1 SAMUEL 14:1-52
JOHN 7:31-53
PSALM 109:1-31
PROVERBS 15:5-7
1 SAMUEL 14:1-52
One day Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, " Come on, let's go over to where the Philistines have their outpost." But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing. 2 Meanwhile, Saul and his six hundred men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron. 3 (Among Saul's men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the linen ephod. Ahijah was the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother. Ahitub was the son of Phinehas and the grandson of Eli, the priest of the LORD who had served at Shiloh.) No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. 6 " Let's go across to see those pagans," Jonathan said to his armor bearer. " Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!" 7 " Do what you think is best," the youth replied. " I'm with you completely, whatever you decide." 8 " All right then," Jonathan told him. " We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ` Stay where you are or we'll kill you,' then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ` Come on up and fight,' then we will go up. That will be the LORD's sign that he will help us defeat them." 11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, " Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!" 12 Then they shouted to Jonathan, " Come on up here, and we'll teach you a lesson!" " Come on, climb right behind me," Jonathan said to his armor bearer, " for the LORD will help us defeat them!" 13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell back as Jonathan and his armor bearer killed them right and left. 14 They killed about twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre. 15 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified. 16 Saul's lookouts in Gibeah saw a strange sight--the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction. 17 " Find out who isn't here," Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone. 18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, " Bring the ephod here!" For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites. 19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the shouting and confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to Ahijah, " Never mind; let's get going!" 20 Then Saul and his six hundred men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 21 Even the Hebrews who had gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 22 Likewise, the men who were hiding in the hills joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 23 So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even out beyond Beth-aven. 24 Now the men of Israel were worn out that day, because Saul had made them take an oath, saying, " Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening--before I have full revenge on my enemies." So no one ate a thing all day, 25 even though they found honeycomb on the ground in the forest. 26 They didn't even touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father's command, and he dipped a stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt much better. 28 But one of the men saw him and said, " Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint." 29 " My father has made trouble for us all!" Jonathan exclaimed. " A command like that only hurts us. See how much better I feel now that I have eaten this little bit of honey. 30 If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more we could have killed!" 31 But hungry as they were, they chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint. 32 That evening they flew upon the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood. 33 Someone reported to Saul, " Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that still has blood in it." " That is very wrong," Saul said. " Find a large stone and roll it over here. 34 Then go out among the troops and tell them, ` Bring the cattle and sheep here to kill them and drain the blood. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.' " So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the LORD, the first one he had ever built. 36 Then Saul said, " Let's chase the Philistines all night and destroy every last one of them." His men replied, " We'll do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, " Let's ask God first." 37 So Saul asked God, " Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?" But God made no reply that day. 38 Then Saul said to the leaders, " Something's wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. 39 I vow by the name of the LORD who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!" But no one would tell him what the trouble was. 40 Then Saul said, " Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there." And the people agreed. 41 Then Saul prayed, " O LORD, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent. Are Jonathan and I guilty, or is the sin among the others?" And Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent. 42 Then Saul said, " Now choose between me and Jonathan." And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one. 43 " Tell me what you have done," Saul demanded of Jonathan. " I tasted a little honey," Jonathan admitted. " It was only a little bit on the end of a stick. Does that deserve death?" 44 " Yes, Jonathan," Saul said, " you must die! May God strike me dead if you are not executed for this."45 But the people broke in and said to Saul, " Should Jonathan, who saved Israel today, die? Far from it! As surely as the LORD lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for he has been used of God to do a mighty miracle today." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death. 46 Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home. 47 Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel's throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction--against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious. 48 He did great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them. 49 Saul's sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal. 50 Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul's army was his cousin Abner, his uncle Ner's son. 51 Abner's father, Ner, and Saul's father, Kish, were brothers; both were sons of Abiel. 52 The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul's lifetime. So whenever Saul saw a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.
JOHN 7:31-53
Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him [Jesus]. " After all," they said, " would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?" 32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were murmuring such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. 33 But Jesus told them, " I will be here a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search for me but not find me. And you won't be able to come where I am."35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. " Where is he planning to go?" they asked. " Maybe he is thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands, or maybe even to the Gentiles! 36 What does he mean when he says, ` You will search for me but not find me,' and ` You won't be able to come where I am'?" 37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, " If you are thirsty, come to me! 38 If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within." 39 (When he said " living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) 40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, " This man surely is the Prophet." 41 Others said, " He is the Messiah." Still others said, " But he can't be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born." 43 So the crowd was divided in their opinion about him. 44 And some wanted him arrested, but no one touched him. 45 The Temple guards who had been sent to arrest him returned to the leading priests and Pharisees. " Why didn't you bring him in?" they demanded. 46 " We have never heard anyone talk like this!" the guards responded. 47 " Have you been led astray, too?" the Pharisees mocked. 48 " Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 These ignorant crowds do, but what do they know about it? A curse on them anyway!" 50 Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, then spoke up. 51 " Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?" he asked. 52 They replied, " Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself--no prophet ever comes from Galilee!" 53 Then the meeting broke up and everybody went home.*
PSALM 109:1-31
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O God, whom I praise,
don't stand silent and aloof
2 while the wicked slander me
and tell lies about me.
3 They are all around me with their hateful words,
and they fight against me for no reason.
4 I love them, but they try to destroy me--
even as I am praying for them!
5 They return evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Arrange for an evil person to turn on him.
Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
7 When his case is called for judgment,
let him be pronounced guilty.
Count his prayers as sins.
8 Let his years be few;
let his position be given to someone else.
9 May his children become fatherless,
and may his wife become a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars;
may they be evicted from their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate,
and strangers take all he has earned.
12 Let no one be kind to him;
let no one pity his fatherless children.
13 May all his offspring die.
May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.
14 May the LORD never forget the sins of his ancestors;
may his mother's sins never be erased from the record.
15 May these sins always remain before the LORD,
but may his name be cut off from human memory.
16 For he refused all kindness to others;
he persecuted the poor and needy,
and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
17 He loved to curse others;
now you curse him.
He never blessed others;
now don't you bless him.
18 Cursing is as much a part of him as his clothing,
or as the water he drinks,
or the rich food he eats.
19 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;
may they be tied around him like a belt.
20 May those curses become the LORD's punishment for my accusers
who are plotting against my life.
21 But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD,
for the sake of your own reputation!
Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is full of pain.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk;
I am falling like a grasshopper that is brushed aside.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and I am skin and bones.
25 I am an object of mockery to people everywhere;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, LORD.
28 Then let them curse me if they like,
but you will bless me!
When they attack me, they will be disgraced!
But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
29 Make their humiliation obvious to all;
clothe my accusers with disgrace.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD,
praising him to everyone.
31 For he stands beside the needy,
ready to save them from those who condemn them.
PROVERBS 15:5-7
Only a fool despises a parent's discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. There is treasure in the house of the godly, but the earnings of the wicked bring trouble. Only the wise can give good advice; fools cannot do so.
