Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are 1 Samuel 10:1–11:15; John 6:43-71; Psalm 107:1-43; and Proverbs 15:1-3. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
1 Samuel 10-11:15 (Contemporary English Version)
1 Samuel 10
Samuel Tells Saul He Will Be King
1Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed a<="" value="[a]" >[] Saul and told him: The LORD has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people. [b<="">] 2When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, "The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you." 3Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine. 4After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread. 5Next, go to Gibeah, [c<="">] where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes. 6The Spirit of the LORD will suddenly take control of you.[d<="">] You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them. 7After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you. 8Then you should go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices and offerings to the LORD. I'll also tell you what to do next.
Saul Goes Back Home
9As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said. 10When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, [e<="">] and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying. 11Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, "What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?" 12"Why not?" one of them answered. "Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!" [f<="">] That's why everyone started saying, "How can Saul be a prophet?" 13After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.
14Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?"
Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."
15"And what did he tell you?" Saul's uncle asked.
16Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
14Later, Saul's uncle asked him, "Where have you been?"
Saul answered, "Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel."
15"And what did he tell you?" Saul's uncle asked.
16Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had been found." But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
The LORD Shows Israel that Saul Will Be King
17Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the LORD. 18When everyone had arrived, Samuel said: The LORD God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.
19God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.
20Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe. 21Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?"
"Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."
23The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. 24"Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!" Samuel told the crowd. "There is no one like him!"
The crowd shouted, "Long live the king!"
25Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the LORD was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him. 27But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
19God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the LORD can choose a king.
20Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe. 21Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22The people prayed, "Our LORD, is Saul here?"
"Yes," the LORD answered, "he is hiding behind the baggage."
23The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. 24"Look closely at the man the LORD has chosen!" Samuel told the crowd. "There is no one like him!"
The crowd shouted, "Long live the king!"
25Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in a temple building at one of the places where the LORD was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him. 27But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
1 Samuel 11
Saul Rescues the Town of Jabesh in Gilead
1About this time, [g<="">] King Nahash of Ammon came with his army and surrounded the town of Jabesh in Gilead. The people who lived there told Nahash, "If you will sign a peace treaty with us, you can be our ruler, and we will pay taxes to you." 2Nahash answered, "Sure, I'll sign a treaty! But not before I insult Israel by poking out the right eye of every man who lives in Jabesh." 3The town leaders said, "Give us seven days so we can send messengers everywhere in Israel to ask for help. If no one comes here to save us, we will surrender to you."
4Some of the messengers went to Gibeah, Saul's hometown. They told what was happening at Jabesh, and everyone in Gibeah started crying. 5Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen.
"Why is everyone crying?" Saul asked.
They told him what the men from Jabesh had said. 6Then the Spirit of God suddenly took control of Saul and made him furious. 7Saul killed two of his oxen, cut them up in pieces, and gave the pieces to the [h<="">] messengers. He told them to show the pieces to everyone in Israel and say, "Saul and Samuel are getting an army together. Come and join them. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen!" The LORD made the people of Israel terribly afraid. So all the men came together 8at Bezek. Saul had them organized and counted. There were three hundred thousand from Israel and thirty thousand [i<="">] from Judah. 9Saul and his officers sent the messengers back to Jabesh with this promise: "We will rescue you tomorrow afternoon." The messengers went back to the people at Jabesh and told them that they were going to be rescued.
Everyone was encouraged! 10So they told the Ammonites, "We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do whatever you want to."
11The next day, Saul divided his army into three groups and attacked before daylight. They started killing Ammonites and kept it up until afternoon. A few Ammonites managed to escape, but they were scattered far from each other.
12The Israelite soldiers went to Samuel and demanded, "Where are the men who said they didn't want Saul to be king? Bring them to us, and we will put them to death!"
13"No you won't!" Saul told them. "The LORD rescued Israel today, and no one will be put to death."
4Some of the messengers went to Gibeah, Saul's hometown. They told what was happening at Jabesh, and everyone in Gibeah started crying. 5Just then, Saul came in from the fields, walking behind his oxen.
"Why is everyone crying?" Saul asked.
They told him what the men from Jabesh had said. 6Then the Spirit of God suddenly took control of Saul and made him furious. 7Saul killed two of his oxen, cut them up in pieces, and gave the pieces to the [h<="">] messengers. He told them to show the pieces to everyone in Israel and say, "Saul and Samuel are getting an army together. Come and join them. If you don't, this is what will happen to your oxen!" The LORD made the people of Israel terribly afraid. So all the men came together 8at Bezek. Saul had them organized and counted. There were three hundred thousand from Israel and thirty thousand [i<="">] from Judah. 9Saul and his officers sent the messengers back to Jabesh with this promise: "We will rescue you tomorrow afternoon." The messengers went back to the people at Jabesh and told them that they were going to be rescued.
Everyone was encouraged! 10So they told the Ammonites, "We will surrender to you tomorrow, and then you can do whatever you want to."
11The next day, Saul divided his army into three groups and attacked before daylight. They started killing Ammonites and kept it up until afternoon. A few Ammonites managed to escape, but they were scattered far from each other.
12The Israelite soldiers went to Samuel and demanded, "Where are the men who said they didn't want Saul to be king? Bring them to us, and we will put them to death!"
13"No you won't!" Saul told them. "The LORD rescued Israel today, and no one will be put to death."
Saul Is Accepted as King
14"Come on!" Samuel said. "Let's go to Gilgal and make an agreement that Saul will continue to be our king." 15Everyone went to the place of worship at Gilgal, where they agreed that Saul would be their king. Saul and the people sacrificed animals to ask for the LORD's blessing, [j<="">] and they had a big celebration.
Footnotes:- 1 Samuel 10:1 kissed: Relatives or close friends often greeted one another with a kiss. But this may have been a ceremonial kiss after Samuel poured oil on Saul's head to show that he was to be the king.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 people: One ancient translation adds "You will rule the LORD's people and save them from their enemies who are all around them. These things will prove that what I say is true."
- 1 Samuel 10:5 Gibeah: The Hebrew text has "Gibeah of God," which may or may not have been the same Gibeah as Saul's hometown.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 take. . . you: Or "will take control of you in a powerful way."
- 1 Samuel 10:10 suddenly. . . him: Or "came over him in a powerful way."
- 1 Samuel 10:12 Why not. . . anyone else: Or "Sure he is! He's probably the leader of the prophets!" or "How can he be? Those prophets are nobodies!"
- 1 Samuel 11:1 But Saul. . . time: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls add "King Nahash of Ammon was making the people of Gad and Reuben miserable. He was poking out everyone's right eye, and no one in Israel could stop him. He had poked out the right eye of every Israelite man who lived east of the Jordan River. Only seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had gone into the town of Jabesh in Gilead. About a month later. . . "
- 1 Samuel 11:7 the: Or "some other."
- 1 Samuel 11:8 three hundred thousand. . . thirty thousand: The Dead Sea Scrolls and some ancient translations have different numbers.
- 1 Samuel 11:15 sacrificed. . . blessing: This kind of sacrifice is described in Leviticus 3; 7.11-36; 19.5-8. People who offered these sacrifices were allowed to eat most of the meat, and they could invite others to share it with them.
Footnotes:
- 1 Samuel 10:1 kissed: Relatives or close friends often greeted one another with a kiss. But this may have been a ceremonial kiss after Samuel poured oil on Saul's head to show that he was to be the king.
- 1 Samuel 10:1 people: One ancient translation adds "You will rule the LORD's people and save them from their enemies who are all around them. These things will prove that what I say is true."
- 1 Samuel 10:5 Gibeah: The Hebrew text has "Gibeah of God," which may or may not have been the same Gibeah as Saul's hometown.
- 1 Samuel 10:6 take. . . you: Or "will take control of you in a powerful way."
- 1 Samuel 10:10 suddenly. . . him: Or "came over him in a powerful way."
- 1 Samuel 10:12 Why not. . . anyone else: Or "Sure he is! He's probably the leader of the prophets!" or "How can he be? Those prophets are nobodies!"
- 1 Samuel 11:1 But Saul. . . time: The Standard Hebrew Text; the Dead Sea Scrolls add "King Nahash of Ammon was making the people of Gad and Reuben miserable. He was poking out everyone's right eye, and no one in Israel could stop him. He had poked out the right eye of every Israelite man who lived east of the Jordan River. Only seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had gone into the town of Jabesh in Gilead. About a month later. . . "
- 1 Samuel 11:7 the: Or "some other."
- 1 Samuel 11:8 three hundred thousand. . . thirty thousand: The Dead Sea Scrolls and some ancient translations have different numbers.
- 1 Samuel 11:15 sacrificed. . . blessing: This kind of sacrifice is described in Leviticus 3; 7.11-36; 19.5-8. People who offered these sacrifices were allowed to eat most of the meat, and they could invite others to share it with them.
John 6:43-71 (Contemporary English Version)
43Jesus told them:
Stop grumbling! 44No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them to life on the last day. 45One of the prophets wrote, "God will teach all of them." And so everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him will come to me.
46The only one who has seen the Father is the one who has come from him. No one else has ever seen the Father.47I tell you for certain that everyone who has faith in me has eternal life.
48I am the bread that gives life! 49Your ancestors ate manna a<="" value="[a]" >[] in the desert, and later they died. 50But the bread from heaven has come down, so that no one who eats it will ever die. 51I am that bread from heaven! Everyone who eats it will live forever. My flesh is the life-giving bread that I give to the people of this world. 52They started arguing with each other and asked, "How can he give us his flesh to eat?"
53Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that you won't live unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. 54But if you do eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will have eternal life, and I will raise you to life on the last day. 55My flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. 56If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you are one with me, and I am one with you.
57The living Father sent me, and I have life because of him. Now everyone who eats my flesh will live because of me. 58The bread that comes down from heaven isn't like what your ancestors ate. They died, but whoever eats this bread will live forever.
59Jesus was teaching in a Jewish place of worship in Capernaum when he said these things.
Stop grumbling! 44No one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come. But if they do come, I will raise them to life on the last day. 45One of the prophets wrote, "God will teach all of them." And so everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him will come to me.
46The only one who has seen the Father is the one who has come from him. No one else has ever seen the Father.47I tell you for certain that everyone who has faith in me has eternal life.
48I am the bread that gives life! 49Your ancestors ate manna a<="" value="[a]" >[] in the desert, and later they died. 50But the bread from heaven has come down, so that no one who eats it will ever die. 51I am that bread from heaven! Everyone who eats it will live forever. My flesh is the life-giving bread that I give to the people of this world. 52They started arguing with each other and asked, "How can he give us his flesh to eat?"
53Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that you won't live unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man. 54But if you do eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will have eternal life, and I will raise you to life on the last day. 55My flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. 56If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you are one with me, and I am one with you.
57The living Father sent me, and I have life because of him. Now everyone who eats my flesh will live because of me. 58The bread that comes down from heaven isn't like what your ancestors ate. They died, but whoever eats this bread will live forever.
59Jesus was teaching in a Jewish place of worship in Capernaum when he said these things.
The Words of Eternal Life
60Many of Jesus' disciples heard him and said, "This is too hard for anyone to understand." 61Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling. So he asked, "Does this bother you? 62What if you should see the Son of Man go up to heaven where he came from? 63The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that life-giving Spirit. 64But some of you refuse to have faith in me." Jesus said this, because from the beginning he knew who would have faith in him. He also knew which one would betray him.
65Then Jesus said, "You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you."
66Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. 67Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. 68Simon Peter answered, "Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God's Holy One."
70Jesus told his disciples, "I chose all twelve of you, but one of you is a demon!" 71Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. [b<="">] He would later betray Jesus, even though he was one of the twelve disciples.
65Then Jesus said, "You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you."
66Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. 67Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. 68Simon Peter answered, "Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God's Holy One."
70Jesus told his disciples, "I chose all twelve of you, but one of you is a demon!" 71Jesus was talking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. [b<="">] He would later betray Jesus, even though he was one of the twelve disciples.
Psalm 107:1-43 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 107
BOOK V
(Psalms 107-150)
The LORD Is Good to His People
1Shout praises to the LORD! He is good to us,
and his love never fails.
2Everyone the LORD has rescued
from trouble
should praise him,
3everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
the north and the south. a<="" value="[a]" >[] 4Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
far from a town.
5You were hungry and thirsty
and about to give up.
6You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
7Right away he brought you
to a town.
8You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
9To everyone who is thirsty,
he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
he gives good things to eat.
10Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness
and bound by chains,
11because you had rebelled
against God Most High
and refused his advice.
12You were worn out
from working like slaves,
and no one came to help.
13You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
14He brought you out
of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.
15You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
16He breaks down bronze gates
and shatters iron locks.
17Some of you had foolishly
committed a lot of sins
and were in terrible pain.
18The very thought of food
was disgusting to you,
and you were almost dead.
19You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
20By the power of his own word,
he healed you
and saved you
from destruction.
21You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
22You should celebrate
by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs
to tell what he has done.
23Some of you made a living
by sailing the mighty sea,
24and you saw the miracles
the LORD performed there.
25At his command a storm arose,
and waves covered the sea.
26You were tossed to the sky
and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad
that you lost your courage.
27You staggered like drunkards
and gave up all hope.
28You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
29He made the storm stop
and the sea be quiet.
30You were happy because of this,
and he brought you to the port
where you wanted to go.
31You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
32Honor the LORD
when you
and your leaders
meet to worship.
33If you start doing wrong,
the LORD will turn rivers
into deserts,
34flowing streams
into scorched land,
and fruitful fields
into beds of salt.
35But the LORD can also turn
deserts into lakes
and scorched land
into flowing streams.
36If you are hungry,
you can settle there
and build a town.
37You can plant fields
and vineyards
that produce
a good harvest.
38The LORD will bless you
with many children
and with herds of cattle.
39Sometimes you may be crushed
by troubles and sorrows,
until only a few of you
are left to survive.
40But the LORD will take revenge
on those who conquer you,
and he will make them wander
across desert sands.
41When you are suffering
and in need,
he will come to your rescue,
and your families will grow
as fast as a herd of sheep.
42You will see this because
you obey the LORD,
but everyone who is wicked
will be silenced.
43Be wise! Remember this
and think about the kindness
of the LORD.
Footnotes:- Psalm 107:3 south: The Hebrew text has " sea," probably referring to the Mediterranean Sea.
and his love never fails.
2Everyone the LORD has rescued
from trouble
should praise him,
3everyone he has brought
from the east and the west,
the north and the south. a<="" value="[a]" >[] 4Some of you were lost
in the scorching desert,
far from a town.
5You were hungry and thirsty
and about to give up.
6You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
7Right away he brought you
to a town.
8You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
9To everyone who is thirsty,
he gives something to drink;
to everyone who is hungry,
he gives good things to eat.
10Some of you were prisoners
suffering in deepest darkness
and bound by chains,
11because you had rebelled
against God Most High
and refused his advice.
12You were worn out
from working like slaves,
and no one came to help.
13You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
14He brought you out
of the deepest darkness
and broke your chains.
15You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
16He breaks down bronze gates
and shatters iron locks.
17Some of you had foolishly
committed a lot of sins
and were in terrible pain.
18The very thought of food
was disgusting to you,
and you were almost dead.
19You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
20By the power of his own word,
he healed you
and saved you
from destruction.
21You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
22You should celebrate
by offering sacrifices
and singing joyful songs
to tell what he has done.
23Some of you made a living
by sailing the mighty sea,
24and you saw the miracles
the LORD performed there.
25At his command a storm arose,
and waves covered the sea.
26You were tossed to the sky
and to the ocean depths,
until things looked so bad
that you lost your courage.
27You staggered like drunkards
and gave up all hope.
28You were in serious trouble,
but you prayed to the LORD,
and he rescued you.
29He made the storm stop
and the sea be quiet.
30You were happy because of this,
and he brought you to the port
where you wanted to go.
31You should praise the LORD
for his love
and for the wonderful things
he does for all of us.
32Honor the LORD
when you
and your leaders
meet to worship.
33If you start doing wrong,
the LORD will turn rivers
into deserts,
34flowing streams
into scorched land,
and fruitful fields
into beds of salt.
35But the LORD can also turn
deserts into lakes
and scorched land
into flowing streams.
36If you are hungry,
you can settle there
and build a town.
37You can plant fields
and vineyards
that produce
a good harvest.
38The LORD will bless you
with many children
and with herds of cattle.
39Sometimes you may be crushed
by troubles and sorrows,
until only a few of you
are left to survive.
40But the LORD will take revenge
on those who conquer you,
and he will make them wander
across desert sands.
41When you are suffering
and in need,
he will come to your rescue,
and your families will grow
as fast as a herd of sheep.
42You will see this because
you obey the LORD,
but everyone who is wicked
will be silenced.
43Be wise! Remember this
and think about the kindness
of the LORD.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 107:3 south: The Hebrew text has " sea," probably referring to the Mediterranean Sea.
Proverbs 15:1-3 (Contemporary English Version)
Proverbs 15
The LORD Sees Everything
1A kind answer soothes angry feelings,
but harsh words
stir them up.
2Words of wisdom
come from the wise,
but fools speak foolishness.
3The LORD sees everything,
whether good or bad.
but harsh words
stir them up.
2Words of wisdom
come from the wise,
but fools speak foolishness.
3The LORD sees everything,
whether good or bad.
Thought for the Day
“Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:32 - Contemporary English Version) I think we've really lost our way. Instead of showing kindness, mercy and forgiveness to one another, we're aggressive, nasty and judgmental. And to make matters worse, this has become our witness to the world. It's time for us to turn back to Christ and to treat others in the same way God has treated us.
Quote for the Day
American journalist and non-fiction writer, John Grogan wrote, “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.”
A Joke for Today
Two young boys were closely examining bathroom scales at the department store.
"What's it for?" one asked.
The other replied. "You stand on it and it makes you real mad."
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That teachers and administrators would be open to God's Word and God's will.
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