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First Reading: 1 Samuel Chapter 15 and 16
1 Samuel 15
15:1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king
over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. 2 This is
what the LORD Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did
to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack
the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare
them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels
and donkeys.'"
4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim-two hundred thousand
foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek
and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away,
leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed
kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the
Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the
east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people
he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and
the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-everything that was
good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was
despised and weak they totally destroyed.
10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 "I am grieved that I have
made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my
instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that
night.
12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told,
"Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor
and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."
13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The LORD bless you! I have carried
out the LORD's instructions."
14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What
is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"
15 Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they
spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but
we totally destroyed the rest."
16 "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the LORD
said to me last night."
"Tell me," Saul replied.
17 Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you
not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over
Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy
those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them
out.' 19 Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and
do evil in the eyes of the LORD?"
20 "But I did obey the LORD," Saul said. "I went on the mission
the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back
Agag their king. 21 The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the
best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your
God at Gilgal."
22 But Samuel replied:
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in
obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed
is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word
of the LORD, he has rejected you as king."
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command
and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.
25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship
the LORD."
26 But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected
the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it
tore. 28 Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from
you today and has given it to one of your neighbors-to one better than you.
29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is
not a man, that he should change his mind."
30 Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders
of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the
LORD your God." 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the
LORD.
32 Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites."
Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death
is past."
33 But Samuel said,
"As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless
among women."
And Samuel put Agag to death before the LORD at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.
35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel
mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.
1 Samuel 16
16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since
I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your
way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to
be king."
2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me."
The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice
to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do.
You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."
4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of
the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"
5 Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated
Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed
stands here before the LORD."
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height,
for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel
said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." 9 Jesse then had
Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one."
10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The
LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the
sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending
the sheep."
Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."
12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and
handsome features.
Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one."
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel
then went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the LORD tormented him.
15 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting
you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can
play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and
you will feel better."
17 So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring
him to me."
18 One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem
who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well
and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is with him."
19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David,
who is with the sheep." 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a
skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and
David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying,
"Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."
23 Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and
play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit
would leave him.
Second Reading: Luke Chapter 23
Luke 23
23:1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began
to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He
opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no
basis for a charge against this man."
5 But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching.
He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned
that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also
in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had
been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him
perform some miracle. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him
no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there,
vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked
him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That
day Herod and Pilate became friends-before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and
said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people
to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for
your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us;
as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish
him and then release him."
18 With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas
to us!" 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in
the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept
shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed?
I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have
him punished and then release him."
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and
their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released
the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one
they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
26 As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in
from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed
for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do
not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time
will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never
bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30 Then
"'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills,
"Cover us!" '
31 For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when
it is dry?"
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along
with the criminals-one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided
up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said,
"He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the
Chosen One."
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37
and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE
JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you
the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said,
"since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for
we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me
in paradise."
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until
the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple
was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your
hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely
this was a righteous man." 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness
this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But
all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,
stood at a distance, watching these things.
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright
man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the
Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going
to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in
linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had
yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the
tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices
and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Bible Background
SUPER HEROES OF THE BIBLE
DAVID
Part 1 of 2
The life of David told in the Bible is an amazing story of an amazing person:
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