²⁶ They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. ²⁷ As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

10 Then Samuel took a flask^(A) of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed^(B) you ruler over his inheritance?^{[a](C) 2} When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb,^(D) at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys^(E) you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried^(F) about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’

³ “Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel^(G) will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. ⁴ They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread,^(H) which you will accept from them.

⁵ “After that you will go to Gibeah^(I) of God, where there is a Philistine outpost.^(J) As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets^(K) coming down from the high place^(L) with lyres, timbrels,^(M) pipes^(N) and harps^(O) being played before them, and they will be prophesying.^{(P) 6} The Spirit^(Q) of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed^(R) into a different person. ⁷ Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever^(S) your hand^(T) finds to do, for God is with^(U) you.

⁸ “Go down ahead of me to Gilgal.^(V) I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven^(W) days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.”

Saul Made King

⁹ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed^(X) Saul’s heart, and all these signs^(Y) were fulfilled^(Z) that day. ¹⁰ When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit^(AA) of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.^{(AB) 11} When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What is this^(AC) that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”^(AD)

¹² A man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”^{(AE) 13} After Saul stopped prophesying,^(AF) he went to the high place.

¹⁴ Now Saul’s uncle^(AG) asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”

“Looking for the donkeys,^(AH)” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

¹⁶ Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys^(AI) had been found.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,^(A) my conscience confirms^(B) it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself^(C) were cursed^(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,^(E) those of my own race,^{(F) 4} the people of Israel.^(G) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;^(H) theirs the divine glory,^(I) the covenants,^(J) the receiving of the law,^(K) the temple worship^(L) and the promises.^{(M) 5} Theirs are the patriarchs,^(N) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,^(O) who is God over all,^(P) forever praised!^[a](Q) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

⁶ It is not as though God’s word^(R) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(S) 7} Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[b](T) 8} In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^(U) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^{(V) 9} For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^[c](W)

¹⁰ Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.^{(X) 11} Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad^(Y)—in order that God’s purpose^(Z) in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{[d](AA) 13} Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^[e](AB)

¹⁴ What then shall we say?^(AC) Is God unjust? Not at all!^{(AD) 15} For he says to Moses,

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.^{(AF) 17} For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^{[g](AG) 18} Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.^(AH)

¹⁹ One of you will say to me:^(AI) “Then why does God still blame us?^(AJ) For who is able to resist his will?”^{(AK) 20} But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?^(AL) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,^(AM) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”^{[h](AN) 21} Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?^(AO)

²² What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience^(AP) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?^{(AQ) 23} What if he did this to make the riches of his glory^(AR) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory^(AS)— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called,^(AT) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?^{(AU) 25} As he says in Hosea:

²⁶ and,

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹ It is just as Isaiah said previously:

Israel’s Unbelief

³⁰ What then shall we say?^(BC) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;^{(BD) 31} but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,^(BE) have not attained their goal.^{(BF) 32} Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(BG) 33} As it is written:

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah^{(A) 18} and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed^(B) you.’ ¹⁹ But you have now rejected^(C) your God, who saves^(D) you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, ‘No, appoint a king^(E) over us.’^(F) So now present^(G) yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”

²⁰ When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹ Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken.^(H) Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. ²² So they inquired^(I) further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.”

²³ They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller^(J) than any of the others. ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen?^(K) There is no one like^(L) him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “Long live^(M) the king!”

²⁵ Samuel explained^(N) to the people the rights and duties^(O) of kingship.^(P) He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.

²⁶ Saul also went to his home in Gibeah,^(Q) accompanied by valiant men^(R) whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some scoundrels^(S) said, “How can this fellow save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts.^(T) But Saul kept silent.

Jesus Drives Out an Impure Spirit^(A)

³¹ Then he went down to Capernaum,^(B) a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. ³² They were amazed at his teaching,^(C) because his words had authority.^(D)

³³ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, ³⁴ “Go away! What do you want with us,^(E) Jesus of Nazareth?^(F) Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are^(G)—the Holy One of God!”^(H)

³⁵ “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly.^(I) “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

³⁶ All the people were amazed^(J) and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority^(K) and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” ³⁷ And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.^(L)

Jesus Heals Many^(M)(N)

³⁸ Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. ³⁹ So he bent over her and rebuked^(O) the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.

⁴⁰ At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one,^(P) he healed them.^{(Q) 41} Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”^(R) But he rebuked^(S) them and would not allow them to speak,^(T) because they knew he was the Messiah.

⁴² At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. ⁴³ But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God^(U) to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” ⁴⁴ And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.^(V)