Day 140 of 365

1 Sam 8:1–9:27

8:1 It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

8:2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba.

8:3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;

8:5 and they said to him, "Behold, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to the Lord.

8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

8:8 According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

8:9 Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them."

8:10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.

8:11 He said, "This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots;

8:12 and he will appoint them to him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots.

8:13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

8:14 He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

8:15 He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

8:16 He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

8:17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

8:18 You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not answer you in that day."

8:19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No; but we will have a king over us,

8:20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

8:21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.

8:22 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make them a king." Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."

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.

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.

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."

9:4 He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not 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 did not find them.

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 stop caring about the donkeys, and be anxious for us."

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 surely comes to pass. Now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us concerning our journey on which we have set out."

9:7 Then Saul said to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is gone in our vessels, and there is no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?"

9:8 The servant answered Saul again, and said, "Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way."

9:9 (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)

9:10 Then Saul said to his servant, "Well said. Come, let us go." So they went to the city where the man of God was.

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?"

9:12 They answered them, and said, "He is. Behold, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place.

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 comes, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you shall find him."

9:14 They went up to the city. As they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

9:15 Now the Lord had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

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 has come to me."

9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall have authority over my people."

9:18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is."

9:19 Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am he. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.

9:20 As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them; for they have been found. And for whom does all Israel desire? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?"

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 do you speak to me like this?"

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.

9:23 And Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I told you to set aside."

9:24 The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. And he said, "Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because for the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

9:25 When they had come down from the high place into the city, he talked with Saul on the housetop.

9:26 They arose early: and it happened about daybreak, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, went outside.

9:27 As they were going down at the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead," (and he passed on), "but remain here awhile, that I may make known to you the word of God."

John 7:1–17

1 After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jewish leaders sought to kill him.

2 Now the Jewish festival, the Feast of Tabernacles, was near.

3 His brothers therefore said to him, "Depart from here, and go into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works which you do.

4 For no one does anything in secret, and himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, reveal yourself to the world."

5 For even his brothers did not believe in him.

6 Jesus therefore said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil.

8 You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled."

9 Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee.

10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.

11 The Jewish leaders therefore sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?"

12 There was much murmuring among the multitudes concerning him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others said, "Not so, but he leads the multitude astray."

13 Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jewish leaders.

14 But when it was now the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

15 The Jewish leaders therefore marveled, saying, "How does this man know letters, having never been educated?"

16 Jesus therefore answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.

17 If anyone desires to do his will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if I am speaking from myself.

Prov 31:25–31

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things, but you excel them all."

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!

Eccl 1:1–6

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."

3 What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

4 One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

6 The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.