Old/New Testament
Saul Disobeys the Lord
15 Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people, Israel. Now listen to the words[a] of the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘I’ll punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, when he set himself against Israel[b] in the way, as they were going up from Egypt. 3 Now, go and attack Amalek. Completely destroy[c] all that they have. Don’t spare them, but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, both ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 Saul summoned the people and mustered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. 6 Saul told the Kenites, “Withdraw from the Amalekites so that I don’t destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the Israelis when they departed from Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites. 7 Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He captured alive Agag king of Amalek, but he completely destroyed all the people, executing them with swords. 9 Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle—the fattened animals and lambs—along with all that was good. They were not willing to completely destroy them, but they did completely destroy everything that was worthless and inferior.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10 This message from the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I made Saul king, because he has turned away from following me and has not carried out my commands.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all night.
12 Samuel got up early in the morning to meet Saul, but Samuel was told, “Saul went up to Carmel to set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and traveled on to Gilgal.”
13 Samuel approached Saul. “May the Lord bless you,” Saul said. “I’ve carried out the Lord’s command.”
14 Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15 Saul replied, “They brought them from the Amalekites. The people spared the best of the sheep and cattle to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God, and the rest they completely destroyed.”
16 “Be quiet!” Samuel said. “I’ll tell you what the Lord told me last night.”
Saul told him, “Speak.”
17 So Samuel replied, “Is it not true that though you were small in your own eyes you became head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed you king over Israel? 18 The Lord sent you on a mission: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they’re destroyed.’ 19 Why didn’t you obey the Lord, but grabbed the spoil and did evil in the Lord’s sight?”
20 Saul told Samuel, “I did obey the Lord. I went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, I brought Agag king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21 The people took some of the spoil—sheep, cattle, and the best of what was to be completely destroyed—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”
22 Samuel said,
“Does the Lord delight as much in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying the Lord?
Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better[d] than the fat of rams.
23 Indeed, rebellion is the sin of divination,
and arrogance is iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected this message from the Lord,
he has rejected you from being king.”
24 “I’ve sinned,” Saul replied to Samuel. “I’ve broken the Lord’s command and your word, because I was afraid of the people and listened to them. 25 Now, please forgive my sin and return with me so I may worship the Lord.”
26 Samuel told Saul, “I won’t return with you because you have rejected the message from the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 As Samuel turned to go Saul[e] seized him by the corner of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel told him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he’s not a man that he should change his mind.”
30 “I’ve sinned,” Saul[f] said. “But please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 Samuel returned, following Saul, and Saul worshipped the Lord.
Samuel Executes King Agag
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of Amalek to me.”
Agag came to him in fetters, saying to himself,[g] “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 Samuel said, “Just as your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” Then Samuel cut Agag into pieces in the Lord’s presence in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul, and the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
David Anointed to Succeed Saul
16 The Lord told Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I’ve rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I’m sending you to Jesse from Bethlehem because I’ve chosen for myself one of his sons as king.”
2 Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear about this[h] and kill me!”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer[i] with you and say, ‘I’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 You are to invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I’ll show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I tell you.”
4 Samuel did what the Lord said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and said, “May your coming be in peace.”
5 He said, “Peace, I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Samuel[j] consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel[k] saw Eliab, and said, “Surely he’s the Lord’s[l] anointed.”[m]
7 The Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or his height,[n] for I’ve rejected him. Truly, God does not see[o] what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord sees the heart.”
8 Then Jesse summoned Abinadab and brought him before Samuel, and he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse brought Shammah, and he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Jesse brought seven of his sons before Samuel, and Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”
11 Then Samuel told Jesse, “Are these all the young men?” He said, “There yet remains the youngest one, and right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send someone to get him,[p] for we won’t do anything else[q] until he arrives here.” 12 So he sent and brought him. He had a dark, healthy complexion, with beautiful eyes, and he was handsome. The Lord said, “Get up and anoint him, for this is the one.”
God’s Spirit Comes on David and Departs from Saul
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David[r] in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came on David from that day forward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
14 The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15 Saul’s servants told him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our lord order his servants who attend you[s] to look for a man who is skilled in playing the lyre. And then when an evil spirit from God comes on you, he will play[t] and you will be better.”
17 Saul told his servants, “Find[u] a man for me who can play well and bring him to me.”
18 One of the young men answered: “Look, I’ve seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilled in playing. The man is a valiant soldier, gifted in speech, and handsome. And the Lord is with him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and one kid, and sent them to Saul along with his son David. 21 David went to Saul and began to serve him.[v] Saul loved him very much, and he became his armor bearer. 22 Saul sent a messenger[w] to Jesse to tell him, “Allow David to serve me, because I’m pleased with him.”[x] 23 Whenever an evil[y] spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the lyre and play it.[z] Relief would come to Saul and he would be better, because the evil spirit would leave him.
The Good Samaritan
25 Just then an expert in the Law stood up to test Jesus.[a] He asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus[b] answered him, “What is written in the Law? What do you read there?”
27 He answered, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.[c] And you must love[d] your neighbor as yourself.”[e]
28 Jesus[f] told him, “You have answered correctly. ‘Do this, and you will live.’”[g]
29 But the man wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 After careful consideration, Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of bandits. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 By chance, a priest was traveling along that road. When he saw the man,[h] he went by on the other side. 32 Similarly, a descendant of Levi came to that place. When he saw the man,[i] he also went by on the other side. 33 But as he was traveling along, a Samaritan came across the man.[j] When the Samaritan[k] saw him, he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, he took out two denarii[l] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If you spend more than that, I’ll repay you when I come back.’
36 “Of these three men, who do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the bandits?”
37 He said, “The one who showed mercy to him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do what he did.”
Jesus Visits Mary and Martha
38 Now as they were traveling along, Jesus[m] went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and kept listening to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don’t you? Then tell her to help me.”
41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. 42 But there’s only[n] one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better,[o] and it is not to be taken away from her.”
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.