Today's Reading

¹Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

²Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men;

³and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

⁴Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

⁶Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint on the Lord to save by many or by few."

⁷His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Turn and, behold, I am with you according to your heart."

⁸Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.

⁹If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you!' then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.

¹⁰But if they say this, 'Come up to us!' then we will go up; for the Lord has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us."

¹¹Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!"

¹²The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something!" Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me; for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

¹³Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him.

¹⁴That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.

¹⁵There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

¹⁶The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and scattered.

¹⁷Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count now, and see who is missing from us." When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

¹⁸Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was with the children of Israel at that time.

¹⁹It happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand!"

²⁰Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow: a very great confusion.

²¹Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as before, and who went up with them into the camp, from all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed closely after them in the battle.

²³So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth Aven.

²⁴The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

²⁵All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶When the people had come to the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan did not hear when his father commanded the people with the oath: therefore he put forth the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸Then one of the people answered, and said, "Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food this day.'" The people were faint.

²⁹Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines."

³¹They struck of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;

³²and the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

³³Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord, in that they eat meat with the blood." He said, "You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me this day!"

³⁴Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, 'Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord in eating meat with the blood.'" All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.

³⁵Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

³⁶Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

³⁷Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day.

³⁸Saul said, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been this day.

³⁹For, as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

⁴⁰Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." The people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."

⁴¹Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Show the right." Jonathan and Saul were chosen; but the people escaped.

⁴²Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." Jonathan was selected.

⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done!" Jonathan told him, and said, "I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die."

⁴⁴Saul said, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

⁴⁵The people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day!" So the people rescued Jonathan, that he did not die.

⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he defeated them.

⁴⁸He did valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

⁵⁰and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

⁵¹Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵²There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.

¹Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the words of the Lord.

²Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

³Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

⁴Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵Saul came to the city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

⁶Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

⁸He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn't utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,

¹¹"It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments." Samuel was angry; and he cried to the Lord all night.

¹²Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal."

¹³Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, "You are blessed by the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord."

¹⁴Samuel said, "Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?"

¹⁵Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest."

¹⁶Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stay, and I will tell you what the Lord has said to me last night." He said to him, "Say on."

¹⁷Samuel said, "Though you were little in your own sight, weren't you made the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel;

¹⁸and the Lord sent you on a journey, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.'

¹⁹Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?"

²⁰Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."

²²Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king."

²⁴Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

²⁵Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord."

²⁶Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel."

²⁷As Samuel turned about to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.

²⁸Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

²⁹Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent."

³⁰Then he said, "I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God."

³¹So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³²Then Samuel said, "Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites!" Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

³³Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!" Samuel cut Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

¹The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons."

²Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

³Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you."

⁴Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"

⁵He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him."

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for I see not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."

¹⁰Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these."

¹¹Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."

¹²He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. The Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. It shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well."

¹⁷Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me."

¹⁸Then one of the young men answered, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a comely person; and the Lord is with him."

¹⁹Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep."

²⁰Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

²¹David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.

²²Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight."

²³It happened, when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

¹"These things have I spoken to you, so that you would not be caused to stumble.

²They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

³They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

⁴But I have told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you.

⁵But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

⁶But because I have told you these things, sorrow has filled your heart.

⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor won't come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

⁸When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

⁹about sin, because they do not believe in me;

¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, and you won't see me any more;

¹¹about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

¹²"I have yet many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now.

¹³However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.

¹⁴He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you.

¹⁵All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.

¹⁶A little while, and you will no longer see me. Again a little while, and you will see me."

¹⁷Some of his disciples therefore said to one another, "What is this that he says to us, 'A little while, and you won't see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;' and, 'Because I go to the Father?'"

¹⁸They said therefore, "What is this that he says, 'A little while?' We do not know what he is saying."

¹⁹Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, "Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, 'A little while, and you won't see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?'

²⁰Truly, truly, I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.

²¹A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she does not remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.

²²Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

²³"In that day you will ask me no questions. Truly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

²⁴Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.

²⁵I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father.

²⁶In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you,

²⁷for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

²⁸I came out from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father."

²⁹His disciples said to him, "Behold, now you speak plainly, and speak no figures of speech.

³⁰Now we know that you know all things, and do not need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came forth from God."

³¹Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?

³²Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

³³I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world."

¹ How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of hosts!

²My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

³Yes, the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young, near your altars, Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.

⁴Blessed are those who dwell in your house. They are always praising you. Selah.

⁵Blessed are those whose strength is in you; who have set their hearts on a pilgrimage.

⁶Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings.

⁷They go from strength to strength. Everyone of them appears before God in Zion.

⁸Lord, God of Hosts, hear my prayer. Listen, God of Jacob. Selah.

⁹Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed.

¹⁰For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

¹¹For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.

¹²Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

²The rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

⁴The result of humility and the fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: whoever guards his soul stays from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

⁹He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

¹¹He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king's friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord watch over knowledge; but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit: he who is under the Lord's wrath will fall into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

¹⁶Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.

¹⁷Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁹That your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

²¹To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?

²²Do not exploit the poor, because he is poor; and do not crush the needy in court;

²³for the Lord will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.

²⁴Do not befriend a hot-tempered man, and do not associate with one who harbors anger:

²⁵lest you learn his ways, and ensnare your soul.

²⁶Do not be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.

²⁷If you do not have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

²⁸Do not move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

²⁹Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won't serve obscure men.