Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song. A Psalm by David.

9 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. ² He had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.

³ The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, “Now take one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys.” ⁴ He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren’t there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn’t find them.

⁵ When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come! Let’s return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys and be anxious for us.”

⁶ The servant said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says surely happens. Now let’s go there. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”

⁷ Then Saul said to his servant, “But behold, if we go, what should we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our sacks, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸ The servant answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel^[a] of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.” ⁹ (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come! Let’s go to the seer;” for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)

¹⁰ Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said. Come! Let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. ¹¹ As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

¹² They answered them and said, “He is. Behold, he is before you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place. ¹³ As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice. Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you will find him.”

¹⁴ They went up to the city. As they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.

¹⁴ He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke; and the multitudes marveled. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” ¹⁶ Others, testing him, sought from him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. A house divided against itself falls. ¹⁸ If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. ¹⁹ But if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if I by God’s finger cast out demons, then God’s Kingdom has come to you.

²¹ “When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own dwelling, his goods are safe. ²² But when someone stronger attacks him and overcomes him, he takes from him his whole armor in which he trusted, and divides his plunder.

²³ “He who is not with me is against me. He who doesn’t gather with me scatters.

²⁴ The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will turn back to my house from which I came out.’ ²⁵ When he returns, he finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶ Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

²⁷ It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!”

²⁸ But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.”