Bible Reading Plan – Day 82

₁Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one whom the LORD sent to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to what the LORD Almighty says. ₂He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt. ₃Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don't leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children, and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”

₄Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem: there were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 from Judah. ₅Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek and waited in ambush in a dry riverbed. ₆He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: “Go away and leave the Amalekites, so that I won't kill you along with them.” So the Kenites left.

₇Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt; ₈he captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all the people. ₉But Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good; they destroyed only what was useless or worthless.

₁₀The LORD said to Samuel, ₁₁“I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands.” Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the LORD. ₁₂Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal. ₁₃Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, “The LORD bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the LORD's command.”

₁₄Samuel asked, “Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?”

₁₅Saul answered, “My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the LORD your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely.”

₁₆“Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul said.

₁₇Samuel answered, “Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The LORD anointed you king of Israel, ₁₈and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all. ₁₉Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to seize the loot, and so do what displeases the LORD?”

₂₀“I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites. ₂₁But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the LORD your God.”

₂₂Samuel said, “Which does the LORD prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. ₂₃Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the LORD's command, he has rejected you as king.”

₂₄“Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “I disobeyed the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted. ₂₅But now I beg you, forgive my sin and go back with me, so that I can worship the LORD.”

₂₆“I will not go back with you,” Samuel answered. “You rejected the LORD's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel.”

₂₇Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. ₂₈Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you. ₂₉Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being — he does not change his mind.”

₃₀“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the LORD your God.” ₃₁So Samuel went back with him, and Saul worshipped the LORD.

₃₂“Bring King Agag here to me,” Samuel ordered. Agag came to him, trembling with fear, thinking to himself, “What a bitter thing it is to die!” ₃₃Samuel said, “As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now will your mother become childless.” And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.

₃₄Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah. ₃₅As long as Samuel lived, he never again saw the king; but he grieved over him. The LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king of Israel.

₁The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you go on grieving over Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

₂“How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!”

The LORD answered, “Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. ₃Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint as king the man I tell you to.”

₄Samuel did what the LORD told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”

₅“Yes,” he answered. “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me.” He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.

₆When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the LORD's presence is surely the one he has chosen.” ₇But the LORD said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”

₈Then Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, the LORD hasn't chosen him either.” ₉Jesse then brought Shammah. “No, the LORD hasn't chosen him either,” Samuel said. ₁₀In this way Jesse brought seven of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, “No, the LORD hasn't chosen any of these.” ₁₁Then he asked him, “Have you any more sons?”

Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”

“Tell him to come here,” Samuel said. “We won't offer the sacrifice until he comes.” ₁₂So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. The LORD said to Samuel, “This is the one — anoint him!” ₁₃Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

₁₄The LORD's spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit sent by the LORD tormented him. ₁₅His servants said to him, “We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you. ₁₆So give us the order, sir, and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the evil spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again.”

₁₇Saul ordered them, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.”

₁₈One of his attendants said, “Jesse, of the town of Bethlehem, has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. The LORD is with him.”

₁₉So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep.” ₂₀Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine. ₂₁David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons. ₂₂Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: “I like David. Let him stay here in my service.” ₂₃From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.

₁The Philistines gathered for battle in Socoh, a town in Judah; they camped at a place called Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ₂Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah, where they got ready to fight the Philistines. ₃The Philistines lined up on one hill and the Israelites on another, with a valley between them.

₄A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was nearly three metres tall ₅and wore bronze armour that weighed about 57 kilogrammes and a bronze helmet. ₆His legs were also protected by bronze armour, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. ₇His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver's loom, and its iron head weighed about seven kilogrammes. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. ₈Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. ₉If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves. ₁₀Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” ₁₁When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.

₁₂David was the son of Jesse, who was an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and at the time Saul was king, he was already a very old man. ₁₃His three eldest sons had gone with Saul to war. The eldest was Eliab, the next was Abinadab, and the third was Shammah. ₁₄David was the youngest son, and while the three eldest brothers stayed with Saul, ₁₅David would go back to Bethlehem from time to time, to take care of his father's sheep.

₁₆Goliath challenged the Israelites every morning and evening for forty days.

₁₇One day Jesse said to David, “Take ten kilogrammes of this roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and hurry with them to your brothers in the camp. ₁₈And take these ten cheeses to the commanding officer. Find out how your brothers are getting on and bring back something to show that you saw them and that they are well. ₁₉King Saul, your brothers, and all the other Israelites are in the Valley of Elah fighting the Philistines.”

₂₀David got up early the next morning, left someone else in charge of the sheep, took the food, and went as Jesse had told him to. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelites were going out to their battle line, shouting the war cry. ₂₁The Philistine and the Israelite armies took up positions for battle, facing each other. ₂₂David left the food with the officer in charge of the supplies, ran to the battle line, went to his brothers, and asked how they were getting on. ₂₃As he was talking to them, Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites as he had done before. And David heard him. ₂₄When the Israelites saw Goliath, they ran away in terror. ₂₅“Look at him!” they said to each other. “Listen to his challenge! King Saul has promised to give a big reward to the man who kills him; the king will also give him his daughter to marry and will not require his father's family to pay taxes.”

₂₆David asked the men who were near him, “What will the man get who kills this Philistine and frees Israel from this disgrace? After all, who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?” ₂₇They told him what would be done for the man who killed Goliath.

₂₈Eliab, David's eldest brother, heard David talking to the men. He was angry with David and said, “What are you doing here? Who is taking care of those sheep of yours out there in the wilderness? You cheeky brat, you! You just came to watch the fighting!”

₂₉“Now what have I done?” David asked. “Can't I even ask a question?” ₃₀He turned to another man and asked him the same question, and every time he asked, he got the same answer.