Old/New Testament
The Ark is Stored in Kiriath-Jearim
7 The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord. They brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to care for the Ark of the Lord.
2 A long time passed—it was twenty years—from the time the Ark came to reside in Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel mourned because of the Lord.
The Philistines are Defeated at Ebenezer
3 Then Samuel told the whole house of Israel, “If you’re returning to the Lord with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth[a] from among you, direct your hearts back to the Lord, and serve him only. Then he will deliver you from the control of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelis removed the Baals[b] and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
5 Samuel said, “Bring all Israel together at Mizpah, and I’ll pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 6 So they came together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.
On that day they fasted there and said, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Then Samuel judged the Israelis at Mizpah. 7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelis had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine lords came up against Israel. When the Israelis heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 The Israelis told Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us that he may deliver us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But that day the Lord thundered against the Philistines and threw them into panic, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as a point below Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone, placed it between Mizpah and Shen[c] and named it Ebenezer.[d] He said, “The Lord has helped us this far.” 13 The Philistines were subdued, and they did not continue to enter the territory of Israel.
The Lord continued to oppose the Philistines all during Samuel’s life time. 14 The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places. 17 He would return to Ramah because his house was there, and judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the Lord there.
Israel Demands a King
8 When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba. 3 His sons did not follow Samuel’s example.[e] Instead, they pursued[f] dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.[g]
4 All the elders of Israel gathered together, and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They told him, “Look, you’re old, and your sons don’t follow your example.[h] So appoint a king to govern us like all the other[i] nations.” 6 Samuel was displeased[j] when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7 The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to the people[k] in all that they say to you. In fact, it’s not you they have rejected, but rather they have rejected me from being their king. 8 Like all the things they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day, they have forsaken me and followed other gods. They’re also doing the same thing to you. 9 Now, listen to them, but you are to clearly warn them and inform them about how the king who rules over them will operate.”[l]
10 Samuel reported everything the Lord told him to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is how the king who rules over you will operate: He will conscript your sons and assign them[m] to his chariots. He will conscript them[n] as his horsemen, and they’ll run in front of his chariots. 12 He will appoint his officers over thousands and officers over fifties—some will plow his fields,[o] reap his harvest, and craft his war implements and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters for perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 He will take the best products of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves and give them to his servants.[p] 15 He will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his officers and servants.[q] 16 He will take your male and female servants, your best young men, and your donkeys to do his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flock, and you will become his servants. 18 When all of this comes about, you will cry out because of your king whom you chose for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you at that time.”
19 The people refused to listen to Samuel.[r] Instead, they insisted, “No! Let a king rule over us instead! 20 We, too, will be like all the nations! Our king will govern us and go out before us to fight our battles.”
21 So Samuel listened to all the words of the people, and he repeated them directly to[s] the Lord. 22 The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to them, and appoint a king for them.”
Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you go to his own town.”
Saul Selected as Israel’s First King
9 There was a man from Benjamin named Kish, Abiel’s son, the grandson of Zeror and great-grandson of Aphiah’s son Becorath. A prominent man[t] from Benjamin, 2 he had a son named Saul, who was a choice and handsome[u] young man. There was no one among the Israelis as handsome as he, and he was a head taller[v] than any of the other people.
3 The donkeys belonging to Kish, Saul’s father, were lost, and Kish told his son Saul, “Take one of the young men with you, get up, and go look for the donkeys.” 4 He went through the hill country of Ephraim and through the region of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they went through the region of Shaalim, but they were not there. They also went through the territory of the descendants of Benjamin, but they did not find them.
5 When they entered the region of Zuph, Saul told the[w] young man with him, “Come on, let’s go back so my father does not stop worrying[x] about the donkeys and become anxious about us.”
6 The young man[y] said, “Look, there’s a man of God in this town. The man is respected, and everything he predicts happens. Now, let’s go there. Perhaps he can tell us about the[z] journey on which we have set out.”
7 Saul told the[aa] young man, “Look, we could go, but what could we bring the man? The bread is gone from our bags, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
8 The young man answered Saul again, “Look here! I have in my hand a quarter shekel[ab] of silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us about our journey.”
9 (Previously in Israel, a person would say when he went to inquire of God, “Come on! Let’s go to the seer!” because the person known as a prophet[ac] today was formerly called a seer.)
10 Saul told his young man, “That’s a good suggestion! Come on, let’s go!” Then they entered the town where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women going out to draw water, and they told them, “Is the seer here?”
12 They answered them: “Yes, he’s right there ahead of you. Hurry, for he came to town just today because there is a sacrifice for the people on the high place today. 13 When you come into town you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people don’t eat until he arrives, because he must bless the sacrifice and then after that those who are invited will eat. So go up right now because you can find him now.” 14 They went up to the town, and as they were coming to the center of the town, Samuel was coming out to meet them, on his way[ad] up to the high place.
The Lord’s Revelation to Samuel
15 Now one day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had revealed to[ae] Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I’ll send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him as Commander-in-Chief[af] over my people Israel. He’ll deliver my people from the control[ag] of the Philistines, because I’ve seen the suffering of[ah] my people and because their cry has come up to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about. This man will rule over my people.”
18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
19 Samuel answered Saul: “I’m the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, and eat with me today. In the morning I’ll send you away and tell you everything that is on your mind. 20 Now as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, don’t give any thought to them, because they’ve been found. Meanwhile, to whom is all Israel looking, if not to you and all of your father’s household?”
21 Saul answered: “Am I not a descendant of Benjamin from the least of the tribes of Israel? Isn’t my family the least important of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me like this?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them to a room where he gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, of whom there were about 30 men. 23 Then Samuel told the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave you, the one I told you to set aside.” 24 The cook picked up the thigh and what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Then Samuel[ai] said, “Here is what is left! Set it before you and eat, for it has been kept for you until the appointed time, about which I said,[aj] ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they had come down from the high place into town,[ak] Samuel[al] spoke to Saul on the roof. 26 They got up early in the morning, and about daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up and I’ll send you off.” Saul got up and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outside. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel told Saul, “Tell your young man to go ahead of us and when he has gone ahead, stop for a while so I may declare God’s word to you.”
Peter Declares His Faith in Jesus(A)
18 One day, while Jesus[a] was praying privately and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
19 They answered, “Some say[b] John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the ancient prophets who has come back to life.”
20 He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
“God’s Messiah,”[c] Peter replied.
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection(B)
21 He gave them strict orders, commanding them not to tell this to anyone. 22 He said, “The Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be rejected by the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. Then he must be killed, but on the third day he will be raised.”
23 Then he told all of them, “If anyone wants to come with me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross every day, and follow me continuously, 24 because whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 What profit will a person have if he gains the whole world, but destroys himself or is lost? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the glory of[d] the Father and the holy angels. 27 I tell you with certainty, some people who are standing here won’t experience[e] death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(C)
28 Now about eight days after Jesus said this,[f] he took Peter, John, and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes turned dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men were talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah. 31 They had a glorified appearance, and were discussing Jesus’[g] departure that he would shortly bring about in Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and the men with him had been overcome by sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’[h] glory and the two men standing with him. 33 Just as Moses and Elijah[i] were leaving,[j] Peter told Jesus, “Master, it’s good that we’re here! Let’s set up three shelters[k]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Peter[l] didn’t know what he was saying.) 34 But while he was saying this, a cloud appeared and surrounded them, and they became terrified as they were being overshadowed by the cloud.
35 Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen.[m] Keep listening to him!” 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was[n] alone. The disciples[o] kept silent and at that time[p] told no one about what they had seen.
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