Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
4 Therefore, all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel, to Ramah,
5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old. And your sons do not walk in your ways. Make us now 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.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say to you. For they have not cast you away, but have cast Me away, so that I would not reign over them.
8 “As they have always done, since I brought them out of Egypt up until this day (forsaking Me and serving other gods), even so they do to you.
9 “Now, therefore, listen to their voice. However, still testify to them and show them the behavior of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 So, Samuel told all the Words of the LORD to the people who asked for a king from Him.
11 And he said, “This shall be the behavior of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen. And some shall run before his chariot.
12 “Also, he will make them his captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make instruments of war, and the things that serve for his chariots.
13 “He will also take your daughters and make them apothecaries and cooks and bakers.
14 “And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your best olive trees and give them to his servants.
15 “And he will take a tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants.
16 “And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and the chief of your young men and your donkeys and put them to work for him.
17 “He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you shall be his servants.
18 “And you shall cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves. And the LORD will not hear you on that day.”
19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but said, “No, but there shall be a king over us!
20 “And we, also, will be like all other nations; and our king shall judge us and go out before us and fight our battles!”
14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, so that we may go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there.”
15 So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king there, before the LORD in Gilgal. And they offered Peace Offerings before the LORD there. And Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced exceedingly there.
138 I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will praise You.
2 I will worship toward Your Holy Temple, and praise Your Name, because of Your lovingkindness and for Your Truth; for You have magnified Your Name by Your Word above all things.
3 When I called, then You heard me and increased strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the Earth shall praise You, O LORD; for they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, because the Glory of the LORD is great.
6 For the LORD is high, yet He beholds the lowly; but He knows the proud afar off.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me. You will stretch forth Your hand upon the wrath of my enemies; and Your right hand shall save me.
8 The LORD will perform toward me. O LORD, Your mercy endures forever! Do not forsake the works of Your hands. To him who excels: A Psalm of David
13 And because we have the same spirit of faith, as it is written, “I believed, and therefore I have spoken”, we also believe, and therefore speak,
14 knowing that He Who has raised up the Lord Jesus, shall also raise us up by Jesus, and shall set us with you.
15 For all things are for your sakes, so that that superabundant grace by the thanksgiving of many, may increase to the praise of God.
16 Therefore, we do not faint. But though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed daily.
17 For our light affliction, which is only for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
18 While we look, not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary. But the things which are not seen are eternal.
5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle is destroyed, we have a building given by God; that is, a house, made not with hands, but eternal, in the heavens.
20 And the multitude assembled again, so that they could not even eat bread.
21 And when His family heard of it, they went out to get Him. For they said that He was beside Himself.
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem, said, “He has Beelzebub. And through the prince of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 But He called them to Him, and said to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?
24 “For if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 “Or if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot continue.
26 “So if Satan opposes himself, and is divided, he cannot endure, but is at an end.
27 “No one can enter into a strong man’s house, and take away his goods, except that he first bind that strong man, and then rob his house.
28 “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the children of man, and blasphemies with which they blaspheme.
29 “But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness; but is culpable of eternal damnation.”
30 He said this because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’
31 Then His brothers and mother came and stood outside and sent word to Him and called Him.
32 And the people who sat around Him said to Him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers seek you outside.”
33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is my mother and my brothers?”
34 And He looked at those who sat around Him, and said, “Behold My mother and My brothers.
35 “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother, My sister, and My mother.”
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