1 Samuel 10

• 1. Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul's head. He kissed Saul on the cheek and said, "I am doing this because the LORD has appointed you to be the leader of his people Israel.
• 2. When you leave me today, you will see two men beside Rachel's tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys have been found and that your father is worried about you and is asking, `Have you seen my son?'
• 3. "When you get to the oak of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you who are on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be bringing three young goats, another will have three loaves of bread, and the third will be carrying a skin of wine.
• 4. They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept.
• 5. "When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the altar on the hill. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying.
• 6. At that time the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you with power, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
• 7. After these signs take place, do whatever you think is best, for God will be with you.
• 8. Then go down to Gilgal ahead of me and wait for me there seven days. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. When I arrive, I will give you further instructions."
• 9. As Saul turned and started to leave, God changed his heart, and all Samuel's signs were fulfilled that day.
• 10. When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw the prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy.
• 11. When his friends heard about it, they exclaimed, "What? Is Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?"
• 12. But one of the neighbors responded, "It doesn't matter who his father is; anyone can become a prophet." So that is the origin of the saying "Is Saul a prophet?"
• 13. When Saul had finished prophesying, he climbed the hill to the altar.
• 14. "Where in the world have you been?" Saul's uncle asked him. "We went to look for the donkeys," Saul replied, "but we couldn't find them. So we went to the prophet Samuel to ask him where they were."
• 15. "Oh? And what did he say?" his uncle asked.
• 16. "He said the donkeys had been found," Saul replied. But Saul didn't tell his uncle that Samuel had anointed him to be king.
• 17. Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the LORD at Mizpah.
• 18. And he gave them this message from the LORD, the God of Israel: "I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you.
• 19. But though I have done so much for you, you have rejected me and said, `We want a king instead!' Now, therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by tribes and clans."
• 20. So Samuel called the tribal leaders together before the LORD, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
• 21. Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the LORD, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared!
• 22. So they asked the LORD, "Where is he?" And the LORD replied, "He is hiding among the baggage."
• 23. So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
• 24. Then Samuel said to all the people, "This is the man the LORD has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is his equal!" And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
• 25. Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent the people home again.
• 26. When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a band of men whose hearts God had touched became his constant companions.
• 27. But there were some wicked men who complained, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them.

1 Samuel 11

• 1. About a month later, King Nahash of Ammon led his army against the Israelite city of Jabesh-gilead. But the citizens of Jabesh asked for peace. "Make a treaty with us, and we will be your servants," they pleaded.
• 2. "All right," Nahash said, "but only on one condition. I will gouge out the right eye of every one of you as a disgrace to all Israel!"
• 3. "Give us seven days to send messengers throughout Israel!" replied the leaders of Jabesh. "If none of our relatives will come to save us, we will agree to your terms."
• 4. When the messengers came to Gibeah, Saul's hometown, and told the people about their plight, everyone broke into tears.
• 5. Saul was plowing in the field, and when he returned to town, he asked, "What's the matter? Why is everyone crying?" So they told him about the message from Jabesh.
• 6. Then the Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul, and he became very angry.
• 7. He took two oxen and cut them into pieces and sent the messengers to carry them throughout Israel with this message: "This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who refuses to follow Saul and Samuel into battle!" And the LORD made the people afraid of Saul's anger, and all of them came out together as one.
• 8. When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men of Israel, in addition to 30,000 from Judah.
• 9. So Saul sent the messengers back to Jabesh-gilead to say, "We will rescue you by noontime tomorrow!" What joy there was throughout the city when that message arrived!
• 10. The men of Jabesh then told their enemies, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you can do to us as you wish."
• 11. But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
• 12. Then the people exclaimed to Samuel, "Now where are those men who said Saul shouldn't rule over us? Bring them here, and we will kill them!"
• 13. But Saul replied, "No one will be executed today, for today the LORD has rescued Israel!"
• 14. Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us all go to Gilgal to reaffirm Saul's kingship."
• 15. So they went to Gilgal, and in a solemn ceremony before the LORD they crowned him king. Then they offered peace offerings to the LORD, and Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.

1 Samuel 12

• 1. Then Samuel addressed the people again: "I have done as you asked and given you a king.
• 2. I have selected him ahead of my own sons, and I stand here, an old, gray-haired man. I have served as your leader since I was a boy.
• 3. Now tell me as I stand before the LORD and before his anointed one--whose ox or donkey have I stolen? Have I ever cheated any of you? Have I ever oppressed you? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make right whatever I have done wrong."
• 4. "No," they replied, "you have never cheated or oppressed us in any way, and you have never taken even a single bribe."
• 5. "The LORD and his anointed one are my witnesses," Samuel declared, "that you can never accuse me of robbing you.Yes, it is true," they replied.
• 6. "It was the LORD who appointed Moses and Aaron," Samuel continued. "He brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt.
• 7. Now stand here quietly before the LORD as I remind you of all the great things the LORD has done for you and your ancestors.
• 8. "When the Israelites were in Egypt and cried out to the LORD, he sent Moses and Aaron to rescue them from Egypt and to bring them into this land.
• 9. But the people soon forgot about the LORD their God, so he let them be conquered by Sisera, the general of Hazor's army, and by the Philistines and the king of Moab.
• 10. "Then they cried to the LORD again and confessed, `We have sinned by turning away from the LORD and worshiping the images of Baal and Ashtoreth. But we will worship you and you alone if you will rescue us from our enemies.'
• 11. Then the LORD sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel to save you, and you lived in safety.
• 12. "But when you were afraid of Nahash, the king of Ammon, you came to me and said that you wanted a king to reign over you, even though the LORD your God was already your king.
• 13. All right, here is the king you have chosen. Look him over. You asked for him, and the LORD has granted your request.
• 14. "Now if you will fear and worship the LORD and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the LORD's commands, and if you and your king follow the LORD your God, then all will be well.
• 15. But if you rebel against the LORD's commands and refuse to listen to him, then his hand will be as heavy upon you as it was upon your ancestors.
• 16. "Now stand here and see the great thing the LORD is about to do.
• 17. You know that it does not rain at this time of the year during the wheat harvest. I will ask the LORD to send thunder and rain today. Then you will realize how wicked you have been in asking the LORD for a king!"
• 18. So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain. And all the people were terrified of the LORD and of Samuel.
• 19. "Pray to the LORD your God for us, or we will die!" they cried out to Samuel. "For now we have added to our sins by asking for a king."
• 20. "Don't be afraid," Samuel reassured them. "You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the LORD with all your heart and that you don't turn your back on him in any way.
• 21. Don't go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you--they really are useless!
• 22. The LORD will not abandon his chosen people, for that would dishonor his great name. He made you a special nation for himself.
• 23. "As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.
• 24. But be sure to fear the LORD and sincerely worship him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
• 25. But if you continue to sin, you and your king will be destroyed."

New Living Translation: 85 of 324 days.