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Israel Demands a King
8 Now it came about, when Samuel was old, that (A)he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in (B)Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways but turned aside after dishonest gain, and they (C)took bribes and perverted justice.
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at (D)Ramah; 5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now (E)appoint us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the matter was [a](F)displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And (G)Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people regarding all that they say to you, because (H)they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them. 8 Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have abandoned Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you as well. 9 Now then, listen to their voice; (I)however, you shall warn them strongly and tell them of (J)the [b]practice of the king who will reign over them.”
Warning concerning a King
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to (K)the people who had asked him for a king. 11 And he said, “(L)This will be the [c]practice of the king who will reign over you: (M)he will take your sons and put them in his chariots for himself and among his horsemen, and (N)they will run before his chariots. 12 (O)He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to [d]do his plowing and to gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will also take your daughters and use them as perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14 (P)He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take a tenth of your seed and your vineyards and give it to his high officials and his servants. 16 He will also take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and [e]use them for his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18 Then (Q)you will cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but (R)the Lord will not answer you on that day.”
19 Yet the people (S)refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 (T)so that we also may be like all the nations, and our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, (U)he [f]repeated them in the Lord’s hearing. 22 And the Lord said to Samuel, “(V)Listen to their voice and appoint a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, every man to his city.”
Saul’s Search
9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was (W)Kish the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a [g]valiant mighty man. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a (X)young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; (Y)from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had wandered off. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Now take with you one of the servants and arise, go search for the donkeys.” 4 So he passed through (Z)the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of (AA)Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of (AB)Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them.
5 When they came to the land of (AC)Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, and let’s return, (AD)or else my father will stop being concerned about the donkeys and will become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold now, there is (AE)a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor; (AF)everything that he says definitely comes true. Now let’s go there, (AG)perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks and there is (AH)no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have in my hand a fourth of a shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God and he will (AI)tell us our way.” 9 (Previously in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let’s go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was previously called (AJ)a seer.) 10 Then Saul said to his servant, “[h]Good idea; come, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the slope to the city, (AK)they found young women going out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered them and said, “He is; [i]see, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, because (AL)the people have a sacrifice on (AM)the high place today. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because (AN)he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now then, go up, for you will find him about this time.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place.
God’s Choice for King
15 Now a day before Saul’s coming, (AO)the Lord had [j]revealed this to Samuel, saying, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and (AP)you shall anoint him as ruler over My people Israel; and he will save My people from the hand of the Philistines. For (AQ)I have considered My people, because their outcry has come to Me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord [k]said to him, “(AR)Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you everything that is on your mind. 20 (AS)And as for your donkeys that wandered off three days ago, do not be concerned about them, for they have been found. And (AT)for whom is everything that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?” 21 Saul replied, “(AU)Am I not a Benjaminite, of (AV)the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the [l]tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “[m]Serve the portion that I gave you about which I said to you, ‘Set it [n]aside.’” 24 Then the cook (AW)took up the leg with what was on it and placed it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here is what has been reserved! Place it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, [o]since I said I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they came down from the high place into the city, [p]Samuel spoke with Saul (AX)on the roof. 26 And they got up early; and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, so that I may send you on your way.” So Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Speak to the servant and have him go on ahead of us and pass by; but you stand here now, so that I may proclaim the word of God to you.”
22 The next day (A)the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there except one, and that Jesus (B)had not gotten into the boat with His disciples, but that His disciples had departed alone. 23 Other small boats came from (C)Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the (D)Lord (E)had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats and (F)came to Capernaum, looking for Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “(G)Rabbi, when did You get here?”
Words to the People
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you (H)seek Me, not because you saw [a](I)signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not (J)work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for (K)eternal life, which (L)the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, (M)has set His [b]seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is (N)the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He (O)has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “(P)What then are You doing as a (Q)sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 (R)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘(S)He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is [c]that which (T)comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always (U)give us this bread.”
35 Jesus said to them, “(V)I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me (W)will never be thirsty. 36 But (X)I said to you that you have indeed seen Me, and yet you do not believe. 37 (Y)Everything that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I certainly will not cast out. 38 For (Z)I have come down from heaven, (AA)not to do My own will, but (AB)the will of Him who (AC)sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of (AD)everything that He has given Me I will (AE)lose nothing, but will (AF)raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who (AG)sees the Son and (AH)believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will (AI)raise him up on the last day.”
Words to the Jews
41 (AJ)So then the Jews were complaining about Him because He said, “I am the bread that (AK)came down out of heaven.” 42 And they were saying, “(AL)Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother (AM)we know? How does He now say, ‘(AN)I have come down out of heaven’?”
32 They also (A)provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [a]Meribah,
So that it (B)went badly for Moses on their account.
33 Because they (C)were rebellious against [b]His Spirit,
He spoke rashly with his lips.
34 They (D)did not destroy the peoples,
As (E)the Lord had commanded them,
35 But (F)they got involved with the nations
And learned their [c]practices,
36 And (G)served their idols,
(H)Which became a snare to them.
37 They even (I)sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the (J)demons,
38 And shed (K)innocent blood,
The blood of their (L)sons and their daughters
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was (M)defiled with the blood.
39 So they became (N)unclean in their [d]practices,
And [e](O)were unfaithful in their deeds.
40 Therefore the (P)anger of the Lord was kindled against His people,
And He (Q)loathed His [f](R)inheritance.
41 So (S)He handed them over to the [g]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies also (T)oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their [h]power.
43 Many times He would (U)rescue them;
They, however, were rebellious in their (V)plan,
And they (W)sank down into their guilt.
34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a disgrace to any people.
35 The king’s favor is toward a (A)servant who acts wisely,
But his anger is toward him who acts shamefully.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.