Joy Unshaken: A Journey Through Philippians

Lighting Up Our City Video 8: Creating a Culture of Evangelism

The Discipline of Study and Meditation

Reimagine Transformation Through the Life of Paul

House of David, Season 2: Trusting God in the Middle of the Story

None Like Him: 5 Attributes of God

The Letter to the Philippians

How to Love Like Jesus

How Is It With Your Soul?

Transformed by Christ: Lives of the Apostles

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch9" data-usfm="1SA.9">
 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">Samuel Anoints Saul</div><div class="p"> 1There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.</div><div class="p"> 3Now the donkeys belonging to Saul&#8217;s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, &#8220;Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.&#8221; 4So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.</div><div class="p"> 5When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, &#8220;Come, let&#8217;s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6But the servant replied, &#8220;Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let&#8217;s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Saul said to his servant, &#8220;If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8The servant answered him again. &#8220;Look,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I have a quarter of a shekel#9:8 That is, about 1/10 ounce or about 3 grams of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.&#8221; 9(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, &#8220;Come, let us go to the seer,&#8221; because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;Good,&#8221; Saul said to his servant. &#8220;Come, let&#8217;s go.&#8221; So they set out for the town where the man of God was.</div><div class="p"> 11As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, &#8220;Is the seer here?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;He is,&#8221; they answered. &#8220;He&#8217;s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.</div><div class="p"> 15Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16&#8220;About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, &#8220;This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, &#8220;Would you please tell me where the seer&#8217;s house is?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;I am the seer,&#8221; Samuel replied. &#8220;Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Saul answered, &#8220;But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited&#8212;about thirty in number. 23Samuel said to the cook, &#8220;Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, &#8220;Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, &#8216;I have invited guests.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; And Saul dined with Samuel that day.</div><div class="p"> 25After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, &#8220;Get ready, and I will send you on your way.&#8221; When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;Tell the servant to go on ahead of us&#8221;&#8212;and the servant did so&#8212;&#8220;but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch10" data-usfm="1SA.10">
 <div class="label">10</div><div class="p"> 1Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul&#8217;s head and kissed him, saying, &#8220;Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance?#10:1 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate over his people Israel? You will reign over the Lord&#8217;s people and save them from the power of their enemies round about. And this will be a sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his inheritance: 2When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel&#8217;s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, &#8216;The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, &#8220;What shall I do about my son?&#8221;&#8198;&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 3&#8220;Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.</div><div class="p"> 5&#8220;After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Saul Made King</div><div class="p"> 9As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul&#8217;s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. 11When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, &#8220;What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12A man who lived there answered, &#8220;And who is their father?&#8221; So it became a saying: &#8220;Is Saul also among the prophets?&#8221; 13After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.</div><div class="p"> 14Now Saul&#8217;s uncle asked him and his servant, &#8220;Where have you been?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Looking for the donkeys,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Saul&#8217;s uncle said, &#8220;Tell me what Samuel said to you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16Saul replied, &#8220;He assured us that the donkeys had been found.&#8221; But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.</div><div class="p"> 17Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the Lord at Mizpah 18and said to them, &#8220;This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: &#8216;I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.&#8217; 19But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And you have said, &#8216;No, appoint a king over us.&#8217; So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri&#8217;s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22So they inquired further of the Lord, &#8220;Has the man come here yet?&#8221;</div><div class="p">And the Lord said, &#8220;Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24Samuel said to all the people, &#8220;Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then the people shouted, &#8220;Long live the king!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 25Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord. Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.</div><div class="p"> 26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. 27But some scoundrels said, &#8220;How can this fellow save us?&#8221; They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch11" data-usfm="1SA.11">
 <div class="label">11</div><div class="s1">Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh</div><div class="p"> 1Nahash#11:1 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls gifts. Now Nahash king of the Ammonites oppressed the Gadites and Reubenites severely. He gouged out all their right eyes and struck terror and dread in Israel. Not a man remained among the Israelites beyond the Jordan whose right eye was not gouged out by Nahash king of the Ammonites, except that seven thousand men fled from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh Gilead. About a month later, 1 Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, &#8220;Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2But Nahash the Ammonite replied, &#8220;I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3The elders of Jabesh said to him, &#8220;Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. 5Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, &#8220;What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?&#8221; Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.</div><div class="p"> 6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. 7He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, &#8220;This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.&#8221; Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one. 8When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.</div><div class="p"> 9They told the messengers who had come, &#8220;Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, &#8216;By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. 10They said to the Ammonites, &#8220;Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions; during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.</div><div class="s1">Saul Confirmed as King</div><div class="p"> 12The people then said to Samuel, &#8220;Who was it that asked, &#8216;Shall Saul reign over us?&#8217; Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13But Saul said, &#8220;No one will be put to death today, for this day the Lord has rescued Israel.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14Then Samuel said to the people, &#8220;Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.&#8221; 15So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch12" data-usfm="1SA.12">
 <div class="label">12</div><div class="s1">Samuel&#8217;s Farewell Speech</div><div class="p"> 1Samuel said to all Israel, &#8220;I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. 3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4&#8220;You have not cheated or oppressed us,&#8221; they replied. &#8220;You have not taken anything from anyone&#8217;s hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Samuel said to them, &#8220;The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;He is witness,&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p"> 6Then Samuel said to the people, &#8220;It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors up out of Egypt. 7Now then, stand here, because I am going to confront you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.</div><div class="p"> 8&#8220;After Jacob entered Egypt, they cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;But they forgot the Lord their God; so he sold them into the hand of Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines and the king of Moab, who fought against them. 10They cried out to the Lord and said, &#8216;We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.&#8217; 11Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal,#12:11 Also called Gideon Barak,#12:11 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew Bedan Jephthah and Samuel,#12:11 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac Samson and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, &#8216;No, we want a king to rule over us&#8217;&#8212;even though the Lord your God was your king. 13Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. 14If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God&#8212;good! 15But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! 17Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call on the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.</div><div class="p"> 19The people all said to Samuel, &#8220;Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;Do not be afraid,&#8221; Samuel replied. &#8220;You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. 23As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. 24But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 25Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="1SA.13">
 <div class="label">13</div><div class="s1">Samuel Rebukes Saul</div><div class="p"> 1Saul was thirty#13:1 A few late manuscripts of the Septuagint; Hebrew does not have thirty. years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-#13:1 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text (see Acts 13:21); Masoretic Text does not have forty-. two years.</div><div class="p"> 2Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes.</div><div class="p"> 3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, &#8220;Let the Hebrews hear!&#8221; 4So all Israel heard the news: &#8220;Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.&#8221; And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.</div><div class="p"> 5The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand#13:5 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew thirty thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. 6When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.</div><div class="p">Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul&#8217;s men began to scatter. 9So he said, &#8220;Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.&#8221; And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;What have you done?&#8221; asked Samuel.</div><div class="p">Saul replied, &#8220;When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12I thought, &#8216;Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord&#8217;s favor.&#8217; So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13&#8220;You have done a foolish thing,&#8221; Samuel said. &#8220;You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord&#8217;s command.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Then Samuel left Gilgal#13:15 Hebrew; Septuagint Gilgal and went his way; the rest of the people went after Saul to meet the army, and they went out of Gilgal and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred.</div><div class="s1">Israel Without Weapons</div><div class="p"> 16Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah#13:16 Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Geba, a variant of Gibeah in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness.</div><div class="p"> 19Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, &#8220;Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!&#8221; 20So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles#13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plow points sharpened. 21The price was two-thirds of a shekel#13:21 That is, about 1/4 ounce or about 8 grams for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel#13:21 That is, about 1/8 ounce or about 4 grams for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads.</div><div class="p"> 22So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.</div><div class="s1">Jonathan Attacks the Philistines</div><div class="p"> 23Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch15" data-usfm="1SA.15">
 <div class="label">15</div><div class="s1">The Lord Rejects Saul as King</div><div class="p"> 1Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2This is what the Lord Almighty says: &#8216;I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy#15:3 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them; also in verses 8, 9, 15, 18, 20 and 21. all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim&#8212;two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand from Judah. 5Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6Then he said to the Kenites, &#8220;Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.&#8221; So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.</div><div class="p"> 7Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. 8He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves#15:9 Or the grown bulls; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. and lambs&#8212;everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.</div><div class="p"> 10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11&#8220;I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.&#8221; Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.</div><div class="p"> 12Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, &#8220;Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13When Samuel reached him, Saul said, &#8220;The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord&#8217;s instructions.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14But Samuel said, &#8220;What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Saul answered, &#8220;The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16&#8220;Enough!&#8221; Samuel said to Saul. &#8220;Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Tell me,&#8221; Saul replied.</div><div class="p"> 17Samuel said, &#8220;Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18And he sent you on a mission, saying, &#8216;Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.&#8217; 19Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20&#8220;But I did obey the Lord,&#8221; Saul said. &#8220;I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22But Samuel replied:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices</div><div class="q2">as much as in obeying the Lord?</div><div class="q1">To obey is better than sacrifice,</div><div class="q2">and to heed is better than the fat of rams.</div><div class="q1"> 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination,</div><div class="q2">and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.</div><div class="q1">Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,</div><div class="q2">he has rejected you as king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24Then Saul said to Samuel, &#8220;I have sinned. I violated the Lord&#8217;s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. 25Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 26But Samuel said to him, &#8220;I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 27As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28Samuel said to him, &#8220;The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors&#8212;to one better than you. 29He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 30Saul replied, &#8220;I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.&#8221; 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.</div><div class="p"> 32Then Samuel said, &#8220;Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Agag came to him in chains.#15:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain. And he thought, &#8220;Surely the bitterness of death is past.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 33But Samuel said,</div><div class="q1">&#8220;As your sword has made women childless,</div><div class="q2">so will your mother be childless among women.&#8221;</div><div class="m">And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.</div><div class="p"> 34Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch16" data-usfm="1SA.16">
 <div class="label">16</div><div class="s1">Samuel Anoints David</div><div class="p"> 1The Lord said to Samuel, &#8220;How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2But Samuel said, &#8220;How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.&#8221;</div><div class="p">The Lord said, &#8220;Take a heifer with you and say, &#8216;I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.&#8217; 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, &#8220;Do you come in peace?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5Samuel replied, &#8220;Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.&#8221; Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.</div><div class="p"> 6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, &#8220;Surely the Lord&#8217;s anointed stands here before the Lord.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7But the Lord said to Samuel, &#8220;Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, &#8220;The Lord has not chosen this one either.&#8221; 9Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, &#8220;Nor has the Lord chosen this one.&#8221; 10Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, &#8220;The Lord has not chosen these.&#8221; 11So he asked Jesse, &#8220;Are these all the sons you have?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;There is still the youngest,&#8221; Jesse answered. &#8220;He is tending the sheep.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Samuel said, &#8220;Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.</div><div class="p">Then the Lord said, &#8220;Rise and anoint him; this is the one.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.</div><div class="s1">David in Saul&#8217;s Service</div><div class="p"> 14Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil#16:14 Or and a harmful; similarly in verses 15, 16 and 23 spirit from the Lord tormented him.</div><div class="p"> 15Saul&#8217;s attendants said to him, &#8220;See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17So Saul said to his attendants, &#8220;Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18One of the servants answered, &#8220;I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, &#8220;Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.&#8221; 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.</div><div class="p"> 21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, &#8220;Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch18" data-usfm="1SA.18">
 <div class="label">18</div><div class="s1">Saul&#8217;s Growing Fear of David</div><div class="p"> 1After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. 3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.</div><div class="p"> 5Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul&#8217;s officers as well.</div><div class="p"> 6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7As they danced, they sang:</div><div class="q1">&#8220;Saul has slain his thousands,</div><div class="q2">and David his tens of thousands.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. &#8220;They have credited David with tens of thousands,&#8221; he thought, &#8220;but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?&#8221; 9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.</div><div class="p"> 10The next day an evil#18:10 Or a harmful spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, &#8220;I&#8217;ll pin David to the wall.&#8221; But David eluded him twice.</div><div class="p"> 12Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul. 13So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led the troops in their campaigns. 14In everything he did he had great success, because the Lord was with him. 15When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. 16But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.</div><div class="p"> 17Saul said to David, &#8220;Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage; only serve me bravely and fight the battles of the Lord.&#8221; For Saul said to himself, &#8220;I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18But David said to Saul, &#8220;Who am I, and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king&#8217;s son-in-law?&#8221; 19So#18:19 Or However, when the time came for Merab, Saul&#8217;s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.</div><div class="p"> 20Now Saul&#8217;s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased. 21&#8220;I will give her to him,&#8221; he thought, &#8220;so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.&#8221; So Saul said to David, &#8220;Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Then Saul ordered his attendants: &#8220;Speak to David privately and say, &#8216;Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 23They repeated these words to David. But David said, &#8220;Do you think it is a small matter to become the king&#8217;s son-in-law? I&#8217;m only a poor man and little known.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24When Saul&#8217;s servants told him what David had said, 25Saul replied, &#8220;Say to David, &#8216;The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; Saul&#8217;s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.</div><div class="p"> 26When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king&#8217;s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, 27David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king&#8217;s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.</div><div class="p"> 28When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, 29Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.</div><div class="p"> 30The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul&#8217;s officers, and his name became well known.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
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 <div class="label">19</div><div class="s1">Saul Tries to Kill David</div><div class="p"> 1Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2and warned him, &#8220;My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I&#8217;ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, &#8220;Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Saul listened to Jonathan and took this oath: &#8220;As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be put to death.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7So Jonathan called David and told him the whole conversation. He brought him to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.</div><div class="p"> 8Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.</div><div class="p"> 9But an evil#19:9 Or But a harmful spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.</div><div class="p"> 11Saul sent men to David&#8217;s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David&#8217;s wife, warned him, &#8220;If you don&#8217;t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you&#8217;ll be killed.&#8221; 12So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped. 13Then Michal took an idol and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats&#8217; hair at the head.</div><div class="p"> 14When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said, &#8220;He is ill.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, &#8220;Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.&#8221; 16But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats&#8217; hair.</div><div class="p"> 17Saul said to Michal, &#8220;Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?&#8221;</div><div class="p">Michal told him, &#8220;He said to me, &#8216;Let me get away. Why should I kill you?&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. 19Word came to Saul: &#8220;David is in Naioth at Ramah&#8221;; 20so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul&#8217;s men, and they also prophesied. 21Saul was told about it, and he sent more men, and they prophesied too. Saul sent men a third time, and they also prophesied. 22Finally, he himself left for Ramah and went to the great cistern at Seku. And he asked, &#8220;Where are Samuel and David?&#8221;</div><div class="p">&#8220;Over in Naioth at Ramah,&#8221; they said.</div><div class="p"> 23So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth. 24He stripped off his garments, and he too prophesied in Samuel&#8217;s presence. He lay naked all that day and all that night. This is why people say, &#8220;Is Saul also among the prophets?&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="p">1Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, &#8220;What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 2&#8220;Never!&#8221; Jonathan replied. &#8220;You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn&#8217;t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn&#8217;t so!&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 3But David took an oath and said, &#8220;Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, &#8216;Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.&#8217; Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 4Jonathan said to David, &#8220;Whatever you want me to do, I&#8217;ll do for you.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 5So David said, &#8220;Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6If your father misses me at all, tell him, &#8216;David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.&#8217; 7If he says, &#8216;Very well,&#8217; then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. 8As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 9&#8220;Never!&#8221; Jonathan said. &#8220;If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn&#8217;t I tell you?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10David asked, &#8220;Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 11&#8220;Come,&#8221; Jonathan said, &#8220;let&#8217;s go out into the field.&#8221; So they went there together.</div><div class="p"> 12Then Jonathan said to David, &#8220;I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 14But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord&#8217;s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family&#8212;not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David&#8217;s enemies from the face of the earth.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, &#8220;May the Lord call David&#8217;s enemies to account.&#8221; 17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.</div><div class="p"> </div>
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