Day 152 of 365

1 Sam 28:1–29:11

28:1 It happened in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. Achish said to David, "Know assuredly that you shall go out with me in the army, you and your men."

28:2 David said to Achish, "Therefore you shall know what your servant will do." Achish said to David, "Therefore will I make you my bodyguard for ever."

28:3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

28:4 The Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and encamped in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped in Gilboa.

28:5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

28:6 When Saul inquired of the Lord, The Lord did not answer him, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

28:7 Then Saul said to his servants, "Seek me a woman who has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her." His servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who has a familiar spirit at Endor."

28:8 Saul disguised himself, and put on other clothing, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, "Please divine to me by the familiar spirit, and bring me up whomever I shall name to you."

28:9 The woman said to him, "Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those who have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?"

28:10 Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, "As the Lord lives, no punishment shall happen to you for this thing."

28:11 Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up to you?" He said, "Bring Samuel up for me."

28:12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice; and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!"

28:13 The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. For what do you see?" The woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth."

28:14 He said to her, "What does he look like?" She said, "An old man comes up. He is covered with a robe." Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground, and showed respect.

28:15 Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up?" Saul answered, "I am very distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may make known to me what I shall do."

28:16 Samuel said, "Why then do you ask of me, since the Lord has departed from you and has become your adversary?

28:17 The Lord has done to you as he spoke by me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand, and given it to your neighbor, even to David.

28:18 Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, and did not execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day.

28:19 Moreover the Lord will deliver Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will deliver the army of Israel also into the hand of the Philistines."

28:20 Then Saul fell immediately his full length on the earth, and was terrified, because of the words of Samuel. There was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

28:21 The woman came to Saul, and saw that he was very troubled, and said to him, "Behold, your handmaid has listened to your voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.

28:22 Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength, when you go on your way."

28:23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat on the bed.

28:24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house. She hurried and killed it; and she took flour, and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread of it.

28:25 She brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they ate. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

29:1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites encamped by the spring which is in Jezreel.

29:2 The lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands; and David and his men passed on in the rear with Achish.

29:3 Then the princes of the Philistines said, "What about these Hebrews?" Achish said to the princes of the Philistines, "Isn't this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who has been with me these days, or rather these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell away to this day?"

29:4 But the princes of the Philistines were angry with him; and the princes of the Philistines said to him, "Make the man return, that he may go back to his place where you have appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For with what should this fellow reconcile himself to his lord? Should it not be with the heads of these men?

29:5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"

29:6 Then Achish called David, and said to him, "As the Lord lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the army is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not favor you.

29:7 Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines."

29:8 David said to Achish, "But what have I done? What have you found in your servant so long as I have been before you to this day, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

29:9 Achish answered David, "I know that you are good in my sight, as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.'

29:10 Therefore now rise up early in the morning with the servants of your lord who have come with you; and as soon as you are up early in the morning, and have light, depart."

29:11 So David rose up early, he and his men, to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. The Philistines went up to Jezreel.

John 12:30–50

30 Jesus answered, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes.

31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.

32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to myself."

33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.

34 The multitude answered him, "We have heard out of the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?"

35 Jesus therefore said to them, "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness does not overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light." Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him,

38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

39 For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,

40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them."

41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.

42 Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue,

43 for they loved men's praise more than God's praise.

44 Jesus shouted out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.

45 He who sees me sees him who sent me.

46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.

47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He who rejects me, and does not receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.

49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak."

Eccl 3:11–17

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can't find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

13 Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.

16 Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

17 I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."