1 SAMUEL 9

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Saul Chosen to Be King  9:1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
    3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
    5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, lest my father cease to care about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” 6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.” 7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today’s “prophet” was formerly called a seer.) 10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
    11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” 12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
    15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.” 18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” 21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”
    22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, who were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Put it aside.’” 24 So the cook took up the leg and what was on it and set them before Saul. And Samuel said, “See, what was kept is set before you. Eat, because it was kept for you until the hour appointed, that you might eat with the guests.”
    So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. 26 Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Up, that I may send you on your way.” So Saul arose, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
    27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”

PSALM 101

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I Will Walk with IntegrityA Psalm of David.
101:1

I will sing of steadfast love and justice;

to you, O Lord, I will make music. 2

I will ponder the way that is blameless.

Oh when will you come to me?

I will walk with integrity of heart

within my house; 3

I will not set before my eyes

anything that is worthless.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

it shall not cling to me. 4

A perverse heart shall be far from me;

I will know nothing of evil.
5

Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly

I will destroy.

Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart

I will not endure.
6

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,

that they may dwell with me;

he who walks in the way that is blameless

shall minister to me.
7

No one who practices deceit

shall dwell in my house;

no one who utters lies

shall continue before my eyes.
8

Morning by morning I will destroy

all the wicked in the land,

cutting off all the evildoers

from the city of the Lord.

PSALM 102

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Do Not Hide Your Face from MeA Prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before the Lord.
102:1

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you! 2

Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3

For my days pass away like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace. 4

My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;

I forget to eat my bread. 5

Because of my loud groaning

my bones cling to my flesh. 6

I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,

like an owl of the waste places; 7

I lie awake;

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop. 8

All the day my enemies taunt me;

those who deride me use my name for a curse. 9

For I eat ashes like bread

and mingle tears with my drink, 10

because of your indignation and anger;

for you have taken me up and thrown me down. 11

My days are like an evening shadow;

I wither away like grass.
12

But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;

you are remembered throughout all generations. 13

You will arise and have pity on Zion;

it is the time to favor her;

the appointed time has come. 14

For your servants hold her stones dear

and have pity on her dust. 15

Nations will fear the name of the Lord,

and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. 16

For the Lord builds up Zion;

he appears in his glory; 17

he regards the prayer of the destitute

and does not despise their prayer.
18

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: 19

that he looked down from his holy height;

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, 20

to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to set free those who were doomed to die, 21

that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,

and in Jerusalem his praise, 22

when peoples gather together,

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23

He has broken my strength in midcourse;

he has shortened my days. 24

“O my God,” I say, “take me not away

in the midst of my days—

you whose years endure

throughout all generations!”
25

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27

but you are the same, and your years have no end. 28

The children of your servants shall dwell secure;

their offspring shall be established before you.

PROVERBS 4

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A Father’s Wise Instruction4:1

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain insight, 2

for I give you good precepts;

do not forsake my teaching. 3

When I was a son with my father,

tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, 4

he taught me and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;

keep my commandments, and live. 5

Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. 6

Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

love her, and she will guard you. 7

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight. 8

Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her. 9

She will place on your head a graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10

Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many. 11

I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness. 12

When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble. 13

Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your life. 14

Do not enter the path of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil. 15

Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on. 16

For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. 17

For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence. 18

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day. 19

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.
20

My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings. 21

Let them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart. 22

For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh. 23

Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life. 24

Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you. 25

Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you. 26

Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure. 27

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.