the ears of the Lord.

8:22. And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them
a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his
city.

1 Kings Chapter 9

Saul seeking his father's asses, cometh to Samuel, by whom he is
entertained.

9:1. Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Cis, the son of
Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son
of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.

9:2. And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and
there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he:
from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.

9:3. And the asses of Cis, Saul's father, were lost: and Cis said to his
son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek
the asses. And when they had passed through Mount Ephraim,

9:4. And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed
also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the
land of Jemini, and found them not.

9:5. And when they were come to the land of Suph, Saul said to the
servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest perhaps my father
forget the asses, and be concerned for us.

9:6. And he said to him: Behold there is a man of God in this city, a
famous man: all that he saith, cometh certainly to pass. Now, therefore,
let us go thither, perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are
come.

9:7. And Saul said to his servant: Behold we will go: but what shall we
carry to the man of God? the bread is spent in our bags: and we have no
present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.

9:8. The servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold there is found 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.

9:9. Now in time past in Israel, when a man went to consult God, he
spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a
prophet, in time past was called a seer.

Seer... Because of his seeing by divine light hidden things and things
to come.

9:10. And Saul said to his servant: Thy word is very good, come let us
go. And they went into the city, where the man of God was.

9:11. And when they went up the ascent to the city, they found maids
coming out to draw water, and they said to them: Is the seer here?

9:12. They answered and said to them: He is: behold he is before you,
make haste now: for he came to day into the city, for there is a
sacrifice of the people to day in the high place.

A sacrifice... The law did not allow of sacrifices in any other place,
but at the tabernacle, or temple, in which the ark of the covenant was
kept; but Samuel, by divine dispensation, offered sacrifices in other
places. For which dispensation this reason may be alleged, that the
house of God in Silo, having lost the ark, was now cast off; as a figure
of the reprobation of the Jews, Ps. 77.60, 67. And in Cariathiarim where
the ark was, there was neither tabernacle, nor altar.-Ibid. The high
place... Excelsum. The excelsa, or high places, so often mentioned in
scripture, were places of worship, in which were altars for sacrifice.
These were sometimes employed in the service of the true God, as in the
present case: but more frequently in the service of idols; and were
called excelsa, which is commonly (though perhaps not so accurately)
rendered high places; not because they were always upon hills, for the
very worst of all, which was that of Topheth, or Geennom, (Jer. 19.) was
in a valley; but because of the high altars, and pillars, or monuments,
erected there, on which were set up the idols, or images of their
deities.

9:13. As soon as you come into the city, you shall immediately find him,
before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat
till he come; because he blesseth the victim, and afterwards they eat
that are invited. Now, therefore, go up, for to day you shall find him.

9:14. And they went up into the city. And when they were walking in the
midst of the city, behold Samuel was coming out over against them, to go
up to the high place.

9:15. Now the Lord had revealed to the ear of Samuel the day before Saul
came, saying:

9:16. To morrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land
of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people
Israel: and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines:
for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to me.

9:17. And 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.

9:18. And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said: Tell
me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?

9:19. And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer; go up before me
to the high place, that you may eat with me to day, and I will let thee
go in the morning: and tell thee all that is in thy heart.

9:20. And as for the asses, which were lost three days ago, be not
solicitous, because they are found. And for whom shall be all the best
things of Israel? Shall they not be for thee and for all thy father's
house?

9:21. And Saul answering, said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least
tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the
tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?

9:22. Then Samuel taking Saul, and his servant, brought them into the
parlour, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited.
For there were about thirty men.

9:23. And Samuel said to the cook: Bring the portion which I gave thee,
and commanded thee to set it apart by thee.

9:24. And the cook took up the shoulder, and set it before Saul. And
Samuel said: Behold what is left, set it before thee, and eat; because
it was kept of purpose for thee, when I invited the people. And Saul ate
with Samuel that day.

9:25. And they went down from the high place into the town, and he spoke
with Saul upon the top of the house: and he prepared a bed for Saul on
the top of the house and he slept.

9:26. And when they were risen in the morning, and it began now to be
light, Samuel called Saul on the top of the house, saying: Arise, that I
may let thee go. And Saul arose: and they went out both of them: to wit,
he and Samuel.

9:27. And as they were going down in the end of the city, Samuel said to
Saul: Speak to the servant to go before us, and pass on: but stand thou
still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.

1 Kings Chapter 10

Saul is anointed. He prophesieth, and is changed into another man.
Samuel calleth the people together, to make a king: the lot falleth on
Saul.

10:1. 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 this shall be
a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.

10:2. When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt find two men
by the sepulchre of Rachel in the borders of Benjamin to the south, and
they shall say to thee: The asses are found which thou wentest to seek:
and thy father, thinking no more of the asses, is concerned for you, and
saith: What shall I do for my son?

10:3. And when thou shalt depart from thence, and go farther on, and
shalt come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going
up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another three loaves
of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.

Bethel... Where there was at that time an altar of God; it being one of
the places where Samuel judged Israel.

10:4. And they will salute thee, and will give thee two loaves, and thou
shalt take them at their hand.

10:5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the garrison
of the Philistines is: and when thou shalt be come there into the city,
thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place,
with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and
they shall be prophesying.

The hill of God... Gabaa, in which there was also at that time, a high
place or altar.-Prophets... These were men whose office it was to sing
hymns and praises to God; for such in holy writ are called prophets, and
their singing praises to God is called prophesying. See 1 Par. alias 1
Chr. 15.22, and 25.1. Now there were in those days colleges, or shcools
for training up these prophets; and it seems there was one of these
schools at this hill of God; and another at Najoth in Ramatha. See 1
Kings 19.20, 21, etc.

10:6. And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt
prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into another man.

10:7. When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy
hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee.

10:8. And thou shalt go down before me to Galgal, (for I will come down
to thee), that thou mayst offer an oblation, and sacrifice victims of
peace: seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee, and I will shew
thee what thou art to do.

Galgal... Here also by dispensation was an altar of God.

10:9. So when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto
him another heart, and all these things came to pass that day.

10:10 And they came to the foresaid hill, and behold a company of
prophets met him: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he
prophesied in the midst of them.

10:11. And all that had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing
tha the was with the prophets, and prophesied, said to each other: What
is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? is Saul also among the
prophets?

10:12. And one answered another, saying: And who is their father?
therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?

Their father... That is, their teacher, or superior. As much as to say,
Who could bring about such a wonderful change as to make Saul a prophet?

10:13. And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high
place.

10:14. And Saul's uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went
you? They answered: To seek the asses: and not finding them, we went to
Samuel.

10:15. And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee.

10:16. And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found.
But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken to him, he
told him not.

10:17. And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Maspha:

10:18. And he said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the
God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from
the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who
afflicted you.

10:19. But you this day have rejected your God, who only hath saved you
out of all your evils and your tribulations: and you have said: Nay: but
set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes,
and by your families.

10:20. And Samuel brought to him all the tribes of Israel, and the lot
fell on the tribe of Benjamin.

10:21. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof,
and the lot fell upon the kindred of Metri, and it came to Saul, the son
of Cis. They sought him therefore, and he was not found.

10:22. And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come
thither. And the Lord answered: Behold he is hidden at home.

10:23. And they ran and fetched him thence: and he stood in the midst of
the people, and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders
and upward.

10:24. And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the
Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And
all the people cried and said: God save the king.

10:25. And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it
in a book, and laid it up before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the
people, every one to his own house.

10:26. Saul also departed to his own house in Gabaa: and there went with
him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched.

10:27. But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to
save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents; but he
dissembled as though he heard not.

1 Kings Chapter 11

Saul defeateth the Ammonites, and delivereth Jabes Galaad.

11:1. And it came to pass about a month after this, that Naas, the
Ammonite, came up, and began to fight against Jabes Galaad. And all the
men of Jabes said to Naas: Make a covenant with us, and we will serve
thee.

11:2. And Naas, the Ammonite, answered them: On this condition will I
make a covenant with you, that I may pluck out all your right eyes, and
make you a reproach in all Israel.

11:3. And the ancients of Jabes said to him: Allow us seven days, that
we may send messengers to all the coasts of Israel: and if there be no
one to defend us, we will come out to thee.

11:4. The messengers therefore came to Gabaa of Saul: and they spoke
these words in the hearing of the people: and all the people lifted up
their voices, and wept.

11:5. And behold Saul came, following oxen out of the field, and he
said: What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the words
of the men of Jabes.

11:6. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul, when he had heard these
words, and his anger was exceedingly kindled.

11:7. And taking both the oxen, he cut them in pieces, and sent them
into all the coasts of Israel, by messengers, saying: Whosoever shall
not come forth, and follow Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his
oxen. And the fear of the Lord fell upon the people, and they went out
as one man.

11:8. And he numbered them in Bezec: and there were of the children of
Israel three hundred thousand: and of the men of Juda thirty thousand.

11:9. And they said to the messengers that came: Thus shall you say to
the men of Jabes Galaad: To morrow, when the sun shall be hot, you shall
have relief. The messengers therefore came, and told the men of Jabes,
and they were glad.

11:10. And they said: In the morning we will come out to you: and you
shall do what you please with us.

11:11. And it came to pass, when the morrow was come, that Saul put the
people in three companies: and he came into the midst of the camp in the
morning watch, and he slew the Ammonites until the day grew hot, and the
rest were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

11:12. And the people said to Samuel: Who is he that said: Shall Saul
reign over us? Bring the men, and we will kill them.

11:13. And Saul said: No man shall be killed this day: because the Lord
this day hath wrought salvation in Israel:

11:14. And Samuel said to the people: Come, and let us go to Galgal, and
let us renew the kingdom there.

11:15. And all the people went to Galgal, and there they made Saul king,
before the Lord in Galgal, and they sacrificed there victims of peace
before the Lord. And there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced
exceedingly.

1 Kings Chapter 12

Samuel's integrity is acknowledged. God sheweth by a sign from heaven
that they had done ill in asking for a king.

12:1. And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold I have hearkened to your
voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

12:2. And now the king goeth before you: but I am old and greyheaded:
and my sons are with you: having then conversed with you from my youth
until this day, behold here I am.

12:3. Speak of me before the Lord, and before his anointed, whether I
have taken any man's ox, or ass: if I have wronged any man, if I have
oppressed any man, if I have taken a bribe at any man's hand: and I will
despise it this day, and will restore it to you.

12:4. And they said: Thou hast not wronged us, nor oppressed us, nor
taken ought at any man's hand.

12:5. And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and his
anointed is witness this day, that you have not found any thing in my
hand. And they said: He is witness.

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