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Israel Tells Samuel to Appoint a King
8 And it happened when Samuel was old that (A)he appointed his sons 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 But his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after greedy gain and (C)took bribes and caused justice to turn aside.
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 a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing was (F)evil in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And (G)Samuel prayed to Yahweh. 7 Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for (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 forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. 9 So now, listen to their voice; (I)however, you shall solemnly [a]testify to them and tell them of (J)the [b]custom of the king who will reign over them.”
The People Refuse Samuel’s Words
10 So Samuel spoke all the words of Yahweh to (K)the people who had asked of him a king. 11 And he said, “(L)This will be the [c]custom of the king who will reign over you: (M)he will take your sons and appoint them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen, and (N)they will run before his chariots. 12 (O)And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to [d]do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 (P)He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his [e]servants. 15 He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will also take your male slaves and your female slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and [f]use them for his work. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 Then (Q)you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but (R)Yahweh will not answer you in that day.”
19 Nevertheless, 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)that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 So Samuel heard all the words of the people, and (U)he repeated them in the hearing of Yahweh. 22 Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “(V)Listen to their voice and [g]appoint them a king.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go every man to his city.”
Saul to Be Anointed Over Israel
9 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was (W)Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of [h]valor. 2 Now he had a son whose name was Saul, a (X)choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person 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, were lost. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take now with you one of the young men, and arise, go search for the donkeys.” 4 Thus 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 Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5 They came to the land of (AC)Zuph. And Saul said to his young man who was with him, “Come, and let us return, (AD)lest my father cease to be concerned about the donkeys and become anxious for 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)all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, (AG)perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have gone.” 7 Then Saul said to his young man, “But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone from our sack, and there is (AH)no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 And the young man answered Saul again and said, “Behold, I have in my hand a fourth of a [i]shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, and he will (AI)tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, “Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called (AJ)a seer.) 10 Then Saul said to his young man, “Your word is good; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the slope to the city, (AK)they found young women going out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 And they answered them and said, “He is! Behold, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come into the city today, for (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. So now, go up for you will find him at once.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they came into the city, behold, Samuel was coming out to meet them to go up to the high place.
15 Now a day before Saul’s coming, (AO)Yahweh had revealed this in Samuel’s hearing, saying, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and (AP)you shall anoint him to be ruler over My people Israel; and he will save My people from the hand of the Philistines. For (AQ)I have regarded My people because their cry has come to Me.” 17 Now Samuel saw Saul, and Yahweh answered him, “(AR)Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall restrict My people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before 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 all that is on your heart. 20 (AS)As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And (AT)for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s household?” 21 And Saul answered and said, “(AU)Am I not a Benjamite, of (AV)the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the [j]tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?”
22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the chamber 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, “[k]Bring the portion that I gave you, concerning which I said to you, ‘Set it [l]aside.’” 24 Then the cook (AW)took up the leg with what was on it and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here is what has been reserved! Set it before you and eat, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, [m]since I said I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 Then they came down from the high place into the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul (AX)on the [n]roof. 26 And they arose early; and at the [o]breaking of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, that I may send you away.” So Saul arose, 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, “Say to the young man that he might pass before us and pass onwards, but you remain standing now, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.”
22 On the next day, (A)the crowd which 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 entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away 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 seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “(G)Rabbi, when did You come here?”
I Am the Bread of Life
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you (H)seek Me, not because you saw (I)signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not (J)work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to (K)eternal life, which (L)the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, (M)set His seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What should we do, so that we may work 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 do You do for a (Q)sign so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform? 31 (R)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘(S)He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is [a]that which (T)comes down from 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. He who comes to Me will never hunger, and he who believes in Me (W)will never thirst. 36 But (X)I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. 37 (Y)All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never 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 Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of (AD)all that He has given Me I (AE)lose nothing, but (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)Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that (AK)came down from heaven.” 42 They were saying, “(AL)Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother (AM)we know? How does He now say, ‘(AN)I have come down from heaven’?”
32 They also (A)provoked Him to wrath at the waters of [a]Meribah,
So that it (B)went badly with 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)Yahweh commanded them,
35 But (F)they mingled with the nations
And learned their works,
36 And (G)served their idols,
(H)Which became a snare to them.
37 They (I)sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the (J)demons,
38 And they 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)polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became (N)unclean in their works,
And (O)played the harlot in their actions.
40 So the (P)anger of Yahweh was kindled against His people
And He (Q)abhorred His [c](R)inheritance.
41 Then (S)He gave them into the hand of the [d]nations,
And those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies (T)oppressed them,
And they were subdued under their hand.
43 Many times He would (U)deliver them;
But they were rebellious in their (V)counsel,
And so they (W)sank down in their iniquity.
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 insightfully,
But his fury is toward him who acts shamefully.
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