fall
down, and by opening its chasms, he caused that others should be hurried
down into them; after which he caused such a noise of thunder to come
among them, and made fiery lightning shine so terribly round about them,
that it was ready to burn their faces; and he so suddenly shook their
weapons out of their hands, that he made them fly and return home naked.
So Samuel with the multitude pursued them to Bethcar, a place so called;
and there he set up a stone as a boundary of their victory and their
enemies' flight, and called it the Stone of Power, as a signal of that
power God had given them against their enemies.

3. So the Philistines, after this stroke, made no more expeditions
against the Israelites, but lay still out of fear, and out of
remembrance of what had befallen them; and what courage the Philistines
had formerly against the Hebrews, that, after this victory, was
transferred to the Hebrews. Samuel also made an expedition against the
Philistines, and slew many of them, and entirely humbled their proud
hearts, and took from them that country, which, when they were formerly
conquerors in battle, they had cut off from the Jews, which was the
country that extended from the borders of Gath to the city of Ekron: but
the remains of the Canaanites were at this time in friendship with the
Israelites.

CHAPTER 3. How Samuel When He Was So Infirm With Old Age That He Could
Not Take Care Of The Public Affairs Intrusted Them To His Sons; And How
Upon The Evil Administration Of The Government By Them The Multitude
Were So Angry, That They Required To Have A King To Govern Them,
Although Samuel Was Much Displeased Thereat.

1. But Samuel the prophet, when he had ordered the affairs of the people
after a convenient manner, and had appointed a city for every district
of them, he commanded them to come to such cities, to have the
controversies that they had one with another determined in them, he
himself going over those cities twice in a year, and doing them justice;
and by that means he kept them in very good order for a long time.

2. But afterwards he found himself oppressed with old age, and not able
to do what he used to do, so he committed the government and the care of
the multitude to his sons,--the elder of whom was called Joel, and the
name of the younger was Abiah. He also enjoined them to reside and judge
the people, the one at the city of Bethel, and the other at Beersheba,
and divided the people i