7 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark. ² From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh. ³ Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only. ⁵ Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.” ⁶ They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel, and Yahweh answered him. ¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel. ¹¹ The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer,^[a] saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴ The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. ¹⁷ His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.

8 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel. ² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. ³ His sons didn’t walk in his ways, but turned away after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel to Ramah. ⁵ They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.”

Samuel prayed to Yahweh. ⁷ Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them. ⁸ According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me and served other gods, so they also do to you. ⁹ Now therefore, listen to their voice. However, you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰ Samuel told all Yahweh’s words to the people who asked him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them as his servants, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and they will run before his chariots. ¹² He will appoint them to him for captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest; and to make his instruments of war and the instruments of his chariots. ¹³ He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers. ¹⁴ He will take your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, even your best, and give them to his servants. ¹⁵ He will take one tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his officers and to his servants. ¹⁶ He will take your male servants, your female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys, and assign them to his own work. ¹⁷ He will take one tenth of your flocks; and you will be his servants. ¹⁸ You will cry out in that day because of your king whom you will have chosen for yourselves; and Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, ²⁰ that we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Yahweh. ²² Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and make them a king.”

Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go to your own city.”

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared. He who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him. ⁵² Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? ⁵³ When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

⁵⁴ They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed from a distance. ⁵⁵ When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.”

⁵⁷ He denied Jesus, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸ After a little while someone else saw him, and said, “You also are one of them!”

But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹ After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean!”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.” ⁶² He went out, and wept bitterly.

⁶³ The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him. ⁶⁴ Having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?” ⁶⁵ They spoke many other things against him, insulting him.

⁶⁶ As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people were gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying, ⁶⁷ “If you are the Christ, tell us.”

But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, ⁶⁸ and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go. ⁶⁹ From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

⁷⁰ They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?”

He said to them, “You say it, because I am.”

⁷¹ They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!”