1 Samuel 10; 1 Samuel 11; 1 Samuel 12; Luke 9:37-62

1 Samuel took a flask of olive oil, poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, "The LORD has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and save them from all their enemies. This will be the sign that the LORD has anointed you to be ruler of his people.

2 When you leave me today, two men will be at Rachel's grave on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They'll tell you, 'We've found the donkeys you went looking for. Your father no longer cares about them. Instead, he's worried about you. He keeps asking, "What can I do [to find] my son?"'

3 Keep going until you come to the oak tree at Tabor. There you will find three men on their way to worship God at Bethel: One will be carrying three young goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a [full] wineskin.

4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you should accept from them.

5 After that, you will come to the hill of God, where the Philistines have a military post. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets prophesying as they come from the worship site. They will be led by men playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre.

6 Then the LORD's Spirit will come over you. You will be a different person while you prophesy with them.

7 When these signs happen to you, do what you must, because God is with you.

8 Go ahead of me to Gilgal. Then I will come to sacrifice burnt offerings and make fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to tell you what to do."

9 When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's attitude. That day all these signs happened.

10 When Saul came to the hill, a group of prophets came to meet him, and God's Spirit came over him. He prophesied with them.

11 When all who had known him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people asked one another, "What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the prophets?"

12 But a man from that place asked, "But who's the chief prophet?" So it became a proverb: "Is Saul one of the prophets?"

13 And when he had finished prophesying, he came to the worship site.

14 Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where did you go?" Saul answered, "To look for the donkeys, and when we couldn't find them, we went to Samuel."

15 Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."

16 "He assured us the donkeys had been found," Saul answered his uncle. But Saul didn't tell him what Samuel said [about his becoming king].

17 Samuel called the people to [come into the presence of] the LORD at Mizpah.

18 He said to the Israelites, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: I brought Israel out of Egypt and rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kings who were oppressing you.

19 But now you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and distresses. You said, 'No! Place a king over us.' Now then, stand in front of the LORD by your tribes and family groups."

20 When Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

21 When he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by families, the family of Matri was chosen. Then Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. They looked for him but couldn't find him.

22 They asked the LORD again, "Has he arrived here yet?" The LORD answered, "He's hiding among the baggage."

23 They ran and got him from there. As he stood among the people, he was a head taller than everyone else.

24 Samuel asked the people, "Do you see whom the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

25 Samuel explained the laws concerning kingship to the people. He wrote the laws on a scroll, which he placed in front of the LORD. Then Samuel sent the people back to their homes.

26 Saul also went home to Gibeah. With him went some soldiers whose hearts God had touched.

27 However, some good-for-nothing people asked, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and wouldn't bring him presents, but he didn't respond.

1 King Nahash of Ammon was severely oppressing the tribes of Gad and Reuben. He would poke out everyone's right eye and allow no one to rescue Israel. There was no one among the Israelites east of the Jordan River whose right eye King Nahash of Ammon had not poked out. However, seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites and gone to Jabesh Gilead. About a month later Nahash the Ammonite blockaded Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we'll serve you."

2 Nahash the Ammonite responded, "I'll make a treaty with you on this one condition: I'll poke out everyone's right eye and bring disgrace on all Israel."

3 The leaders of Jabesh told him, "Give us seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. And if there's no one to save us, we'll surrender to you."

4 The messengers came to Saul's town, Gibeah. When they told the people the news, the people cried loudly.

5 Just then Saul was coming from the field behind some oxen. "Why are these people crying?" Saul asked. So they told him the news about the men of Jabesh.

6 When he heard this news, God's Spirit came over him, and he became very angry.

7 Saul took a pair of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them by messengers throughout the territory of Israel with the following message: "This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who doesn't follow Saul and Samuel [into battle]." So the people became terrified by the LORD, and they came out united [behind Saul].

8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, there were 300,000 troops from Israel and 30,000 troops from Judah.

9 They told the messengers who had come, "This is what you are to say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun gets hot, you will be rescued.'" When the men of Jabesh received the message, they were overjoyed.

10 They said [to Nahash], "Tomorrow we'll surrender to you, and you may do to us whatever you think is right."

11 The next day Saul arranged the army in three divisions. They came into the [Ammonite] camp during the morning hours and continued to defeat the Ammonites until it got hot that day. The survivors were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

12 Then the people asked Samuel, "Who said that Saul shouldn't rule us? Let us have them, and we'll kill them."

13 But Saul said, "No one will be killed today, because today the LORD saved Israel."

14 Samuel told the troops, "Come, let's go to Gilgal and there acknowledge [Saul's] kingship."

15 Then all the troops went to Gilgal, and there in the LORD's presence, they confirmed Saul as their king. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings to the LORD. Saul and all of Israel's soldiers celebrated.

1 Then Samuel said to all Israel, "I have listened to everything you have said to me and appointed a king over you.

2 And now, here is the king who will lead you. I am old and gray, but my sons are with you. I have led you from my youth until this day.

3 Here I am. Testify against me in front of the LORD and in front of his anointed king. Did I take anyone's ox? Did I take anyone's donkey? Did I cheat or oppress anyone? Did I take a bribe from anyone to look the other way? [If so,] I will give it all back."

4 They answered, "You didn't cheat us, oppress us, or take anything from anyone."

5 Samuel told them, "The LORD is a witness to what you've said, and his anointed king is a witness today that you've found nothing in my hands." "He is a witness," they answered.

6 Samuel told the people, "The LORD appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt.

7 Now, stand up while I put you on trial in front of the LORD and cite all the righteous things the LORD did for you and your ancestors.

8 When your ancestors went with Jacob to Egypt [and were oppressed], they cried out to the LORD, who sent Moses and Aaron to bring them out of Egypt. The LORD settled them in this place.

9 But they forgot the LORD their God. So he handed them over to Sisera, who was the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab. All of them fought against your ancestors.

10 Then they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We have sinned. We have abandoned the LORD and served other gods and goddesses--the Baals and the Astartes. But rescue us from our enemies now, and we will serve you.'

11 "Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel and rescued you from your enemies on every side so that you could live securely.

12 But when you saw King Nahash of Ammon coming to attack you, you told me, 'No, a king should rule over us,' though the LORD your God was your king.

13 "Now, here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. See, the LORD has put a king over you.

14 If you fear the LORD, serve him, obey him, and don't rebel against what he says, then you and your king will follow the LORD your God.

15 But if you don't obey the LORD, if you rebel against what he says, then the LORD will be against you as he was against your ancestors.

16 Now then, stand still and watch this great thing the LORD is going to do right before your eyes.

17 Isn't the wheat being harvested today? I will call on the LORD, and he'll send thunder and rain. Then you will realize what a wicked thing you did in the LORD's presence when you asked for a king."

18 Then Samuel called on the LORD. That day the LORD sent thunder and rain so that all the people feared the LORD and Samuel very much.

19 All the people pleaded with Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for us so that we will not die. We have added [another] evil thing to all our other sins by asking for a king."

20 "Don't be afraid," Samuel told the people. "You did do all these evil things. But don't turn away from the LORD. Instead, serve the LORD wholeheartedly.

21 Don't turn away to follow other gods. They can't help or rescue you, because they don't exist.

22 For the sake of his great name, the LORD will not abandon his people, because the LORD wants to make you his people.

23 It would be unthinkable for me to sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. I will go on teaching you the way that is good and right.

24 Fear the LORD, and serve him sincerely. Consider the great things he did for you.

25 But if you go on doing what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out."

37 The next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.

38 A man in the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son. He's my only child.

39 Whenever a spirit takes control of him, he shrieks, goes into convulsions, and foams at the mouth. After a struggle, the spirit goes away, leaving the child worn out.

40 I begged your disciples to force the spirit out of him, but they couldn't do it."

41 Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here!"

42 While he was coming [to Jesus], the demon knocked the boy to the ground and threw him into convulsions. Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave. He cured the boy and gave him back to his father.

43 Everyone was amazed to see God's wonderful power. Everyone was amazed at all the things that Jesus was doing. So he said to his disciples,

44 "Listen carefully to what I say. The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people."

45 They didn't know what he meant. The meaning was hidden from them so that they didn't understand it. Besides, they were afraid to ask him about what he had said.

46 A discussion started among them about who would be the greatest.

47 Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he took a little child and had him stand beside him.

48 Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me. Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest."

49 John replied, "Master, we saw someone forcing demons out of a person by using the power and authority of your name. We tried to stop him because he was not one of us."

50 Jesus said to him, "Don't stop him! Whoever isn't against you is for you."

51 The time was coming closer for Jesus to be taken to heaven. So he was determined to go to Jerusalem.

52 He sent messengers ahead of him. They went into a Samaritan village to arrange a place for him to stay.

53 But the people didn't welcome him, because he was on his way to Jerusalem.

54 James and John, his disciples, saw this. They asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?"

55 But he turned and corrected them.

56 So they went to another village.

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, "I'll follow you wherever you go."

58 Jesus told him, "Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to sleep."

59 He told another man, "Follow me!" But the man said, "Sir, first let me go to bury my father."

60 But Jesus told him, "Let the dead bury their own dead. You must go everywhere and tell about the kingdom of God."

61 Another said, "I'll follow you, sir, but first let me tell my family goodbye."

62 Jesus said to him, "Whoever starts to plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God."