So they all gathered at Mizpah. They drew some water and poured it out as an offering to the LORD and fasted that whole day. They said, "We have sinned against the LORD." (It was at Mizpah where Samuel settled disputes among the Israelites.)

Then Samuel said to the people of Israel, "I have done what you asked me to do. I have given you a king to rule you,

Samuel died, and all the Israelites came together and mourned for him. Then they buried him at his home in Ramah. After this, David went to the wilderness of Paran.

Then the LORD gave the Israelites leaders who saved them from the raiders.

The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's leader. Othniel went to war, and the LORD gave him the victory over the king of Mesopotamia.

There was peace in the land for forty years, and then Othniel died.

All of this took about 450 years. "After this he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.

And when they asked for a king, God gave them Saul son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, to be their king for forty years.