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Israel Seeks a King
8 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. 3 But his sons did not follow[a] his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.[b]
4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead[c] us, just like all the other nations have.”
6 But this request displeased Samuel, for[d] they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you.[e] For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8 Just as they have done[f] from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. 9 So now do as they say.[g] But you must warn[h] them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.”[i]
10 So Samuel spoke all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. 12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties,[j] as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. 13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his own servants. 15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators[k] and his servants. 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. 17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. 18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.”[l]
19 But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning.[m] Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! 20 We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us[n] and fight our battles.”
21 So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord.[o] 22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say[p] and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”
Samuel Meets with Saul
9 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. Kish was a prominent person. 2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.
3 The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off,[q] so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go[r] look for the donkeys.”[s] 4 So Saul[t] crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” 6 But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens.[u] Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.”[v] 7 So Saul said to his servant, “All right,[w] we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel[x] of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.”[y] 9 (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) 10 So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea![z] Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” 12 They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. 13 When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for[aa] this is the time when you can find him.”
14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction[ab] to go up to the high place. 15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told[ac] Samuel: 16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate[ad] him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said,[ae] “Here is the man that I told you about. He will rule over my people.” 18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking.[af] 20 Don’t be concerned[ag] about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?”[ah]
21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the clans in the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”
22 Then Samuel brought[ai] Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you—the one I asked you to keep with you.”
24 So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel[aj] said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. 26 They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them—he and Samuel—went outside. 27 While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did.[ak] Samuel then said,[al] “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”
22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake[a] realized that only one small boat[b] had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded[c] it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came to shore[d] near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.[e] 24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats[f] and came to Capernaum[g] looking for Jesus.
Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life
25 When they found him on the other side of the lake,[h] they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”[i] 26 Jesus replied,[j] “I tell you the solemn truth,[k] you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted.[l] 27 Do not work for the food that disappears,[m] but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food[n] which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”[o]
28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds[p] God requires?”[q] 29 Jesus replied,[r] “This is the deed[s] God requires[t]—to believe in the one whom he[u] sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors[v] ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”[w]
32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[x] it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who[y] comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir,[z] give us this bread all the time!”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.[aa] 36 But I told you[ab] that you have seen me[ac] and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.[ad] 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up[ae] at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up[af] at the last day.”[ag]
41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus[ah] began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered[a] because of them,
33 for they aroused[b] his temper,[c]
and he spoke rashly.[d]
34 They did not destroy the nations,[e]
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways.[f]
36 They worshiped[g] their idols,
which became a snare to them.[h]
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.[i]
38 They shed innocent blood—
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed.[j]
39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions.[k]
40 So the Lord was angry with his people[l]
and despised the people who belonged to him.[m]
41 He handed them over to[n] the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority.[o]
43 Many times he delivered[p] them,
but they had a rebellious attitude,[q]
and degraded themselves[r] by their sin.
44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented[s] because of his great loyal love.
46 He caused all their conquerors[t]
to have pity on them.
47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God.
Gather us from among the nations.
Then we will give thanks[u] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.[v]
48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,[w]
in the future and forevermore.[x]
Let all the people say, “We agree![y] Praise the Lord!”[z]
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