Saul’s Disobedience

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “^(A)The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the ^[a]words of the Lord. ² This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘I will ^[b]punish Amalek ^(B)for what he did to Israel, in that he obstructed him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. ³ Now go and strike Amalek and ^(C)completely destroy everything that he has, and do not spare him; but ^(D)put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

⁴ Then Saul summoned the people and ^[c]counted them in ^(E)Telaim: two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. ⁵ And Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ^[d]wadi. ⁶ But Saul said to ^(F)the Kenites, “Go, get away, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you along with them; for ^(G)you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they went up from Egypt.” So the Kenites got away from among the Amalekites. ⁷ Then ^(H)Saul ^[e]defeated the Amalekites, from ^(I)Havilah ^[f]going toward ^(J)Shur, which is ^[g]east of Egypt. ⁸ He captured ^(K)Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and ^(L)completely destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. ⁹ But Saul and the people ^(M)spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the more valuable animals, the lambs, and everything that was good, and were unwilling to destroy them completely; but everything despicable and weak, that they completely destroyed.

Samuel Rebukes Saul

¹⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ “^(N)I regret that I have made Saul king, because ^(O)he has turned back from ^[h]following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was furious and ^(P)cried out to the Lord all night. ¹² Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was reported to Samuel, saying, “Saul came to ^(Q)Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on ^[i]down to ^(R)Gilgal.” ¹³ So Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “^(S)Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” ¹⁴ But Samuel said, “^(T)What then is this ^[j]bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the ^[k]bellowing of the oxen which I hear?” ¹⁵ Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for ^(U)the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have completely destroyed.” ¹⁶ Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop, and let me inform you of what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”

¹⁷ So Samuel said, “^[l]Is it not true, ^(V)though you were ^[m]insignificant in your own eyes, that you became the head of the tribes of Israel? For the Lord anointed you as king over Israel. ¹⁸ And the Lord sent you on a ^[n]mission, and said, ‘^(W)Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are eliminated.’ ¹⁹ Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? ^(X)Instead, you loudly rushed upon the spoils and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord!”

²⁰ Then Saul said to Samuel, “^(Y)I did obey the voice of the Lord, for I went on the ^[o]mission on which the Lord sent me; and I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have completely destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ But ^(Z)the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things designated for destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” ²² Samuel said,

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “^(AF)I have sinned, for ^(AG)I have violated the ^[p]command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. ²⁵ Now then, ^(AH)please pardon my sin and return with me, so that I may worship the Lord.” ²⁶ But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for ^(AI)you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” ²⁷ Then Samuel turned to go, but ^(AJ)Saul grasped the edge of his robe, and it tore off. ²⁸ So Samuel said to him, “^(AK)The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. ²⁹ Also the ^[q](AL)Glory of Israel ^(AM)will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind.” ³⁰ Then Saul said, “I have sinned; ^(AN)but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before all Israel, and go back with me, ^(AO)so that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him ^[r]cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is gone!” ³³ But Samuel said, “^(AP)As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to ^(AQ)Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at ^(AR)Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ And ^(AS)Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, though Samuel ^(AT)mourned for ^[s]Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “^(AU)How long are you going to mourn for ^[t]Saul, since ^(AV)I have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^(AW)Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to ^(AX)Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have ^(AY)chosen a king for Myself among his sons.” ² But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “^(AZ)Take a heifer ^[u]with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ^(BA)I will let you know what you shall do; and ^(BB)you shall anoint for Me the one whom I ^[v]designate to you.” ⁴ So Samuel did what the Lord told him, and he came to ^(BC)Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “^(BD)Do you come in peace?” ⁵ And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ^(BE)Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they entered, he looked at ^(BF)Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is standing before Him.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for ^[w]God does not see as man sees, since man looks at ^[x]the outward appearance, ^(BG)but the Lord looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called ^(BH)Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” ⁹ Next Jesse had ^[y](BI)Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one, either.” ¹⁰ So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “^(BJ)The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.”

David Anointed

¹² So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was ^[z]reddish, with ^(BK)beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “^(BL)Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” ¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and ^(BM)anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and ^(BN)the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

^14 (BO)Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and ^(BP)an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him. ¹⁵ Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you. ¹⁶ May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that ^(BQ)he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well.” ¹⁷ So Saul said to his servants, “Now select for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” ¹⁸ Then one of the young men responded and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, ^(BR)a valiant mighty man, a warrior, skillful in speech, and a handsome man; and ^(BS)the Lord is with him.” ¹⁹ So Saul sent messengers to Jesse ^[aa]to say, “Send me your son David, who is with the flock.” ²⁰ And Jesse ^(BT)took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David. ²¹ Then David came to Saul and ^[ab](BU)attended him; and Saul greatly loved him, and he became his armor bearer. ²² So Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David now ^[ac]be my attendant for he has found favor in my sight.” ²³ So it came about whenever ^(BV)the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Genealogy from Reuben

5 Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel (for ^(A)he was the firstborn, but because ^(B)he defiled his father’s bed, ^(C)his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel; so he is not enrolled in the genealogy according to the birthright. ^2 (D)Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and ^(E)from him came the leader, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph), ^3 (F)the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi. ⁴ The sons of Joel were Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, ^(G)Shimei his son, ⁵ Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, ⁶ and Beerah his son, whom ^[a]Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria took into exile; he was leader of the Reubenites. ⁷ His relatives by their families, ^(H)in the genealogy of their generations, were Jeiel the chief, then Zechariah ⁸ and Bela, the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel, who lived in ^(I)Aroer, as far as Nebo and Baal-meon. ⁹ Toward the east he settled as far as the entrance of the wilderness from the river Euphrates, ^(J)because their livestock had increased in the land of Gilead. ¹⁰ In the days of Saul ^(K)they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand, so that they ^[b]occupied their tents throughout the ^[c]land east of Gilead.

¹¹ Now the sons of Gad lived opposite them in the land of ^(L)Bashan, as far as ^(M)Salecah. ¹² Joel was the head and Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat in Bashan. ¹³ Their relatives of their fathers’ households were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber, seven. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Abihail, the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; ¹⁵ Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their fathers’ households. ¹⁶ They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and in its towns, and in all the pasture lands of ^(N)Sharon, as far as their ^[d]borders. ¹⁷ All of these were enrolled in the genealogies in the days of ^(O)Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of ^(P)Jeroboam king of Israel.

¹⁸ The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, consisting of valiant men, men who carried shield and sword and shot with a bow and were skillful in battle, totaled 44,760 who ^(Q)went to war. ¹⁹ They made war against ^(R)the Hagrites, ^(S)Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. ²⁰ They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were handed over to them; for ^(T)they cried out to God in the battle, and He answered their prayers because ^(U)they trusted in Him. ²¹ They took away their livestock: their fifty thousand camels, 250,000 sheep, and two thousand donkeys; and a hundred thousand ^[e]people. ²² For many fell mortally wounded, because ^(V)the war was of God. And ^(W)they settled in their place until the ^(X)exile.

²³ Now the sons of the half-tribe of Manasseh lived in the land; from Bashan to Baal-hermon, ^(Y)Senir, and Mount Hermon they were numerous. ²⁴ These were the heads of their fathers’ households: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, valiant mighty men, famous men, heads of their fathers’ households.

²⁵ But they were ^(Z)untrue to the God of their fathers and ^(AA)prostituted themselves ^(AB)with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of ^(AC)Pul, king of Assyria, that is, the spirit of ^[f]Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he ^(AD)took them into exile, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and to the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.

The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah

1 The ^[a]record of the genealogy of ^[b]Jesus the ^[c]Messiah, ^(A)the son of David, ^(B)the son of Abraham:

² Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered ^[d]Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, ^(C)Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered ^[e]Ram. ⁴ Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon. ⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse. ⁶ Jesse fathered David the king.

David ^(D)fathered Solomon by ^[f]her who had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon ^(E)fathered Rehoboam, Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered ^[g]Asa. ⁸ Asa fathered Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat fathered ^[h]Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah fathered ^[i]Jotham, Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, Manasseh fathered ^[j]Amon, and Amon ^(F)fathered Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah fathered ^[k]Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the ^(G)deportation to Babylon.

¹² After the ^(H)deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah fathered ^[l]Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel fathered ^[m]Abihud, Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor. ¹⁴ Azor fathered Zadok, Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud fathered Eleazar, Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob. ¹⁶ Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, ^(I)who is called the ^[n]Messiah.

¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the ^(J)deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the ^(K)deportation to Babylon to the ^[o]Messiah, fourteen generations.

Conception and Birth of Jesus

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the ^[p]Messiah was as follows: when His ^(L)mother Mary had been ^[q]betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was ^(M)found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to ^[r](N)send her away secretly. ²⁰ But when he had thought this over, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “^(O)Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for ^[s]the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a Son; and ^(P)you shall name Him Jesus, for ^[t]He ^(Q)will save His people from their sins.” ²² Now all this ^[u]took place so that what was ^(R)spoken by the Lord through ^[v]the prophet would be fulfilled: ²³ “^(S)Behold, the virgin will ^[w](T)conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him ^[x]Immanuel,” which translated means, “^(U)God with us.” ²⁴ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, ^25 [y]but kept her a virgin until she ^(V)gave birth to a Son; and ^(W)he named Him Jesus.