From: "FamilyNet"    
      
   Bible Reading for March 27   
      
   1 Samuel 4   
   [1] And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the   
   Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines   
   pitched in Aphek.   
   [2] And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they   
   joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the   
   army in the field about four thousand men. [3] And when the people were come   
   into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us   
   to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the   
   LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out   
   of the hand of our enemies. [4] So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might   
   bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth   
   between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were   
   there with the ark of the covenant of God.   
   [5] And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all   
   Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. [6] And when   
   the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the   
   noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that   
   the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. [7] And the Philistines were   
   afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us!   
   for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.   
   [8] Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods?   
   these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the   
   wilderness.   
   [9] 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.   
   [10] And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every   
   man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of   
   Israel thirty thousand footmen.   
   [11] And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and   
   Phinehas, were slain.   
   [12] 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. [13] And when he   
   came, lo, Eli sat upon a 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. [14] And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What   
   meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.   
   [15] Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he   
   could not see.   
   [16] 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, What is there done, my son? [17] And the   
   messenger 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.   
   [18] And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell   
   from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he   
   died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.   
   [19] And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be   
   delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and   
   that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and   
   travailed; for her pains came upon her. [20] And about the time of her death   
   the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son.   
   But she answered not, neither did she regard it.   
   [21] And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from   
   Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and   
   her husband.   
   [22] And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is   
   taken.   
      
   1 Samuel 5   
   [1] And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer   
   unto Ashdod.   
   [2] When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house   
   of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.   
   [3] And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was   
   fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took   
   Dagon, and set him in his place again. [4] And when they arose early on the   
   morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before   
   the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands   
   were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. [5]   
   Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house,   
   tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. [6] But the hand of   
   the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them   
   with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. [7] And when the men of   
   Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not   
   abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.   
   [8] They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto   
   them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they   
   answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And   
   they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither. [9] And it was so,   
   that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the   
   city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both   
   small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.   
   [10] Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the   
   ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have   
   brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.   
   [11] So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and   
   said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own   
   place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction   
   throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. [12] And the   
   men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went   
   up to heaven.   
      
   1 Samuel 6   
   [1] And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.   
   [2] And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What   
   shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his   
   place.   
   [3] And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not   
   empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be   
   healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. [4]   
   Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to   
   him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to   
   the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and   
   on your lords.   
   [5] Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice   
   that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel:   
   peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods,   
   and from off your land.   
   [6] Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharoah   
   hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they   
   not let the people go, and they departed? [7] Now therefore make a new cart,   
   and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to   
   the cart, and bring their calves home from them:   
   [8] And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels   
   of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side   
   thereof; and send it away, that it may go. [9] And see, if it goeth up by the   
   way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil:   
   but if not, then we shall know that is not his hand that smote us; it was a   
   chance that happened to us. [10] And the men did so; and took two milch kine,   
   and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:   
   [11] And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the   
   mice of gold and the images of their emerods. [12] And the kine took the   
   straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as   
   they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the   
   lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.   
   [13] And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley:   
   and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.   
   [14] And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood   
   there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and   
   offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. [15] And the Levites took   
   down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels   
   of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Beth-shemesh   
   offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.   
   [16] And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to   
   Ekron the same day.   
   [17] And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a   
   trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon   
   one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;   
   [18] And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the   
   Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country   
   villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of   
   the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the   
   Beth-shemite.   
   [19] And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the   
   ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and   
   ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the   
   people with a great slaughter.   
   [20] And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy   
   LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? [21] And they sent messengers to   
   the inhabitants of Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again   
   the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.   
      
   1 Samuel 7   
   [1] And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD,   
   and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar   
   his son to keep the ark of the LORD. [2] And it came to pass, while the ark   
   abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and   
   all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.   
   [3] And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return   
   unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and   
   Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him   
   only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. [4] Then the   
   children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.   
   [5] And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto   
   the LORD.   
   [6] And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out   
   before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned   
   against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. [7] And   
   when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together   
   to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the   
   children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. [8] And the   
   children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for   
   us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.   
   [9] And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly   
   unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard   
   him.   
   [10] And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew   
   near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on   
   that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten   
   before Israel.   
   [11] And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines,   
   and smote them, until they came under Beth-car. [12] Then Samuel took a stone,   
   and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer,   
   saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. [13] So the Philistines were   
   subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the   
   LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.   
   [14] And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored   
   to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel   
   deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between   
   Israel and the Amorites.   
   [15] And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. [16] And he went from   
   year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel   
   in all those places. [17] And his return was to Ramah; for there was his   
   house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.   
      
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