Bible Reading
June 8
The World English Bible
June
8
1
Samuel 9, 10
1Sa
9:1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of
Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the
son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.
1Sa
9:2 He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and
there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he.
From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
1Sa
9:3 The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to Saul
his son, Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek
the donkeys.
1Sa
9:4 He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed
through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them: then they
passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they weren't there: and
he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find
them.
1Sa
9:5 When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant
who was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off
caring for the donkeys, and be anxious for us.
1Sa
9:6 He said to him, See now, there is in this city a man of God, and
he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes surely to
pass: now let us go there; peradventure he can tell us concerning our
journey whereon we go.
1Sa
9:7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall
we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is
not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
1Sa
9:8 The servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my
hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the
man of God, to tell us our way.
1Sa
9:9 (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God,
thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he who is now
called a prophet was before called a Seer.)
1Sa
9:10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So
they went to the city where the man of God was.
1Sa
9:11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young
maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?
1Sa
9:12 They answered them, and said, He is; behold, he
is before you: make haste now, for he is
come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in
the high place:
1Sa
9:13 as soon as you have come into the city, you shall immediately
find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people
will not eat until he come, because he does bless the sacrifice; and
afterwards they eat who are invited. Now therefore go up; for at this
time you shall find him.
1Sa
9:14 They went up to the city; and
as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to
go up to the high place.
1Sa
9:15 Now Yahweh had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came,
saying,
1Sa
9:16 Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land
of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people
Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the
Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry is
come to me.
1Sa
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him, Behold, the man of
whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority over my people.
1Sa
9:18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me,
Please, where the seer's house is.
1Sa
9:19 Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me
to the high place, for you shall eat with me today: and in the
morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your
heart.
1Sa
9:20 As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set
your mind on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is
desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's
house?
1Sa
9:21 Saul answered, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the
tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the
tribe of Benjamin? why then speak you to me after this manner?
1Sa
9:22 Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the
guest room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were
invited, who were about thirty persons.
1Sa
9:23 Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of
which I said to you, Set it aside.
1Sa
9:24 The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set
it before Saul. Samuel
said, Behold, that which has been reserved! set it before yourself
and eat; because to the appointed time has it been kept for you, for
I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
1Sa
9:25 When they had come down from the high place into the city, he
talked with Saul on the housetop.
1Sa
9:26 They arose early: and it happened about the spring of the day,
that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may
send you away. Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and
Samuel, abroad.
1Sa
9:27 As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to
Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but
stand still first, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.
1Sa
10:1 Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head,
and kissed him, and said, Isn't it that Yahweh has anointed you to be
prince over his inheritance?
1Sa
10:2 When you have departed from me today, then you shall find two
men by Rachel's tomb, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they
will tell you, The donkeys which you went to seek have been found;
and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is
anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
1Sa
10:3 Then you shall go on forward from there, and you shall come to
the oak of Tabor; and three men shall meet you there going up to God
to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves
of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
1Sa
10:4 and they will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread,
which you shall receive of their hand.
1Sa
10:5 After that you shall come to the hill of God, where is the
garrison of the Philistines: and it shall happen, when you have come
there to the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down
from the high place with a psaltery, and a tambourine, and a pipe,
and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying:
1Sa
10:6 and the Spirit of Yahweh will come mightily on you, and you
shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.
1Sa
10:7 Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do as
occasion shall serve you; for God is with you.
1Sa
10:8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come
down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of
peace offerings: you shall wait seven days, until I come to you, and
show you what you shall do.
1Sa
10:9 It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel,
God gave him another heart: and all those signs happened that day.
1Sa
10:10 When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets
met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he
prophesied among them.
1Sa
10:11 It happened, when all who knew him before saw that, behold, he
prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another,
What is this that is come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the
prophets?
1Sa
10:12 One of the same place answered, Who is their father? Therefore
it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
1Sa
10:13 When he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high
place.
1Sa
10:14 Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go?
He said, To seek the donkeys; and when we saw that they were not
found, we came to Samuel.
1Sa
10:15 Saul's uncle said, Tell me, Please, what Samuel said to you.
1Sa
10:16 Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys
were found. But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel
spoke, he didn't tell him.
1Sa
10:17 Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to Mizpah;
1Sa
10:18 and he said to the children of Israel, Thus says Yahweh, the
God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the
kingdoms that oppressed you:
1Sa
10:19 but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you
out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to
him, No,
but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before
Yahweh by your tribes, and by your thousands.
1Sa
10:20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe
of Benjamin was taken.
1Sa
10:21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and
the family of the Matrites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was
taken: but when they sought him, he could not be found.
1Sa
10:22 Therefore they asked of Yahweh further, Is there yet a man to
come here? Yahweh answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the
baggage.
1Sa
10:23 They ran and fetched him there; and when he stood among the
people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and
upward.
1Sa
10:24 Samuel said to all the people, "You see him whom Yahweh
has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?"
All the people shouted, and said, Long
live the king.
1Sa
10:25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and
wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Yahweh. Samuel sent all the
people away, every man to his house.
1Sa
10:26 Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him
the army, whose hearts God had touched.
1Sa
10:27 But certain worthless fellows said, How shall this man save
us? They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his
peace.
In
2011, the renowned atheist, theoretical physicist, and cosmologist of
Cambridge University, Stephen Hawking, was given a platform to spread
his atheistic perspective (“Curiosity…,” 2011). Discovery Channel
aired a show titled, “Curiosity: Did God Create the Universe?” Hawking
adamantly claimed, “No.” He claimed that there is no need for God in the
picture, since he believes everything in the Universe can be explained
without Him (see Miller, 2011a for an in depth response to Hawking’s
claims in the show).