Chapter 3 of Shorter Bible Plays is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of Shorter Bible Plays is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
JESSE: Mine eyes are dim. (_He shades them and peers out. Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel. What can his coming bode of good or evil? Haste, haste, my son.
Chapter 3 of Shorter Bible Plays is here in full — 378 sentences across 76 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/75 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
indicate, as with a sign or an omen
From this reading “What can his coming bode of good or evil?”
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading “JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.”
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading “Haste, haste, my son.”
plural of “peer” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading “(_He shades them and peers out.”
an authoritative person who divines the future
From this reading “Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.”
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading “Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.”
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading “(_He shades them and peers out.”
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading “Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.
indicate, as with a sign or an omen
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
lacking in light; not bright or harsh
From this reading JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
opinion or judgment
From this reading JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading Haste, haste, my son.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading JESSE: Mine eyes are dim.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
plural of “peer” — a person who is of equal standing with another in a group
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
an authoritative person who divines the future
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
(plural) something that reminds you of someone or something
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
a male human offspring
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
third-person singular of “speak” — express in speech
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Suddenly he speaks._) My son, it is the prophet Samuel.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading (_He shades them and peers out.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What can his coming bode of good or evil?
Chapter 3 of Shorter Bible Plays by Rita Benton holds 378 sentences, grouped into 76 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 378 sentences of Shorter Bible Plays, unabridged, divided into 76 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of Shorter Bible Plays by Rita Benton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 378 sentences, grouped into 76 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 76 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 76 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Shorter Bible Plays by Rita Benton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 1529 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46419 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #46419, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 127 minutes of reading across 306 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Shorter Bible Plays section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 4 chapters of Shorter Bible Plays to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Shorter Bible Plays, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
