The Daily Audio Bible
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Samuel’s Last Words to Israel
12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “See, I have listened to all you have said to me. I have chosen a king to rule over you. 2 Now see, the king walks in front of you. But I am old. My hair is growing white. See, my sons are with you. I have walked in front of you since I was young, until this day. 3 Here I am. Speak against me to the Lord and Saul His chosen one. Whose bull have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? To whom have I not been honest? For whom have I made it hard? From whose hand have I taken pay for closing my eyes to the truth? I will return it to you.” 4 They said, “You have always been honest with us. You have not made it hard for us, or taken anything from any man’s hand.” 5 Samuel said to them, “The Lord has heard you. And His chosen one has heard this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “The Lord has heard.” 6 Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the One Who chose Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now stand where you are, that I may argue with you before the Lord about all His saving acts which He did for you and your fathers. 8 When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians made it hard for them, your fathers cried to the Lord. And the Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your fathers out of Egypt, and had them live in this place. 9 But they forgot the Lord their God. So He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. 10 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have turned away from the Lord. We have worshiped the false gods, the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now save us from the power of those who hate us, and we will worship You.’ 11 The Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel, and saved you from the power of those all around who hated you. So you were safe. 12 But then you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you. So you said to me, ‘No! A king must rule over us,’ when the Lord your God was your King. 13 Now see the king you have chosen, the king you have asked for. See, the Lord has given you a king. 14 Fear the Lord and worship Him. Listen to His voice and do not go against the Word of the Lord. If both you and the king who rules over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. 15 But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, and go against the Lord’s Word, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. 16 Now stand still and see this great thing which the Lord will do in front of your eyes. 17 Is it not the time to gather grain today? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that you have done a bad sin in the eyes of the Lord by asking for a king.” 18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were very much afraid of the Lord and Samuel.
19 Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so we will not die. For we have added to all our sins this bad thing, to ask for a king.” 20 Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have done all these sins. But do not turn aside from following the Lord. Worship the Lord with all your heart. 21 Do not turn aside after things that have no worth and cannot save you, for they are nothing. 22 The Lord will not leave His people alone, because of His great name. The Lord has been pleased to make you His people. 23 And as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by not praying for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord and be faithful to worship Him with all your heart. Think of the great things He has done for you. 25 But if you still sin, both you and your king will be destroyed.”
War with the Philistines
13 Saul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years. 2 Saul chose 3,000 men of Israel. There were 2,000 of them with Saul in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel. And 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent away the rest of the people, each to his tent. 3 Jonathan destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul sounded the horn through all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.” 4 All Israel heard the news that Saul had destroyed the place where the Philistine soldiers were. And they heard that Israel had become a hated thing to the Philistines. Then the people were called out to join Saul at Gilgal.
5 The Philistines gathered to fight against Israel, with 30,000 war-wagons, 6,000 horsemen, and people like the sand on the sea shore. They came and set up their tents at Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 The men of Israel saw that they were in trouble. The people were in a place of danger. So the people hid themselves in caves, bushes, hill-sides, graves and wells. 7 Some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and all the people followed him in fear.
8 Saul waited seven days, the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal. And the people were leaving him. 9 So Saul said, “Bring me the burnt gift and the peace gifts.” And he gave the burnt gift to the Lord. 10 As soon as he finished giving the burnt gift, Samuel came. Saul went out to meet him and say hello. 11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “I saw that the people were leaving me. You did not come when you said you would. And the Philistines were gathering at Michmash. 12 So I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not asked for the Lord’s favor.’ So I made myself give the burnt gift.” 13 Samuel said to Saul, “You have done a foolish act. You have not kept the Law that the Lord your God gave you. For now the Lord would have made your rule over Israel last forever. 14 But now your rule will not last. The Lord has found a man who is pleasing to him in every way. He has chosen him to rule over his people, because you have not obeyed the Lord.”
15 Then Samuel got up and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul numbered the people that were left with him, about 600 men.
No Swords or Spears
16 Saul and his son Jonathan, and the people with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin, while the Philistines stayed at Michmash. 17 Soldiers came from the tents of the Philistines in three groups. One group turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual. 18 Another group turned toward Bethhoron. And another group turned toward the side of the country that looks over the valley of Zeboim toward the desert.
19 Now there was no one to be found in all the land of Israel who made things of iron. For the Philistines said, “The Hebrews might make swords or spears.” 20 So each one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to get his plow, his pick, his ax, or his grain cutter sharpened. 21 He had to pay two-thirds part of a piece of silver to have the plows and picks sharpened, and one-third part of a piece of silver to have the axes and grain cutters sharpened. 22 So on the day of battle there was no sword or spear in the hands of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But Saul and his son Jonathan had them. 23 And the Philistine soldiers went out to the pass of Michmash.
The Brothers of Jesus Argue with Him
7 Jesus did not stay in the country of Judea because the Jews were trying to kill Him. After this He went from place to place in the country of Galilee. 2 A religious gathering of the Jews was near. This gathering was called the Supper of Tents. 3 The brothers of Jesus said to Him, “Leave here and go to the country of Judea. Let Your followers there see the things You do. 4 If a person wants others to know what he is doing, he does things to be seen. Since You are doing such things, show Yourself to the world.” 5 Not even His brothers were putting their trust in Him.
6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come. But any time is good for you. 7 The world cannot hate you but it hates Me. I speak against the world because of its sinful works. 8 You go to the religious gathering. I am not going yet. My time has not yet come.”
9 Jesus told His brothers this and then stayed in Galilee. 10 His brothers went to the religious gathering. He went later by Himself so He would not be seen there.
11 At the religious gathering the Jews were looking for Jesus. They were saying, “Where is He?” 12 There was much talk among the people about Him. Some said, “He is a good Man.” Others said, “No, He leads the people in the wrong way.” 13 No one spoke about Him in front of other people. They were afraid of the Jews.
Jesus Tells Where His Teaching Is From
14 The religious gathering was half over when Jesus went to the house of God and taught. 15 The Jews were surprised and wondered, saying, “How can this Man know so much when He has never been to school?”
16 Jesus said to them, “What I teach is not Mine. It is from God Who sent Me. 17 If anyone will do what God wants, he will know if My teaching is from God, or if I am speaking of Myself. 18 The man who speaks of himself is looking for greatness for himself. But He Who is looking for the greatness of the One Who sent Him is true. There is nothing false in Him. 19 Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet not one of you keeps the Law. Why do you try to kill me?”
20 The people said, “You have a demon in You. Who is trying to kill You?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one work and you are surprised. 22 Moses gave you the religious act of becoming a Jew. (Yet it was not from Moses but from the early fathers.) You do this religious act on a man on the Day of Rest. 23 Now if you can do that, why are you angry with Me for healing a man on the Day of Rest? 24 Do not say a person is guilty by what you see. Be sure you know when you say what is right or wrong.”
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Is not this the Man the Jews want to kill? 26 But see! This Man is speaking out in the open. They are saying nothing to Him. Do the leaders know this is the true Christ? 27 We know where this Man came from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He comes from.”
28 Then Jesus spoke with a loud voice as He taught in the house of God. He said, “You know Me. You know where I came from. I have not come on My own. The One Who sent Me is true but you do not know Him. 29 I know Him because I am from Him and He sent Me.”
30 Then they wanted to take Jesus but no one put his hands on Him. His time had not yet come.
A Song of Praise
108 My heart will not be moved, O God. I will sing. Yes, I will sing praises with my soul. 2 Wake up, different kinds of harps. I will wake up the new day. 3 I will give thanks to You among the people, O Lord. I will sing praises to You among the nations. 4 For Your loving-kindness is great above the heavens. And Your truth can touch the sky. 5 Be lifted up high above the heavens, O God. Let Your shining-greatness be over all the earth. 6 Save us with Your right hand and answer me. Let Your loved ones be set free.
7 God has said in His holy place: “I will be full of joy. I will divide Shechem and the valley of Succoth. 8 Gilead is Mine. Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim is the covering for My head. Judah is My law giver. 9 Moab is where I wash My hands. I will throw My shoe over Edom. I will call out over Philistia that I have won.”
10 Who will bring me into the strong city? Who will lead me into Edom? 11 Have You not turned away from us, O God? And will You not go out with our armies, O God? 12 O give us help against those who hate us. For the help of man is worth nothing. 13 With God’s help we will do great things. And He will break under His feet those who fight against us.
4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but a sinful tongue crushes the spirit.
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