Mark 11:1-11
[1]
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the
Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples [2] and said to them,
“Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it
you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and
bring it. [3] If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The
Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” [4] And
they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street,
and they untied it. [5] And some of those standing there said to them,
“What are you doing, untying the colt?” [6] And they told them what
Jesus had said, and they let them go. [7] And they brought the colt to
Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. [8] And many
spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that
they had cut from the fields. [9] And those who went before and those
who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord! [10] Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father
David! Hosanna in the highest!”
[11]
And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had
looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to
Bethany with the twelve.
2 Corinthians 4
[1]
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose
heart. [2] But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We
refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open
statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s
conscience in the sight of God. [3] And even if our gospel is veiled, it
is veiled to those who are perishing. [4] In their case the god of this
world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from
seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image
of God. [5] For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who
said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
[7]
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing
power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted in every way,
but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted,
but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying
in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be
manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given
over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death is at work in us, but life
in you.
[13]
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been
written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also
speak, [14] knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also
with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. [15] For it is all
for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may
increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
[16]
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our
inner self is being renewed day by day. [17] For this light momentary
affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all
comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the
things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but
the things that are unseen are eternal.
Psalm 99
[1] The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
[2] The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
[3] Let them praise your great and awesome name!
Holy is he!
[4] The King in his might loves justice.
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in Jacob.
[5] Exalt the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool!
Holy is he!
[6] Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.
They called to the LORD, and he answered them.
[7] In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he gave them.
[8] O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
[9] Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy!
1 Samuel 11
[1]
Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and all
the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will
serve you.” [2] But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition
I will make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all your right eyes,
and thus bring disgrace on all Israel.” [3] The elders of Jabesh said to
him, “Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through
all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we
will give ourselves up to you.” [4] When the messengers came to Gibeah
of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, and all the
people wept aloud.
[5]
Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul
said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they
told him the news of the men of Jabesh. [6] And the Spirit of God rushed
upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled.
[7] He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them
throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers,
saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be
done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the LORD fell upon the people, and
they came out as one man. [8] When he mustered them at Bezek, the
people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah
thirty thousand. [9] And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus
shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the
sun is hot, you shall have salvation.’” When the messengers came and
told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. [10] Therefore the men of Jabesh
said, “Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us
whatever seems good to you.” [11] And the next day Saul put the people
in three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the
morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day.
And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left
together.
[12]
Then the people said to Samuel, “Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign
over us?’ Bring the men, that we may put them to death.” [13] But Saul
said, “Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has
worked salvation in Israel.” [14] Then Samuel said to the people, “Come,
let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” [15] So all the
people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in
Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before the LORD, and there
Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
1 Samuel 12
[1]
And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed your voice in all
that you have said to me and have made a king over you. [2] And now,
behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my
sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this
day. [3] Here I am; testify against me before the LORD and before his
anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom
have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken
a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore
it to you.” [4] They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us
or taken anything from any man’s hand.” [5] And he said to them, “The
LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that
you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”
[6]
And Samuel said to the people, “The LORD is witness, who appointed
Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
[7] Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before the LORD
concerning all the righteous deeds of the LORD that he performed for you
and for your fathers. [8] When Jacob went into Egypt, and the Egyptians
oppressed them, then your fathers cried out to the LORD and the LORD
sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made
them dwell in this place. [9] But they forgot the LORD their God. And he
sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, and
into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab.
And they fought against them. [10] And they cried out to the LORD and
said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served
the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now deliver us out of the hand of our
enemies, that we may serve you.’ [11] And the LORD sent Jerubbaal and
Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your
enemies on every side, and you lived in safety. [12] And when you saw
that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me,
‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your
king. [13] And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you
have asked; behold, the LORD has set a king over you. [14] If you will
fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the
commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over
you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. [15] But if you will
not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of
the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king.
[16] Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD
will do before your eyes. [17] Is it not wheat harvest today? I will
call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall
know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the
sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king.” [18] So Samuel
called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day, and
all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
[19]
And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD
your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this
evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” [20] And Samuel said to the people,
“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside
from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. [21]
And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver,
for they are empty. [22] For the LORD will not forsake his people, for
his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a
people for himself. [23] Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I
should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will
instruct you in the good and the right way. [24] Only fear the LORD and
serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things
he has done for you. [25] But if you still do wickedly, you shall be
swept away, both you and your king.”
1 Samuel 13
[1]
Saul lived for one year and then became king, and when he had reigned
for two years over Israel, [2] Saul chose three thousand men of Israel.
Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel,
and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. The rest of the
people he sent home, every man to his tent. [3] Jonathan defeated the
garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard
of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let
the Hebrews hear.” [4] And all Israel heard it said that Saul had
defeated the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel had
become a stench to the Philistines. And the people were called out to
join Saul at Gilgal.
[5]
And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand
chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the
seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the
east of Beth-aven. [6] When the men of Israel saw that they were in
trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in
caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, [7] and
some Hebrews crossed the fords of the Jordan to the land of Gad and
Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him
trembling.
[8]
He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not
come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. [9] So Saul
said, “Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings.”
And he offered the burnt offering. [10] As soon as he had finished
offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to
meet him and greet him. [11] Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul
said, “When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you
did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had
mustered at Michmash, [12] I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down
against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I
forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” [13] And Samuel said to
Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the
LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have
established your kingdom over Israel forever. [14] But now your kingdom
shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart,
and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you
have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” [15] And Samuel arose and
went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet
the army; they went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.
And
Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred
men. [16] And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present
with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in
Michmash. [17] And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in
three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
[18] another company turned toward Beth-horon; and another company
turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of Zeboim toward
the wilderness.
[19]
Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of
Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves
swords or spears.” [20] But every one of the Israelites went down to the
Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his
sickle, [21] and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel for the
plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening
the axes and for setting the goads. [22] So on the day of the battle
there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people
with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them. [23]
And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.