Romans 9; Romans 10; 1 Samuel 19; Psalms 64

Romans 9

1 I speak the truth in Christ-I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit-

2 that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart.

3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my countrymen by physical descent.

4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.

5 The forefathers are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

7 Neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants. On the contrary, in Isaac your seed will be called.

8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but the children of the promise are considered seed.

9 For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.

10 And not only that, but also when Rebekah became pregnant by Isaac our forefather

11 (for though they had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand,

12 not from works but from the One who calls) she was told: The older will serve the younger.

13 As it is written: Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.

14 What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

15 For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

16 So then it does not depend on human will or effort, but on God who shows mercy.

17 For the Scripture tells Pharaoh: For this reason I raised you up: so that I may display My power in you, and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

18 So then, He shows mercy to whom He wills, and He hardens whom He wills.

19 You will say to me, therefore, "Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?"

20 But who are you-anyone who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"

21 Or has the potter no right over His clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?

22 And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath ready for destruction?

23 And [what if] He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory-

24 on us whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

25 As He also says in Hosea: I will call "Not-My-People," "My-People," and she who is "Unloved," "Beloved."

26 And it will be in the place where they were told, you are not My people, there they will be called sons of the living God.

27 But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: Though the number of Israel's sons is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved;

28 for the Lord will execute His sentence completely and decisively on the earth.

29 And just as Isaiah predicted: If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.

30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness-namely the righteousness that comes from faith.

31 But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the law.

32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

33 As it is written: Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over, and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame.

Romans 10

1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!

2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

3 Because they disregarded the righteousness from God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God's righteousness.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up to heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down

7 or, "Who will go down into the abyss?" that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

9 if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

11 Now the Scripture says, No one who believes on Him will be put to shame,

12 for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him.

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

14 But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?

15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How welcome are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!

16 But all did not obey the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?

17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.

18 But I ask, "Did they not hear?" Yes, they did: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.

19 But I ask, "Did Israel not understand?" First, Moses said: I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that lacks understanding.

20 And Isaiah says boldly: I was found by those who were not looking for Me; I revealed Myself to those who were not asking for Me.

21 But to Israel he says: All day long I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and defiant people.

1 Samuel 19

1 Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan liked David very much,

2 so he told him: "My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning and hide in a secret place and stay there.

3 I'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are and talk to him about you. When I see what [he says], I'll tell you."

4 Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. He said to him: "The king should not sin against his servant David. He hasn't sinned against you; in fact, his actions have been a great advantage to you.

5 He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?"

6 Saul listened to Jonathan's advice and swore an oath: "As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed."

7 So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these words. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as [he did] before.

8 When war broke out again, David went out and fought against the Philistines. He defeated them with such a great force that they fled from him.

9 Now an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his palace holding a spear. David was playing [the harp],

10 and Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear. As the spear struck the wall, David eluded Saul and escaped. That night he ran away.

11 Saul sent agents to David's house to watch for him and kill him in the morning. But his wife Michal warned David: "If you don't escape tonight, you will be dead tomorrow!"

12 So she lowered David from the window, and he fled and escaped.

13 Then Michal took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goats' hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.

14 When Saul sent agents to seize David, Michal said, "He's sick."

15 Saul sent the agents [back] to see David and said, "Bring him on his bed so I can kill him."

16 When the messengers arrived, to their surprise, the household idol was on the bed with some goats' hair on its head.

17 Saul asked Michal, "Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!" She answered him, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?' "

18 So David fled and escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah and told him everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel left and stayed at Naioth.

19 When it was reported to Saul that David was at Naioth in Ramah,

20 Saul sent agents to seize David. However, when they saw the group of prophets prophesying with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came on Saul's agents, and they also started prophesying.

21 When they reported to Saul, he sent other agents, and they also began prophesying. So Saul tried again and sent a third group of agents, and even they began prophesying.

22 Then Saul himself went to Ramah. He came to the large cistern at Secu, looked around, and asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" "At Naioth in Ramah," someone said.

23 So he went to Naioth in Ramah. The Spirit of God also came on him, and as he walked along, he prophesied until he entered Naioth in Ramah.

24 Saul then removed his clothes and also prophesied before Samuel; he collapsed [and lay] naked all that day and all that night. That is why they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

Psalms 64

1 God, hear my voice when I complain. Protect my life from the terror of the enemy.

2 Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of evildoers,

3 who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows,

4 shooting from concealed places at the innocent. They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.

5 They encourage each other in an evil plan; they talk about hiding traps and say, "Who will see them?"

6 They devise crimes [and say,] "We have perfected a secret plan." The inner man and the heart are mysterious.

7 But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly, they will be wounded.

8 They will be made to stumble; their own tongues work against them. All who see them will shake their heads.

9 Then everyone will fear and will tell about God's work, for they will understand what He has done.

10 The righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart offer praise.