1 Samuel 15; 1 Samuel 16; Luke 10:25-42

1 Samuel 15

1 Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one whom the Lord sent to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord Almighty says.

2 He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt.

3 Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don't leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children, and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys."

4 Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem: there were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 from Judah.

5 Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek and waited in ambush in a dry riverbed.

6 He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: "Go away and leave the Amalekites, so that I won't kill you along with them." So the Kenites left.

7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt;

8 he captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all the people.

9 But Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good; they destroyed only what was useless or worthless.

10 The Lord said to Samuel,

11 "I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands." Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the Lord.

12 Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal.

13 Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, "The Lord bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the Lord's command."

14 Samuel asked, "Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?"

15 Saul answered, "My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely."

16 "Stop," Samuel ordered, "and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul said.

17 Samuel answered, "Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king of Israel,

18 and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all.

19 Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord?"

20 "I did obey the Lord," Saul replied. "I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites.

21 But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God."

22 Samuel said, "Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him.

23 Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king."

24 "Yes, I have sinned," Saul replied. "I disobeyed the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted.

25 But now I beg you, forgive my sin and go back with me, so that I can worship the Lord."

26 "I will not go back with you," Samuel answered. "You rejected the Lord's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel."

27 Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore.

28 Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you.

29 Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being - he does not change his mind."

30 "I have sinned," Saul replied. "But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God."

31 So Samuel went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32 "Bring King Agag here to me," Samuel ordered. Agag came to him, trembling with fear, thinking to himself, "What a bitter thing it is to die!"

33 Samuel said, "As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now your mother will become childless." And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah.

35 As long as Samuel lived, he never again saw the king; but he grieved over him. The Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king of Israel.

1 Samuel 16

1 The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you go on grieving over Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king."

2 "How can I do that?" Samuel asked. "If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!" The Lord answered, "Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.

3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint as king the man I tell you to."

4 Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, "Is this a peaceful visit, seer?"

5 "Yes," he answered. "I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me." He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab and said to himself, "This man standing here in the Lord's presence is surely the one he has chosen."

7 But the Lord said to him, "Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart."

8 Then Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, "No, the Lord hasn't chosen him either."

9 Jesse then brought Shammah. "No, the Lord hasn't chosen him either," Samuel said.

10 In this way Jesse brought seven of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, "No, the Lord hasn't chosen any of these."

11 Then he asked him, "Do you have any more sons?" Jesse answered, "There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep." "Tell him to come here," Samuel said. "We won't offer the sacrifice until he comes."

12 So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. The Lord said to Samuel, "This is the one - anoint him!"

13 Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

14 The Lord's spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit sent by the Lord tormented him.

15 His servants said to him, "We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you.

16 So give us the order, sir, and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the evil spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again."

17 Saul ordered them, "Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me."

18 One of his attendants said, "Jesse of the town of Bethlehem has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. The Lord is with him."

19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, "Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep."

20 Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine.

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons.

22 Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: "I like David. Let him stay here in my service."

23 From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.

Luke 10:25-42

25 A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to receive eternal life?"

26 Jesus answered him, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?"

27 The man answered, " "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind'; and "Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' "

28 "You are right," Jesus replied; "do this and you will live."

29 But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"

30 Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead.

31 It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side.

32 In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.

33 But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.

34 He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. "Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, "and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.' "

36 And Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?"

37 The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied, "You go, then, and do the same."

38 As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him in her home.

39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and listened to his teaching.

40 Martha was upset over all the work she had to do, so she came and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!"

41 The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things,

42 but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her."