1 Samuel

Free Bible Version

1 Samuel has 31 chapters. Read 1 Samuel in the Free Bible Version, chapter by chapter, free and without an account.

1 Samuel follows Israel’s transition to kingship through the lives of Samuel, Saul, and David. Samuel becomes a prophet and anoints Saul as king, but Saul’s disobedience leads to his rejection. David is anointed and rises to prominence, then becomes a fugitive pursued by Saul. The book ends with Saul’s death in battle, before David begins his reign.

Read the 1 Samuel summary and outline →

In Christian Bibles, 1 Samuel is one of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. In the Jewish Tanakh it belongs to the Nevi’im, the Prophets. See it on the shelf.

Hannah praying earnestly near Eli at the sanctuary in Shiloh

1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 1: faithful prayer turns anguish toward hope.

Hannah presenting young Samuel with a robe while Eli blesses the family

1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2: faithful service contrasts with corrupt spiritual leadership.

Young Samuel rising from his mat and listening in the lamp-lit sanctuary

1 Samuel 3

1 Samuel 3: a listening servant receives a difficult prophetic calling.

Philistine soldiers carrying the captured ark across a smoky battlefield

1 Samuel 4

1 Samuel 4: sacred symbols cannot replace covenant faithfulness.

The ark standing in Dagon’s temple while the fallen idol alarms Philistine priests

1 Samuel 5

1 Samuel 5: god’s holiness humbles false power without human defense.

Two cows pulling the ark on a new cart toward the fields of Beth-shemesh

1 Samuel 6

1 Samuel 6: providence guides the ark home and calls for reverence.

Samuel standing beside a memorial stone as Israel prays after a storm

1 Samuel 7

1 Samuel 7: repentance and prayer restore a threatened people.

Samuel addressing Israel’s elders as royal chariots and laborers appear beyond

1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel 8: demanding visible security carries hidden costs.

Young Saul and his servant meeting Samuel at a town gate after seeking donkeys

1 Samuel 9

1 Samuel 9: an ordinary search becomes an unexpected divine appointment.

Samuel pouring oil on Saul as gathered Israelites watch nearby

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel 10: private anointing becomes a public yet uncertain kingship.

Saul leading united Israelites toward the rescued city of Jabesh-gilead

1 Samuel 11

1 Samuel 11: courageous leadership unites Israel for rescue.

Samuel speaking before Israel and Saul as a thunderstorm crosses wheat fields

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 12: covenant faithfulness matters more than political structure.

Samuel confronting Saul beside a smoking altar as soldiers depart

1 Samuel 13

1 Samuel 13: fear-driven impatience undermines an entrusted kingdom.

Jonathan and his armor-bearer climbing a rocky pass toward Philistine troops

1 Samuel 14

1 Samuel 14: bold trust opens a path to unlikely deliverance.

Samuel confronting Saul beside captured livestock and the spared Amalekite king

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel 15: partial obedience reveals a heart ruled by appearances.

Samuel pouring oil on young David as his older brothers watch

1 Samuel 16

1 Samuel 16: god sees the heart and chooses an unexpected servant.

Young David holding a sling across the valley from the armored Goliath

1 Samuel 17

1 Samuel 17: trust confronts intimidating power without borrowed armor.

Jonathan placing his robe on David while Saul watches from a shadowed doorway

1 Samuel 18

1 Samuel 18: covenant friendship grows while jealousy turns destructive.

Michal helping David descend by rope as Saul’s guards approach

1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19: loyal relationships protect the hunted servant.

Jonathan shooting warning arrows while David watches from concealment

1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20: covenant loyalty endures painful separation.

The priest Ahimelech giving bread and a wrapped sword to weary David

1 Samuel 21

1 Samuel 21: desperate survival casts a long and dangerous shadow.

David among distressed followers and his aging parents inside Adullam’s cave

1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22: a fugitive becomes a leader amid devastating consequences.

David watching approaching forces beside Abiathar and the ephod near Keilah

1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23: guidance sustains service while enemies close in.

David quietly cutting a corner from Saul’s robe inside the cave at En-gedi

1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24: mercy refuses an easy path to power.

Abigail kneeling before David beside donkeys loaded with generous provisions

1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25: wise peacemaking interrupts anger before it becomes bloodshed.

David and Abishai beside sleeping Saul with his spear and water jug

1 Samuel 26

1 Samuel 26: mercy again refuses to seize the crown through violence.

David and his households standing cautiously before the Philistine ruler Achish

1 Samuel 27

1 Samuel 27: fear seeks safety through morally complicated refuge.

Disguised Saul sitting in fear as the medium of Endor sees Samuel’s apparition

1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28: rejected guidance leaves Saul desperate before final defeat.

David standing apart as Philistine commanders argue before Achish

1 Samuel 29

1 Samuel 29: providence removes David from a divided allegiance.

David’s men embracing rescued families amid recovered goods near burned Ziklag

1 Samuel 30

1 Samuel 30: strength renewed in crisis leads to recovery and generosity.

King Saul seated in grief among fallen warriors on Mount Gilboa at dusk

1 Samuel 31

1 Samuel 31: a rejected king’s story ends in national tragedy.