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the parents not knowing. Synopsis of Ruth. Naomi, after her husband and sons had died, and the famine had ceased, on account of which she had also dwelled in the land of Moab, comes into Judea, and one of her daughters-in-law was persuaded to remain in the land of Moab; but the other, whose name was Ruth, though she urged her much to remain, did not yield, but followed with her. And she is married to Boaz, who was a near kinsman of Naomi, and bears Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David the king. Synopsis of the Four Books of Kings. Elkanah having two wives, from one he had no children. But when he went up to sacrifice in Shiloh, his wife prays, and bears Samuel, and gives him to the house of the Lord continually, as she had vowed before she conceived him. And Eli was priest at that time. But the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were pestilent and wicked young men, partaking from the sacrifices before they were offered to God. And Eli blessed Hannah, and she had yet three sons and two daughters, and Samuel advanced in virtue. But Eli, hearing of the daring deeds of his sons (for they also committed adultery), rebuked them with words; but they did not yield. The destruction of his house and of his sons is prophesied to Eli on account of the sin of the young men. And the inexorable wrath of God is also revealed to Samuel, and he himself also reports it to Eli. The Philistines engage with Israel, and put them to flight after striking them. And when the sons of Eli also brought out the ark, they themselves fall in the battle along with many others, and the enemies take the ark. Someone came reporting these things to Eli; and he, having fallen from his seat, was broken and died; and his daughter-in-law also died when she heard these things. The Philistines brought the ark into the house of Dagon; and he fell down a second time, and was broken. And the men were also smitten in their secret parts. And these were the Ashdodites, and their land brought forth mice. They send the ark to Gath; and they also were smitten. They send it to Ashkelon, and there was death there. And having been advised by their diviners, they make golden emerods and golden mice, and placing them on a cart with the ark they yoked cows whose calves they had shut up in a little house. And they went straight to Beth-shemesh. Those men receive it, and sacrifice to God, while the lords of the Philistines watched. But when they did not welcome it, that is, the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice, a great plague occurs among the people; and the men of Beth-shemesh, being afraid, send the ark from them to the house of Abinadab. Then the Israelites returned to God, and the Philistines made war against them, and were defeated, Samuel having prayed for them, and they took from them the cities, which 56.342 they held of theirs. But when Samuel grew old, and his sons did not walk in his way, the Jews, having gathered, ask for a king. Samuel was grieved at this, and God says to him: They have not rejected you, but me. Therefore I testify this to them, the right of the king; that is, how much service he ought to receive from them, Samuel testified; but they insisted in asking. The donkeys of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost; his father sent him to seek them. And when he did not find them, his attendant having advised him, he goes in to Samuel to ask about them. God makes him known to Samuel, saying, Anoint this man as king. Saul approached asking Samuel where the seer might be; for so they used to call the prophets. And he said that he was the one, and having brought him up to Bamah (for there was a sacrifice for the people), and having feasted him, coming down with him toward dawn, he poured the vial of oil on him, and having kissed him said to him that You shall rule the people, and giving some signs he sent him away, and Saul prophesied. His kinsman asks Saul where he went; and he said: To seek the donkeys. The people are gathered to Mizpah; Saul is chosen. The king of the Ammonites rises up against the

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οὐκ εἰδότων τῶν γονέων. Σύνοψις τῆς Ῥούθ. Ἡ Νοεμμὴν, ἀποθανόντος αὐτῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ τῶν υἱῶν, καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ παυθέντος, δι' ὃν καὶ εἰς τὴν Μωαβῖτιν κατῴκησεν, ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καὶ ἡ μὲν μία αὐτῆς νύμφη ἐπείσθη μεῖναι ἐν τῇ Μωαβίτιδι· ἡ δὲ ἄλλη, ᾗ ὄνομα Ῥοὺθ, πολλὰ παρακαλούσῃ, ὥστε μεῖναι, οὐκ εἶξεν, ἀλλὰ συνηκολούθησε. Καὶ γαμεῖται τῷ Βοὼζ, ἀγχιστεύοντι τὴν Νοεμμὴν, καὶ τίκτει τὸν Ὀβὴδ, ὁ δὲ Ὀβὴδ τὸν Ἰεσσαὶ, ὁδὲ Ἰεσσαὶ ∆αυῒδ τὸν βασιλέα. Σύνοψις τοῦ Τετραβασιλείου. Ἑλκανᾶ γυναῖκας ἔχων δύο, ἀπὸ τῆς μιᾶς οὐκ εἶχε παῖδας. Ὡς δὲ ἀνῆλθε θῦσαι ἐν Σηλὼμ, προσεύχεται ἡ γυνὴ, καὶ τίκτει τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου διηνεκῶς, καθὼς ηὔξατο πρὶν ἢ συλλαβεῖν αὐτόν. Ἦν δὲ ἱερεὺς τότε ὁ Ἠλεί. Οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ Ἠλεὶ Ὀφνὶ καὶ Φινεὲς, λοιμοὶ καὶ μοχθηροὶ νέοι, μεταλαμβάνοντες ἐκ τῶν θυσιῶν, πρὶν ἢ προσενεχθῆναι Θεῷ. Ὁ δὲ Ἠλεὶ εὐλόγησε τὴν Ἄνναν,καὶ ἔσχεν ἔτι τρεῖς υἱοὺς, καὶ δύο θυγατέρας, καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐπεδίδου πρὸς ἀρετήν. Ὁ δὲ Ἠλεὶ ἀκούσας τῶν παίδων τὰ τολμήματα (καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐμοιχῶντο), ἐπετίμησε λόγῳ· οἱ δὲ οὐκ εἶξαν. Προφητεύεται τῷ Ἠλεὶ ὁ ὄλεθρος τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν υἱῶν διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τῶν νέων. ∆ηλοῦται δὲ καὶ τῷ Σαμουὴλ ἡ ἀπαραίτητος ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ Ἠλεί. Συμβάλλουσιν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τρέπουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς φυγὴν μετὰ τοῦ πατάξαι. Ὡς δὲ καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν ἐξήγαγον υἱοὶ Ἠλεὶ, οὗτοι μὲν πίπτουσιν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν, τὴν δὲ κιβωτὸν λαμβάνουσιν οἱ πολέμιοι. Ἦλθέ τις ταῦτα ἀπαγγέλλων τῷ Ἠλεί· ὁ δὲ καταπεσὼν ἐκ τοῦ δίφρου αὐτοῦ συνετρίβη καὶ ἀπέθανεν· ἀπέθανε δὲ καὶ ἡ τούτου νύμφη, ἡνίκα ταῦτα ἤκουσεν. Εἰσήνεγκαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον ∆αγών· ὁ δὲ κατέπεσε δεύτερον, καὶ συνετρίβη. Ἐπατάχθησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες εἰς τὰς ἕδρας αὐτῶν. Ἦσαν δὲ οἱ Ἀζώτιοι οὗτοι, καὶ μῦς ἀνέδωκεν ἡ χώρα αὐτῶν. Ἀποστέλλουσι τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰς Γέθ· οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπλήγησαν. Πέμπουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς Ἀσκαλῶνα, κἀκεῖ γέγονε θάνατος. Συμβουλευθέντες δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν μάντεων αὐτῶν, ποιοῦσιν ἕδρας χρυσᾶς, καὶ μῦς χρυσοῦς, καὶ ἐπιθέντες αὐτοὺς ἁμάξῃ μετὰ τῆς κιβωτοῦ ὑπέζευξαν βόας, ὧν τὰ τέκνα ἀπέκλεισαν εἰς οἰκίσκον. Αἱ δὲ ὀρθὴν ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς Βεθσαμῦς. ∆έχονται αὐτὴν οἱ ἄνδρες ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ θύουσι τῷ Θεῷ, ὁρώντων τῶν σατραπῶν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. Ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἠσμένισαν, τουτέστιν, οὐ συνεχάρησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰεχονίου, γίνεται πληγὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῷ λαῷ· καὶ φοβηθέντες οἱ ἀπὸ Βεθσαμῦς, ἀποστέλλουσιν ἐξ αὐτῶν τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ἀμιναδάβ. Τότε ἐπέστρεψαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται, καὶ ἐπολέμησαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι, καὶ ἡττήθησαν, τοῦ Σαμουὴλ εὐξαμένου ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαβον παρ' αὐτῶν τὰς πόλεις, ἃς 56.342 εἶχον αὐτῶν. Ὡς δὲ ἐγήρασε Σαμουὴλ, οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπορεύοντο ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ, συναχθέντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι αἰτοῦσι βασιλέα. Ἤλγησεν ἐπὶ τούτῳ ὁ Σαμουὴλ, καί φησιν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· Οὐ σὲ ἐξουδενήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἐμέ. Τοῦτο οὖν διαμαρτύρομαι αὐτοῖς, τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως· τουτέστιν, ὅσης ὀφείλει παρ' αὐτῶν τυγχάνειν θεραπείας διεμαρτύρατο ὁ Σαμουήλ· οἱ δὲ ἐπέκειντο αἰτοῦντες. Ἀπώλοντο αἱ ὄνοι Κεὶς τοῦ πατρὸς Σαούλ· ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ ἐπιζητήσοντα ταύτας. Ὡς δὲ οὐχ εὕρισκε, τοῦ ἀκολούθου αὐτῷ συμβουλεύσαντος, εἰσέρχεται πρὸς τὸν Σαμουὴλ ἐρωτήσων περὶ αὐτοῦ. Γνωρίζει αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Σαμουὴλ λέγων, ὅτι Τοῦτον χρῖσον βασιλέα. Προσῆλθεν ὁ Σαοὺλ ἐρωτῶν τὸν Σαμουὴλ, ποῦ εἴη ὁ βλέπων· οὕτω γὰρ ἐκάλουν τοὺς προφήτας. Ὁ δὲ ἔφη, αὐτὸν εἶναι, καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν εἰς Βαμᾶ (θυσία γὰρ ἦν τῷ λαῷ), καὶ ἑστιάσας, ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω κατελθὼν μετ' αὐτοῦ κατέχεεν αὐτοῦ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ἐλαίου, καὶ καταφιλήσας αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ὅτι Ἄρξεις τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ σημεῖά τινα δοὺς ἐξέπεμψεν αὐτὸν, καὶ προεφήτευσεν ὁ Σαούλ. Ἐρωτᾷ τὸν Σαοὺλ ὁ οἰκεῖος αὐτοῦ, ποῦ ἀπῆλθεν· ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν τῶν ὄνων. Συνάγεται ὁ λαὸς εἰς Μασσηφᾶ· χειροτονεῖται Σαούλ. Ἐπανίσταται ὁ Ἀμμανιτῶν βασιλεὺς τοῖς