Psalm 150

Samuel Rebukes Saul

13 Saul was thirty^[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-^[b] two years.

² Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand^(A) were with him at Mikmash^(B) and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah^(C) in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.

³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost^(D) at Geba,^(E) and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet^(F) blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” ⁴ So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious^(G) to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.

⁵ The Philistines assembled^(H) to fight Israel, with three thousand^[c] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand^(I) on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash,^(J) east of Beth Aven.^{(K) 6} When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid^(L) in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.^{(M) 7} Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad^(N) and Gilead.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking^(O) with fear. ⁸ He waited seven^(P) days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. ⁹ So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered^(Q) up the burnt offering. ¹⁰ Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel^(R) arrived, and Saul went out to greet^(S) him.

¹¹ “What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,^{(T) 12} I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal,^(U) and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.^(V)’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

¹³ “You have done a foolish thing,^(W)” Samuel said. “You have not kept^(X) the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.^{(Y) 14} But now your kingdom^(Z) will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart^(AA) and appointed^(AB) him ruler^(AC) of his people, because you have not kept^(AD) the Lord’s command.”

¹⁵ Then Samuel left Gilgal^[d] and went up to Gibeah^(AE) in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.^(AF)

Israel Without Weapons

¹⁶ Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah^[e](AG) in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. ¹⁷ Raiding^(AH) parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah^(AI) in the vicinity of Shual, ¹⁸ another toward Beth Horon,^(AJ) and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim^(AK) facing the wilderness.

Philip and the Ethiopian

²⁶ Now an angel^(A) of the Lord said to Philip,^(B) “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a](C) eunuch,^(D) an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,^{(E) 28} and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ The Spirit told^(F) Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip began^(H) with that very passage of Scripture^(I) and told him the good news^(J) about Jesus.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”^{(K) [37] [c] 38} And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away,^(L) and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns^(M) until he reached Caesarea.^(N)

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.^{(A) 15} Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶ Therefore, I will punish him^(B) and then release him.” ^[17] [a]

¹⁸ But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”^{(C) 19} (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

²⁰ Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²² For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”^(D)

²³ But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵ He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.