1 Samuel

The book of 1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah, a childless woman who prayed to God for a son and vowed to dedicate him to the Lord's service. God granted her petition, and she bore a son named Samuel, who became a prophet and priest. The Israelites, dissatisfied with Samuel's sons as judges, asked for a king, and God chose Saul, a Benjaminite, to be their first king. However, Saul disobeyed God's commands and was rejected as king. The prophet Samuel then anointed David, a young shepherd, as the new king, and David became a successful warrior and leader. Saul, increasingly jealous of David, attempted to kill him multiple times, but David escaped and eventually fled to the Philistines. David's men raided neighboring tribes, and he became a trusted ally of the Philistine king Achish. Meanwhile, Saul sought guidance from a medium and was told that he and his sons would be defeated by the Philistines. The Philistines ultimately defeated the Israelites, and Saul took his own life after being wounded in battle. The book ends with the Philistines displaying Saul's body and the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead retrieving and burying his body and those of his sons.