Saturday, 10 August

1.   Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel, 2.   Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the mountains of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the people he sent away, every man to his tent. 3.   And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it . Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!" 4.   Now all Israel heard it said that Saul had attacked a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel had also become an abomination to the Philistines. And the people were called together to Saul at Gilgal. 5.   Then the Philistines gathered together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth Aven. 6.   When the men of Israel saw that they were in danger (for the people were distressed), then the people hid in caves, in thickets, in rocks, in holes, and in pits. 7.   And some of the Hebrews crossed over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 8.   Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9.   So Saul said, "Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me." And he offered the burnt offering. 10.   Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him. 11.   And Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, 12.   "then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering." 13.   And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14.   "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you." 15.   Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men. 16.   Saul, Jonathan his son, and the people present with them remained in Gibeah of Benjamin. But the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17.   Then raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned to the road to Ophrah, to the land of Shual, 18.   another company turned to the road to Beth Horon, and another company turned to the road of the border that overlooks the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness. 19.   Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." 20.   But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; 21.   and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. 22.   So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son.

1.   Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2.   Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3.   For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4.   They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. 5.   They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves . Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good." 6.   Inasmuch as there is none like You, O LORD (You are great, and Your name is great in might), 7.   Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, There is none like You. 8.   But they are altogether dull–hearted and foolish; A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine. 9.   Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men . 10.   But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation. 11.   Thus you shall say to them: "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens." 12.   He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. 13.   When He utters His voice, There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: "And He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries." 14.   Everyone is dull–hearted, without knowledge; Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his molded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them. 15.   They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish. 16.   The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things , And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name. 17.   Gather up your wares from the land, O inhabitant of the fortress! 18.   For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will throw out at this time The inhabitants of the land, And will distress them, That they may find it so ." 19.   Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is severe. But I say, "Truly this is an infirmity, And I must bear it." 20.   My tent is plundered, And all my cords are broken; My children have gone from me, And they are no more. There is no one to pitch my tent anymore, Or set up my curtains. 21.   For the shepherds have become dull–hearted, And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they shall not prosper, And all their flocks shall be scattered. 22.   Behold, the noise of the report has come, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, a den of jackals. 23.   O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. 24.   O LORD, correct me, but with justice; Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing. 25.   Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, And on the families who do not call on Your name; For they have eaten up Jacob, Devoured him and consumed him, And made his dwelling place desolate.

1.   And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2.   This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3.   So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4.   Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5.   to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6.   So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7.   And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8.   Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9.   And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10.   Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11.   "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12.   "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 13.   And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14.   "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" 15.   So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16.   And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17.   Now when they had seen Him , they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18.   And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19.   But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20.   Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.