²⁷ Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen.^(A) They acquired property there^(B) and were fruitful and increased greatly in number.^(C)

²⁸ Jacob lived in Egypt^(D) seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven.^{(E) 29} When the time drew near for Israel^(F) to die,^(G) he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(H) put your hand under my thigh^(I) and promise that you will show me kindness^(J) and faithfulness.^(K) Do not bury me in Egypt, ³⁰ but when I rest with my fathers,^(L) carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”^(M)

“I will do as you say,” he said.

³¹ “Swear to me,”^(N) he said. Then Joseph swore to him,^(O) and Israel^(P) worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.^[a](Q)

¹⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: ¹¹ “I regret^(A) that I have made Saul king, because he has turned^(B) away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”^(C) Samuel was angry,^(D) and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel.^(E) There he has set up a monument^(F) in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

¹³ When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

¹⁵ Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

¹⁶ “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

¹⁷ Samuel said, “Although you were once small^(G) in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. ¹⁸ And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder^(H) and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

²⁰ “But I did obey^(I) the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. ²¹ The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

²² But Samuel replied:

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned.^(M) I violated^(N) the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid^(O) of the men and so I gave in to them. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive^(P) my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected^(Q) the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

²⁷ As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe,^(R) and it tore.^{(S) 28} Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn^(T) the kingdom^(U) of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.^{(V) 29} He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie^(W) or change^(X) his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”

³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned.^(Y) But please honor^(Z) me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him in chains.^[a] And he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

³³ But Samuel said,

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel left for Ramah,^(AB) but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah^(AC) of Saul. ³⁵ Until the day Samuel^(AD) died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned^(AE) for him. And the Lord regretted^(AF) that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Unfaithful Israel

⁶ During the reign of King Josiah,^(A) the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless^(B) Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree^(C) and has committed adultery^(D) there. ⁷ I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister^(E) Judah saw it.^{(F) 8} I gave faithless Israel^(G) her certificate of divorce^(H) and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear;^(I) she also went out and committed adultery. ⁹ Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land^(J) and committed adultery^(K) with stone^(L) and wood.^{(M) 10} In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return^(N) to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,^(O)” declares the Lord.^(P)

¹¹ The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous^(Q) than unfaithful^(R) Judah.^{(S) 12} Go, proclaim this message toward the north:^(T)

¹⁴ “Return,^(AC) faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband.^(AD) I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. ¹⁵ Then I will give you shepherds^(AE) after my own heart,^(AF) who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. ¹⁶ In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark^(AG) of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered;^(AH) it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. ¹⁷ At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne^(AI) of the Lord, and all nations^(AJ) will gather in Jerusalem to honor^(AK) the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.^{(AL) 18} In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel,^(AM) and together^(AN) they will come from a northern^(AO) land to the land^(AP) I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.

¹⁹ “I myself said,

Psalm 12^[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

Psalm 13^[d]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it^(A) and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

²⁷ Then he took a cup,^(B) and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the^[a] covenant,^(C) which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.^{(D) 29} I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you^(E) in my Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(F)

Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious^(A) Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.^{(B) 2} Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. ³ If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” ⁴ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges^(C) with evil thoughts?

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters:^(D) Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world^(E) to be rich in faith^(F) and to inherit the kingdom^(G) he promised those who love him?^{(H) 6} But you have dishonored the poor.^(I) Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?^{(J) 7} Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”^[a](K) you are doing right. ⁹ But if you show favoritism,^(L) you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.^{(M) 10} For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles^(N) at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.^{(O) 11} For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”^[b](P) also said, “You shall not murder.”^[c](Q) If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

¹² Speak and act as those who are going to be judged^(R) by the law that gives freedom,^{(S) 13} because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.^(T) Mercy triumphs over judgment.