if a heap of the driest wood
of summer had been thrown on it, and I saw a little cloud gather on the
other side of the Philistine hosts, and I knew that my prayer was
answered. The flame dropped instantly, but the cloud spread itself
even as I looked, and the wind arose, and hither and thither across the
cloud flashed the lightning. Onward it came till it rested over the
Philistines, and then it broke and descended on them, and they were
shut out from us in thick darkness. The thunder of the Lord crashed
and rolled, and we saw His lightnings pierce down like swords. Silent
we stood, and presently the cloud lifted, and the Philistines, who, a
few minutes before, marched against us in order, were a confused mass,
struggling hither and thither, and many of them were lying dead on the
ground. Then, with one accord, Israel shouted, and ran and smote the
Philistines until they came under Bethcar. I went not with them; but
when they had all departed, I took a stone and set it up between Mizpeh
and Shen, and wrote on it Ebenezer, for hitherto had the Lord helped
us--the Lord, I say, and never a man, as it was the Lord and never a
man who has helped us since we left Egypt.

After that defeat the Philistines troubled us no more, and the cities
which they had taken from us were restored; but when I became old, the
people grew restless, and desired a change. The Lord, to humble me,
and prevent boasting by His servant, had afflicted me with two sons,
who obeyed not His commandments; and the people put forward these two
sons, who were judges under me, as a reason why a king should be given
them. If, however, my sons did injustice, I was still alive to whom
appeal could be made, and why should a king, because he was a king, be
better? The Lord had brought us out of Egypt, and had ruled us through
His ministers. We had no court, with women and with splendour; and
those who won our battles lived like those whom they led. Our gold and
our silver were saved for the House of the Lord, which was His, and for
all of us. The office of king was foreign to us: it was heathen and
hateful to me. None more earnestly than I worshipped the Lord, and
submitted myself to His direction, and imposed His will even to death
upon the people. But that a man, because he was called king, should
rule, and send the people hither and thither for his own ends, and
slaughter them, was horrible to me. I sought the Lord in prayer to
know how I should