²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown^(A) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.^(B)

7 ¹ So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark^(A) of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s^(B) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. ² The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim^(C) a long time—twenty years in all.

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.^{(D) 3} So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning^(E) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid^(F) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths^(G) and commit^(H) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,^(I) and he will deliver^(J) you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

⁵ Then Samuel^(K) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,^(L) and I will intercede^(M) with the Lord for you.” ⁶ When they had assembled at Mizpah,^(N) they drew water and poured^(O) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader^[a](P) of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid^(Q) because of the Philistines. ⁸ They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying^(R) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel^(S) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(T)

¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(U) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(V) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(W) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[b](X) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹³ So the Philistines were subdued^(Y) and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. ¹⁴ The towns from Ekron^(Z) to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.^(AA)

¹⁵ Samuel^(AB) continued as Israel’s leader^(AC) all^(AD) the days of his life. ¹⁶ From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel^(AE) to Gilgal^(AF) to Mizpah, judging^(AG) Israel in all those places. ¹⁷ But he always went back to Ramah,^(AH) where his home was, and there he also held court^(AI) for Israel. And he built an altar^(AJ) there to the Lord.

Israel Asks for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed^(AK) his sons as Israel’s leaders.^{[c] 2} The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah,^(AL) and they served at Beersheba.^{(AM) 3} But his sons^(AN) did not follow his ways. They turned aside^(AO) after dishonest gain and accepted bribes^(AP) and perverted^(AQ) justice.

⁴ So all the elders^(AR) of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.^{(AS) 5} They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king^(AT) to lead^[d](AU) us, such as all the other nations^(AV) have.”

⁶ But when they said, “Give us a king^(AW) to lead us,” this displeased^(AX) Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord told him: “Listen^(AY) to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected,^(AZ) but they have rejected me as their king.^{(BA) 8} As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking^(BB) me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹ Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know^(BC) what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

¹⁰ Samuel told^(BD) all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take^(BE) your sons and make them serve^(BF) with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.^{(BG) 12} Some he will assign to be commanders^(BH) of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴ He will take the best of your^(BI) fields and vineyards^(BJ) and olive groves and give them to his attendants.^{(BK) 15} He will take a tenth^(BL) of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. ¹⁶ Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[e] and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer^(BM) you in that day.^(BN)”

¹⁹ But the people refused^(BO) to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want^(BP) a king^(BQ) over us. ²⁰ Then we will be like all the other nations,^(BR) with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

²¹ When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated^(BS) it before the Lord. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen^(BT) to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Psalm 116

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came to me: ¹⁹ “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword^(A) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost^(B) where the road branches off to the city. ²⁰ Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites^(C) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. ²¹ For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots^(D) with arrows, he will consult his idols,^(E) he will examine the liver.^{(F) 22} Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,^(G) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp^(H) and to erect siege works.^{(I) 23} It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind^(J) them of their guilt^(K) and take them captive.

²⁴ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

²⁵ “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,^(L) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,^{(M) 26} this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.^(N) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.^{(O) 27} A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;^(P) to him I will give it.’^(Q)

²⁸ “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites^(R) and their insults:

Paul’s Rights as an Apostle

9 Am I not free?^(A) Am I not an apostle?^(B) Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?^(C) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?^{(D) 2} Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal^(E) of my apostleship in the Lord.

³ This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to food and drink?^{(F) 5} Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife^(G) along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers^(H) and Cephas^[a]?^{(I) 6} Or is it only I and Barnabas^(J) who lack the right to not work for a living?

⁷ Who serves as a soldier^(K) at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard^(L) and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? ⁸ Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^[b](M) Is it about oxen that God is concerned?^{(N) 10} Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us,^(O) because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest.^{(P) 11} If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?^{(Q) 12} If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.^(R) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder^(S) the gospel of Christ.

¹³ Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar?^{(T) 14} In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.^(U)

¹⁵ But I have not used any of these rights.^(V) And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.^{(W) 16} For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach.^(X) Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward;^(Y) if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me.^{(Z) 18} What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,^(AA) and so not make full use of my rights^(AB) as a preacher of the gospel.

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

¹⁹ Though I am free^(AC) and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,^(AD) to win as many as possible.^{(AE) 20} To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.^(AF) To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law),^(AG) so as to win those under the law. ²¹ To those not having the law I became like one not having the law^(AH) (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law),^(AI) so as to win those not having the law. ²² To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.^(AJ) I have become all things to all people^(AK) so that by all possible means I might save some.^{(AL) 23} I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

The Need for Self-Discipline

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?^(AM) Run^(AN) in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown^(AO) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.^{(AP) 26} Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly;^(AQ) I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.^{(AR) 27} No, I strike a blow to my body^(AS) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.^(AT)