Israel Demands a King

8 And it came about when Samuel was old that ^(A)he appointed his sons judges over Israel. ² Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in ^(B)Beersheba. ³ His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and ^(C)took bribes and perverted justice.

⁴ Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at ^(D)Ramah; ⁵ and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now ^(E)appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶ But the thing was ^[a](F)displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And ^(G)Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for ^(H)they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. ⁸ Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. ⁹ Now then, listen to their voice; ^(I)however, you shall solemnly ^[b]warn them and tell them of ^(J)the ^[c]procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

Warning concerning a King

¹⁰ So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to ^(K)the people who had asked of him a king. ¹¹ He said, “^(L)This will be the ^[d]procedure of the king who will reign over you: ^(M)he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and ^(N)they will run before his chariots. ^12 (O)He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to ^[e]do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. ^14 (P)He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. ¹⁵ He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. ¹⁶ He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and ^[f]use them for his work. ¹⁷ He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. ¹⁸ Then ^(Q)you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but ^(R)the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

¹⁹ Nevertheless, the people ^(S)refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, ^20 (T)that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” ²¹ Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, ^(U)he repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. ²² The Lord said to Samuel, “^(V)Listen to their voice and ^[g]appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”

Saul’s Search

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was ^(W)Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of ^[h]valor. ² He had a son whose name was Saul, a ^(X)choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; ^(Y)from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

³ Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now with you one of the servants, and arise, go search for the donkeys.” ⁴ He passed through ^(Z)the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of ^(AA)Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of ^(AB)Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of ^(AC)Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let us return, ^(AD)or else my father will cease to be concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious for us.” ⁶ He said to him, “Behold now, there is ^(AE)a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; ^(AF)all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, ^(AG)perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.” ⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack and there is ^(AH)no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will ^(AI)tell us our way.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called ^(AJ)a seer.) ¹⁰ Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they went up the slope to the city, ^(AK)they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” ¹² They answered them and said, “He is; ^[i]see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, for ^(AL)the people have a sacrifice on ^(AM)the high place today. ¹³ As soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because ^(AN)he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up for you will find him at once.” ¹⁴ So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.

God’s Choice for King

¹⁵ Now a day before Saul’s coming, ^(AO)the Lord had ^[j]revealed this to Samuel saying, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and ^(AP)you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For ^(AQ)I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.” ¹⁷ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord ^[k]said to him, “^(AR)Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.” ¹⁸ Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” ¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind. ^20 (AS)As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And ^(AT)for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?” ²¹ Saul replied, “^(AU)Am I not a Benjamite, of ^(AV)the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the ^[l]tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”

²² Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. ²³ Samuel said to the cook, “^[m]Bring the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said to you, ‘Set it ^[n]aside.’” ²⁴ Then the cook ^(AW)took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here is what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, ^[o]since I said I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ When they came down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul ^(AX)on the ^[p]roof. ²⁶ And they arose early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, that I may send you away.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. ²⁷ As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you.”

Saul among Prophets

10 Then ^(AY)Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, ^(AZ)kissed him and said, “Has not ^(BA)the Lord anointed you a ruler over ^(BB)His inheritance? ² When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to ^(BC)Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘^(BD)The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ^[q]ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ ³ Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the ^[r](BE)oak of Tabor, and there three men going up ^(BF)to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; ⁴ and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. ⁵ Afterward you will come to ^[s](BG)the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet ^(BH)a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and ^(BI)they will be prophesying. ⁶ Then ^(BJ)the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and ^(BK)you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. ⁷ It shall be when these signs come to you, ^(BL)do for yourself what ^[t]the occasion requires, for ^(BM)God is with you. ⁸ And ^(BN)you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and ^(BO)sacrifice peace offerings. ^(BP)You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”

⁹ Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God ^(BQ)changed ^[u]his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. ^10 (BR)When they came to ^[v]the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. ¹¹ It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? ^(BS)Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹² A man there said, “Now, who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “^(BT)Is Saul also among the prophets?” ¹³ When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴ Now ^(BU)Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “^(BV)To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.” ¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” ¹⁶ So Saul said to his uncle, “^(BW)He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.

Saul Publicly Chosen King

¹⁷ Thereafter Samuel called the ^(BX)people together to the Lord at Mizpah; ¹⁸ and he said to the sons of Israel, “^(BY)Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the ^[w]power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ ¹⁹ But you ^(BZ)have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have ^[x]said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, ^(CA)present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.”

²⁰ Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. ²¹ Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. ²² Therefore ^(CB)they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” So the Lord said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.” ²³ So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, ^(CC)he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. ²⁴ Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him ^(CD)whom the Lord has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “^[y](CE)Long live the king!”

²⁵ Then Samuel told the people ^(CF)the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and ^(CG)placed it before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house. ²⁶ Saul also went ^(CH)to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. ²⁷ But certain ^[z](CI)worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and ^(CJ)did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “^(A)Do not let your heart be troubled; ^[a]believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for ^(B)I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, ^(C)I will come again and receive you to Myself, that ^(D)where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ^5 (E)Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus *said to him, “I am ^(F)the way, and ^(G)the truth, and ^(H)the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Oneness with the Father

^7 (I)If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you ^(J)know Him, and have ^(K)seen Him.”

^8 (L)Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” ⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? ^(M)He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that ^(N)I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? ^(O)The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ¹¹ Believe Me that ^(P)I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise ^(Q)believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and ^(R)greater works than these he will do; because ^(S)I go to the Father. ^13 (T)Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that ^(U)the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything ^(V)in My name, I will do it.

¹⁵ “^(W)If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Role of the Spirit

¹⁶ I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^[b](X)Helper, that He may be with you forever; ¹⁷ that is ^(Y)the Spirit of truth, ^(Z)whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

¹⁸ “I will not leave you as orphans; ^(AA)I will come to you. ^19 [c](AB)After a little while ^(AC)the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; ^(AD)because I live, you will live also. ^20 (AE)In that day you will know that ^(AF)I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ^21 (AG)He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and ^(AH)he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will ^(AI)disclose Myself to him.” ^22 (AJ)Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened ^(AK)that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” ²³ Jesus answered and said to him, “^(AL)If anyone loves Me, he will ^(AM)keep My word; and ^(AN)My Father will love him, and We ^(AO)will come to him and make Our abode with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me ^(AP)does not keep My words; and ^(AQ)the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. ²⁶ But the ^(AR)Helper, the Holy Spirit, ^(AS)whom the Father will send in My name, ^(AT)He will teach you all things, and ^(AU)bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ^27 (AV)Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. ^(AW)Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ^28 (AX)You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and ^(AY)I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because ^(AZ)I go to the Father, for ^(BA)the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ Now ^(BB)I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. ³⁰ I will not speak much more with you, for ^(BC)the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; ³¹ but so that the world may know that I love the Father, ^[d]I do exactly as ^(BD)the Father commanded Me. Get up, ^(BE)let us go from here.