1 Samuel 7; 1 Samuel 8; 1 Samuel 9; Luke 9:18-36

1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the ark of the Lord. They took it up to Abinadab's house on the hill. They set his son Eleazar apart to guard the ark.

2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for a long time. It was there for a full 20 years. All of the people of Israel were filled with sorrow. They looked to the LORD for help.

3 Samuel spoke to the whole community of Israel. He said, "Do you really want to return to the LORD with all your hearts? If you do, get rid of your strange gods. Get rid of your statues of goddesses that are named after Ashtoreth. Commit yourselves to the Lord. Serve him only. Then he will save you from the powerful hand of the Philistines."

4 So the people of Israel put away their statues of gods that were named after Baal. They put away their statues of goddesses named after Ashtoreth. They served the LORD only.

5 Then Samuel said, "Gather all of the people of Israel together at Mizpah. I will pray to the LORD for you."

6 When the people had come together at Mizpah, they went to the well and got water. They poured it out in the sight of the Lord. On that day they didn't eat any food. They admitted they had sinned. They said, "We've sinned against the Lord." Samuel was the leader of Israel at Mizpah.

7 The Philistines heard that Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers came up to attack them. When the people of Israel heard about it, they were afraid.

8 They said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the LORD our God to help us. Keep praying that he'll save us from the powerful hand of the Philistines."

9 Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the LORD to help Israel. And the LORD answered his prayer.

10 The Philistines came near to attack Israel. At that time Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines. He threw them into such a panic that the Israelites were able to chase them away.

11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah. They chased the Philistines all the way to a point below Beth Car. They killed them all along the way.

12 Then Samuel got a big stone. He set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer. He said, "The LORD has helped us every step of the way."

13 So Samuel brought the Philistines under Israel's control. The Philistines didn't attack their territory again. The LORD used his powerful hand against the Philistines as long as Samuel lived.

14 The Philistines had captured many towns between Ekron and Gath. But they had to give all of them back. Israel took back the territories near those towns from the powerful hand of the Philistines. During that time Israel and the Amorites were friendly toward each other.

15 Samuel continued to lead Israel all the days of his life.

16 From year to year he traveled from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He served Israel as judge in all of those places.

17 But he always went back to Ramah. That's where his home was. He served Israel as judge there too. And he built an altar there to honor the Lord.

1 When Samuel became old, he appointed his sons to serve as judges for Israel.

2 The name of his oldest son was Joel. The name of his second son was Abijah. They served as judges at Beersheba.

3 But his sons didn't live as he did. They were only interested in making money. They accepted money from people who wanted special favors. They made things that were wrong appear to be right.

4 So all of the elders of Israel gathered together. They came to Samuel at Ramah.

5 They said to him, "You are old. Your sons don't live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all of the other nations have."

6 Samuel wasn't pleased when they said, "Give us a king to lead us." So he prayed to the Lord.

7 The LORD told him, "Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king.

8 They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this very day. Now they are deserting you too.

9 "Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will do."

10 Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king everything the LORD had said.

11 Samuel told them, "Here's what the king who rules over you will do. He will take your sons. He'll make them serve with his chariots and horses. They will run in front of his chariots.

12 He'll choose some of your sons to be commanders of thousands of men. Some will be commanders of fifties. Others will have to plow his fields and gather his crops. Still others will have to make weapons of war and parts for his chariots.

13 "He'll also take your daughters. Some will have to make perfume. Others will be forced to cook and bake.

14 "He will take away your best fields and vineyards and olive groves. He'll give them to his attendants.

15 He will take a tenth of your grain and a tenth of your grapes. He'll give it to his officials and attendants.

16 He will also take your male and female servants. He'll take your best cattle and donkeys. He'll use all of them any way he wants to.

17 "He will take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You yourselves will become his slaves.

18 "When that time comes, you will cry out for help because of the king you have chosen. But the LORD won't answer you at that time."

19 In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. "No!" they said. "We want a king to rule over us.

20 Then we'll be like all of the other nations. We'll have a king to lead us. He'll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles."

21 Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the LORD about it.

22 The LORD answered, "Listen to them. Give them a king." Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go back to your own town."

1 There was a man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Kish was a very important person. He was the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror. Zeror was the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah from the tribe of Benjamin.

2 Kish had a son named Saul. Saul was a handsome young man. There wasn't anyone like him among the people of Israel. He was a head taller than any of them.

3 The donkeys that belonged to Saul's father Kish were lost. So Kish spoke to his son Saul. He said, "Go and look for the donkeys. Take one of the servants with you."

4 Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim. They also went through the area around Shalisha. But they didn't find the donkeys. So they went on into the area of Shaalim. But the donkeys weren't there either. Then Saul went through the territory of Benjamin. But they still didn't find the donkeys.

5 When Saul and the servant who was with him reached the area of Zuph, Saul spoke to him. He said, "Come on. Let's go back. If we don't, my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us."

6 But the servant replied, "There's a man of God here in Ramah. People have a lot of respect for him. Everything he says comes true. So let's go and see him now. Perhaps he'll tell us which way to go."

7 Saul said to his servant, "If we go to see the man, what can we give him? There isn't any food in our sacks. We don't have a gift for the man of God. So what can we give him?"

8 The servant answered Saul again. "Look," he said. "I've got a tenth of an ounce of silver. I'll give it to the man of God. Then maybe he'll tell us which way to go."

9 In Israel, prophets used to be called seers. So if a man wanted to ask God for advice, he would say, "Come on. Let's go to the seer."

10 Saul said to his servant, "That's a good idea. Come on. Let's go and ask the seer." So they started out for the town where the man of God lived.

11 They were going up the hill toward the town. Along the way they met some young women who were coming out to get water from the well. Saul and his servant asked them, "Is the seer here?"

12 "Yes, he is," they answered. "In fact, he's just up ahead of you. So hurry along. He has just come to our town today. The people are going to offer a sacrifice at the high place where they worship.

13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him. He'll be there until he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won't start eating until he gets there. He must bless the sacrifice first. After that, those who are invited will eat. So go on up. You should find him there just about now."

14 They went up to the town. As they were entering it, they saw Samuel. He was coming toward them. He was on his way up to the high place.

15 The LORD had spoken to Samuel the day before Saul came. He had said,

16 "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man. He is from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people Israel. He will save them from the powerful hand of the Philistines. I have seen how much my people are suffering. Their cry for help has reached me."

17 When Samuel saw a man coming toward him, the LORD spoke to Samuel again. He said, "He is the man I told you about. His name is Saul. He will govern my people."

18 Saul approached Samuel at the gate of the town. He asked Samuel, "Can you please show me the house where the seer is staying?"

19 "I'm the seer," Samuel replied. "Go on up to the high place ahead of me. I want you and your servant to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I'll tell you what's on your mind. Then I'll let you go.

20 Don't worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago. They've already been found. But who are all of the people of Israel longing for? You and your father's whole family!"

21 Saul answered, "But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin. It's the smallest tribe in Israel. And my family group is the least important in the whole tribe of Benjamin. So why are you saying that to me?"

22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the room where they would be eating. He seated them at the head table. About 30 people had been invited.

23 Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you. It's the one I told you to put to one side."

24 So the cook went and got a choice piece of thigh. He set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat it. It was put to one side for you for this special occasion. We've saved it for you ever since I invited the guests." And Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25 They came down from the high place to the town. After that, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of Samuel's house.

26 The next day they got up at about the time the sun was rising. Samuel called out to Saul on the roof. He said, "Get ready. Then I'll send you on your way." So Saul got ready. And he and Samuel went outside together.

27 As they were on their way down to the edge of town, Samuel spoke to Saul. He said, "Tell the servant to go ahead of us." So the servant went on ahead. Then Samuel continued, "Stay here awhile. I'll give you a message from God."

18 One day Jesus was praying alone. Only his disciples were with him. He asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"

19 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."

20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

21 Jesus strongly warned them not to tell this to anyone.

22 He said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things. The elders will not accept him. The chief priests and teachers of the law will not accept him either. He must be killed and on the third day rise from the dead."

23 Then he said to all of them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must say no to himself. He must pick up his cross every day and follow me.

24 If he wants to save his life, he will lose it. But if he loses his life for me, he will save it.

25 What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses or gives up his very self?

26 "Suppose you are ashamed of me and my words. The Son of Man will come in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. Then he will be ashamed of you.

27 "What I'm about to tell you is true. Some who are standing here will not die before they see God's kingdom."

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he went up on a mountain to pray. He took Peter, John and James with him.

29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed. His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

30 Two men, Moses and Elijah,

31 appeared in shining glory. Jesus and the two of them talked together. They spoke about his coming death. He was going to die soon in Jerusalem.

32 Peter and his companions had been very sleepy. But then they became completely awake. They saw Jesus' glory and the two men standing with him.

33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter spoke up. "Master," he said to him, "it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters. One will be for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He didn't really know what he was saying.

34 While Jesus was speaking, a cloud appeared. It surrounded them. The disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud.

35 A voice came from the cloud. It said, "This is my Son, and I have chosen him. Listen to him."

36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept quiet about this. They didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen.