with
all manner of plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit
yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto
the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and
fight."

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled
every man to his tent: and there was a very {346} great slaughter; for
there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was
taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. And
there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the
same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when
he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the wayside watching: for his
heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the
city, and told it, all the city cried out. And when Eli heard the
noise of the crying, he said, "What meaneth the noise of this tumult?"

And the man hasted, and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and
eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see.

And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the army, and I
fled to-day out of the army."

And he said, "How went the matter, my son?"

And he that brought the tidings answered and said, "Israel is fled
before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter
among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are
dead, and the ark of God is taken."

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he
fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck
broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had
judged Israel forty years.

{347}

The Great Kings

After the judges came the kings. There were many kings in Israel's
history, but the first three were really the greatest. Saul was the
founder of the kingdom, a mighty king in spite of his faults. David made
the nation great because he was great himself. Solomon by his wisdom and
skill raised Israel to such wealth and splendor as it never had before
or after.

{348}

{349}

SAUL

_The Story of the Farmer Who Became King_.

(Samuel was the last and the best of the Judges of Israel. He
conquered the Philistines, and for many years the land had peace. He
was a "circuit judge," going from district to district. As he grew old
he attempted to put his sons in his place, but they were not like
their father. They took bribes and did that which was evil. Then the
people dema