How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

我又何必再说呢？若要一一细说，基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳，和众先知的事，时候就不够了。

我还要说什么呢？若要一一细说基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳和众先知的事，时间就不够了。

我还要说什么呢？若要一一细说基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳和众先知的事，时间就不够了。

我还要再说下去吗？我没有时间一一细说基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳和众先知的事了。

我还要再说什么呢？如果再要述说基甸、巴拉、参孙、耶弗他、大卫、撒母耳和众先知的事，时间就不够了。

我还要再说什么呢？如果我一一述说基甸、巴拉克、叁孙、耶弗达、大卫、撒母耳和先知们的事，时间就不够了。

我又何必再說呢？若要一一細說，基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳，和眾先知的事，時候就不夠了。

我還要說甚麼呢？若要一一細說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳和眾先知的事，時間就不夠了。

我還要說甚麼呢？若要一一細說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳和眾先知的事，時間就不夠了。

我還要再說下去嗎？我沒有時間一一細說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗特、大衛、撒母耳和眾先知的事了。

我還要再說甚麼呢？如果再要述說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳和眾先知的事，時間就不夠了。

我還要說甚麼呢？要敘說基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、和撒母耳、以及眾神言人的事，時間就不夠了。

我還要再說什麼呢？如果我一一述說基甸、巴拉克、叄孫、耶弗達、大衛、撒母耳和先知們的事，時間就不夠了。

我又何言哉、如基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳、與諸先知、若言之、時則不足矣、

是豈言之可盡哉、有若其田、巴勒、參孫、耶弗大、大闢撒母耳、及諸先知、如欲言之、日亦不足、

我何必盡言、有若基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳、及諸先知、如歷敘之、則時有不足也、

雖然、吾亦何用多說。若夫基甸巴拉桑生耶弗德大維撒母耳以及眾先知之事、實不勝縷述也。

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,

What more can I say? I don’t have time to tell about all the others. I don’t have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don’t have time to tell about David and Samuel and the prophets.

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:

And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets:

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and[ of] Barak, and[ of] Samson, and[ of] Jephthae;[ of] David also, and Samuel, and[ of] the prophets:

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets.

What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said,“ I asked the Lord for him.”

Now the Lord said to Samuel,“ You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute.Gilead’s wife also had several sons, and when these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land.“ You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,” they said,“ for you are the son of a prostitute.”So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him.At about this time, the Ammonites began their war against Israel.When the Ammonites attacked, the elders of Gilead sent for Jephthah in the land of Tob.The elders said,“ Come and be our commander! Help us fight the Ammonites!”But Jephthah said to them,“ Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”“ Because we need you,” the elders replied.“ If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead.”Jephthah said to the elders,“ Let me get this straight. If I come with you and if the Lord gives me victory over the Ammonites, will you really make me ruler over all the people?”“ The Lord is our witness,” the elders replied.“ We promise to do whatever you say.”So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him their ruler and commander of the army. At Mizpah, in the presence of the Lord, Jephthah repeated what he had said to the elders.Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of Ammon, asking,“ Why have you come out to fight against my land?”

Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said,“ Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son.So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food.You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”The woman ran and told her husband,“ A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name.But he told me,‘ You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’”Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, saying,“ Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born.”God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her.So she quickly ran and told her husband,“ The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!”Manoah ran back with his wife and asked,“ Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?”“ Yes,” he replied,“ I am.”So Manoah asked him,“ When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?”The angel of the Lord replied,“ Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her.She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.”Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord,“ Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.”“ I will stay,” the angel of the Lord replied,“ but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the Lord.”( Manoah didn’t realize it was the angel of the Lord.)

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

“ Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne.David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

All this took about 450 years.“ After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet.

“ Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today.

or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said,“ You must not covet.”

He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?

Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed.The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.Suddenly the Lord called out,“ Samuel!”“ Yes?” Samuel replied.“ What is it?”He got up and ran to Eli.“ Here I am. Did you call me?”“ I didn’t call you,” Eli replied.“ Go back to bed.” So he did.Then the Lord called out again,“ Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli.“ Here I am. Did you call me?”“ I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said.“ Go back to bed.”Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli.“ Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy.So he said to Samuel,“ Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say,‘ Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.And the Lord came and called as before,“ Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied,“ Speak, your servant is listening.”Then the Lord said to Samuel,“ I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.

Then the Lord said to me,“ Even if Moses and Samuel stood before me pleading for these people, I wouldn’t help them. Away with them! Get them out of my sight!

But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?

Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said,‘ I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’“ And it is one of King David’s descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized.As John was finishing his ministry he asked,‘ Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon— and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’“ Brothers— you sons of Abraham, and also you God fearing Gentiles— this message of salvation has been sent to us!The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath.They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.“ When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.But God raised him from the dead!And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.“ And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors,and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus:‘ You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’For God had promised to raise him from the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said,‘ I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.’Another psalm explains it more fully:‘ You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.

The Philistines now mustered their army for battle and camped between Socoh in Judah and Azekah at Ephes dammim.Saul countered by gathering his Israelite troops near the valley of Elah.So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them.Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall!He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds.He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder.The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites.“ Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called.“ I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me!If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves!I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!”When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons.Jesse’s three oldest sons— Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea— had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines.David was the youngest son. David’s three oldest brothers stayed with Saul’s army,but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.One day Jesse said to David,“ Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”

Then the Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.

“ But,” some might say,“ our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?”( This is merely a human point of view.)

Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also called on his name. They cried to the Lord for help, and he answered them.

“ But Abraham said,‘ If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

After Ehud’s death, the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.So the Lord turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor, a Canaanite king. The commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth haggoyim.Sisera, who had 900 iron chariots, ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time.She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment.One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him,“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor.And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”Barak told her,“ I will go, but only if you go with me.”“ Very well,” she replied,“ I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.At Kedesh, Barak called together the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, and 10,000 warriors went up with him. Deborah also went with him.Now Heber the Kenite, a descendant of Moses’ brother in law Hobab, had moved away from the other members of his tribe and pitched his tent by the oak of Zaanannim near Kedesh.When Sisera was told that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor,he called for all 900 of his iron chariots and all of his warriors, and they marched from Harosheth haggoyim to the Kishon River.Then Deborah said to Barak,“ Get ready! This is the day the Lord will give you victory over Sisera, for the Lord is marching ahead of you.” So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle.When Barak attacked, the Lord threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.Then Barak chased the chariots and the enemy army all the way to Harosheth haggoyim, killing all of Sisera’s warriors. Not a single one was left alive.Meanwhile, Sisera ran to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because Heber’s family was on friendly terms with King Jabin of Hazor.Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him,“ Come into my tent, sir. Come in. Don’t be afraid.” So he went into her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.“ Please give me some water,” he said.“ I’m thirsty.” So she gave him some milk from a leather bag and covered him again.“ Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her.“ If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.”But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.When Barak came looking for Sisera, Jael went out to meet him. She said,“ Come, and I will show you the man you are looking for.” So he followed her into the tent and found Sisera lying there dead, with the tent peg through his temple.So on that day Israel saw God defeat Jabin, the Canaanite king.And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him.On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:“ Israel’s leaders took charge, and the people gladly followed. Praise the Lord!“ Listen, you kings! Pay attention, you mighty rulers! For I will sing to the Lord. I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.“ Lord, when you set out from Seir and marched across the fields of Edom, the earth trembled, and the cloudy skies poured down rain.The mountains quaked in the presence of the Lord, the God of Mount Sinai— in the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel.“ In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, and in the days of Jael, people avoided the main roads, and travelers stayed on winding pathways.There were few people left in the villages of Israel— until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel.When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel!My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the Lord!“ Consider this, you who ride on fine donkeys, you who sit on fancy saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road.Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes. They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel. Then the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates.“ Wake up, Deborah, wake up! Wake up, wake up, and sing a song! Arise, Barak! Lead your captives away, son of Abinoam!“ Down from Tabor marched the few against the nobles. The people of the Lord marched down against mighty warriors.They came down from Ephraim— a land that once belonged to the Amalekites; they followed you, Benjamin, with your troops. From Makir the commanders marched down; from Zebulun came those who carry a commander’s staff.The princes of Issachar were with Deborah and Barak. They followed Barak, rushing into the valley. But in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.Why did you sit at home among the sheepfolds— to hear the shepherds whistle for their flocks? Yes, in the tribe of Reuben there was great indecision.Gilead remained east of the Jordan. And why did Dan stay home? Asher sat unmoved at the seashore, remaining in his harbors.But Zebulun risked his life, as did Naphtali, on the heights of the battlefield.“ The kings of Canaan came and fought, at Taanach near Megiddo’s springs, but they carried off no silver treasures.The stars fought from heaven. The stars in their orbits fought against Sisera.The Kishon River swept them away— that ancient torrent, the Kishon. March on with courage, my soul!Then the horses’ hooves hammered the ground, the galloping, galloping of Sisera’s mighty steeds.‘ Let the people of Meroz be cursed,’ said the angel of the Lord.‘ Let them be utterly cursed, because they did not come to help the Lord— to help the Lord against the mighty warriors.’“ Most blessed among women is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. May she be blessed above all women who live in tents.Sisera asked for water, and she gave him milk. In a bowl fit for nobles, she brought him yogurt.Then with her left hand she reached for a tent peg, and with her right hand for the workman’s hammer. She struck Sisera with the hammer, crushing his head. With a shattering blow, she pierced his temples.He sank, he fell, he lay still at her feet. And where he sank, there he died.“ From the window Sisera’s mother looked out. Through the window she watched for his return, saying,‘ Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why don’t we hear the sound of chariot wheels?’“ Her wise women answer, and she repeats these words to herself:‘ They must be dividing the captured plunder— with a woman or two for every man. There will be colorful robes for Sisera, and colorful, embroidered robes for me. Yes, the plunder will include colorful robes embroidered on both sides.’“ Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera! But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!” Then there was peace in the land for forty years.The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys.These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.When they cried out to the Lord because of Midian,the Lord sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said,“ This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of slavery in Egypt.

I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up.

“ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out.

Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa.When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear.He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets.Saul then said to his advisers,“ Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.” His advisers replied,“ There is a medium at Endor.”So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.“ I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said.“ Will you call up his spirit for me?”“ Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded.“ You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”But Saul took an oath in the name of the Lord and promised,“ As surely as the Lord lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”Finally, the woman said,“ Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”“ Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed,“ You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”“ Don’t be afraid!” the king told her.“ What do you see?”“ I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.“ What does he look like?” Saul asked.“ He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.“ Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.“ Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied.“ The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”But Samuel replied,“ Why ask me, since the Lord has left you and has become your enemy?The Lord has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David.The Lord has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites.What’s more, the Lord will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The Lord will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.When the woman saw how distraught he was, she said,“ Sir, I obeyed your command at the risk of my life.Now do what I say, and let me give you a little something to eat so you can regain your strength for the trip back.”But Saul refused to eat anything. Then his advisers joined the woman in urging him to eat, so he finally yielded and got up from the ground and sat on the couch.The woman had been fattening a calf, so she hurried out and killed it. She took some flour, kneaded it into dough and baked unleavened bread.She brought the meal to Saul and his advisers, and they ate it. Then they went out into the night.

Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.