Book of Common Prayer

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.

A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and ^[a]pours out his complaint before the Lord.

The Lord Rescues People from Many Troubles.

Saul’s Search

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was ^(A)Kish the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a ^[a]valiant mighty man. ² He had a son whose name was Saul, a ^(B)young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; ^(C)from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.

³ Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had wandered off. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Now take with you one of the servants and arise, go search for the donkeys.” ⁴ So he passed through ^(D)the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of ^(E)Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of ^(F)Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of ^(G)Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let’s return, ^(H)or else my father will stop being concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious about us.” ⁶ But he said to him, “Behold now, there is ^(I)a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; ^(J)everything that he says definitely comes true. Now let’s go there, ^(K)perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.” ⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks and there is ^(L)no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will ^(M)tell us our way.” ⁹ (Previously in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let’s go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was previously called ^(N)a seer.) ¹⁰ Then Saul said to his servant, “^[b]Good idea; come, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

¹¹ As they went up the slope to the city, ^(O)they found young women going out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?” ¹² They answered them and said, “He is; ^[c]see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, because ^(P)the people have a sacrifice on ^(Q)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 ^(R)he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now then, go up, for you will find him about this time.” 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.

¹⁷ “But as the ^(A)time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, ^(B)the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ until ^(C)another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹ It was he who ^(D)shrewdly took advantage of our nation and mistreated our fathers in order that they would ^(E)abandon their infants in the Nile, so that they would not survive. ²⁰ At this time ^(F)Moses was born; and he was beautiful to God. He was nurtured for three months in his father’s home. ²¹ And after he had been put outside, ^(G)Pharaoh’s daughter ^[a]took him away and nurtured him as her own son. ²² Moses was educated in all ^(H)the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was proficient in ^[b]speaking and action. ²³ But when he was approaching the age of forty, ^(I)it entered his ^[c]mind to visit his countrymen, the sons of Israel. ²⁴ And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended and took vengeance for the oppressed man by fatally striking the Egyptian. ²⁵ And he thought that his brothers understood that God was granting them ^[d]deliverance ^[e]through him; but they did not understand. ^26 (J)And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting each other, and he tried to reconcile them to peace, by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you injuring each other?’ ²⁷ But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘^(K)Who made you a ruler and judge over us? ^28 (L)You do not intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ ²⁹ At this remark, ^(M)Moses fled and became a stranger in the land of ^[f]Midian, where he ^(N)fathered two sons.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, behold, ^(A)Satan has ^[a]demanded to ^(B)sift you men like wheat; ³² but I ^(C)have prayed for ^[b]you, that ^[c]your faith will not fail; and ^[d]you, when you have ^[e]turned back, ^(D)strengthen your brothers.” ^33 (E)But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” ³⁴ But He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

³⁵ And He said to them, “^(F)When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” ³⁶ And He said to them, “But now, ^[f]whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and ^[g]whoever has no sword is to sell his ^[h]cloak and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘^(G)And He was counted with wrongdoers’; for ^(H)that which refers to Me has its ^[i]fulfillment.” ³⁸ They said, “Lord, look, here are two ^(I)swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”