Sunday, 07 April

1.   Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. 2.   So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. 3.   Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4.   So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. 5.   And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6.   So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. 7.   Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it , they were afraid of the Philistines. 8.   So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." 9.   And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10.   Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11.   And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12.   Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." 13.   So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14.   Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15.   And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16.   He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17.   But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

1.   Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2.   The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3.   But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. 4.   Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5.   and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us 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." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7.   And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8.   "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day––with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods––so they are doing to you also. 9.   "Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them." 10.   So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. 11.   And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12.   "He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13.   "He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14.   "And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15.   "He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16.   "And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17.   "He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants. 18.   "And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not hear you in that day." 19.   Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No, but we will have a king over us, 20.   that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 21.   And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. 22.   So the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."

1.   There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2.   And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3.   Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, "Please, take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys." 4.   So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them . Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there . Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them . 5.   When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us." 6.   And he said to him, "Look now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go." 7.   Then Saul said to his servant, "But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?" 8.   And the servant answered Saul again and said, "Look, I have here at hand one fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way." 9.   (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.) 10.   Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was . 11.   As they went up the hill to the city, they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the seer here?" 12.   And they answered them and said, "Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place. 13.   "As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him." 14.   So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 15.   Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16.   "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to me." 17.   And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, "There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people." 18.   Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?" 19.   And Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20.   "But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?" 21.   And Saul answered and said, " Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?" 22.   Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons. 23.   And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it apart.’" 24.   So the cook took up the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people." So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25.   When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the top of the house. 26.   They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, "Get up, that I may send you on your way." And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel. 27.   As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." And he went on. "But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God."

1.   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2.   through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3.   And not only that , but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4.   and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5.   Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6.   For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7.   For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8.   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9.   Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10.   For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11.   And not only that , but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. 12.   Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned–– 13.   (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14.   Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15.   But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16.   And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17.   For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18.   Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19.   For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 20.   Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21.   so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.