Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 108^[a]

Prayer for Divine Assistance against Enemies

¹ A song. A psalm of David.

Chapter 9

Saul and the Lost Donkeys. ¹ There was a certain man from Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah. He was a man of high standing in Benjamin. ² He had a son whose name was Saul. He was a handsome young man, and there was no one in Israel who was more handsome than he. He was also a head taller than anyone else. ³ Now the donkeys belonging to Kish, the father of Saul, were lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the servants with you and go up and look for the donkeys.”^[a]

⁴ So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, in the area around Shalishah, but he could not find them. Then he went into the area around Shaalim, but they were not there. He next passed into the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.

⁵ When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come on, let us go back, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” ⁶ But the servant replied, “There is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected, and everything that he says comes true. Let us now go to him, perhaps he can tell us where to go.”

⁷ Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what are we going to bring the man? We have used up all of the food in our sacks. We have nothing to give the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸ The servant answered Saul, saying, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he can tell us which way to go.” ⁹ (In former days in Israel, if someone wanted to ask something of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for in those days prophets were called seers.) ¹⁰ So Saul said to his servant, “Good! Let us go.” They went into the town where the man of God was living.

¹¹ As they were going up the hill on the way to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is the seer here?” ¹² They answered, “He is. Hurry now, for he has just arrived in the town today because the people are offering a sacrifice on the heights.^{[b] 13} Find him as soon as you enter the town before he goes up to the heights to eat. The people will not start to eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now, for right around now you should find him.”

¹⁴ Saul Meets Samuel. They went into the town, and as they were entering the town, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the heights.

For or against Jesus^[a]

¹⁴ Jesus and Beelzebul.^[b] Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the man who was mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” ¹⁶ Others, to test him, demanded a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ However, he knew what they were thinking, and he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself will collapse. ¹⁸ If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?

“For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ Now, if it is by Beelzebul that I cast out demons, by whom do your own children cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

²¹ “When a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe. ²² But when someone who is stronger than he is attacks and overpowers him, he carries off all the weapons upon which the owner relied and distributes the plunder.

²³ No Compromise.“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

²⁴ New Offensive from the Evil Spirit.“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions seeking a place to rest, and if it finds none it says, ‘I will return to the home from which I departed.’ ²⁵ However, when it returns, it finds that home swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes off and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and settle there. As a result, the plight of that person is worse than before.”

²⁷ True Blessedness.^[c] While he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out to him and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” ²⁸ Jesus replied, “Blessed, rather, are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”