Daily Text and Bible Reading: Saturday, March 28 [Press play below]

7.1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of Jehovah up into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they sanctified his son Eleazar to guard the Ark of Jehovah.
7.2 A long time elapsed, 20 years in all, from the day of the Ark’s coming to Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel began to seek after Jehovah.
7.3 Samuel then said to all the house of Israel: “If you are returning to Jehovah with all your heart, put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth images from among you, and direct your heart unswervingly to Jehovah and serve only him, and he will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”
7.4 At that the Israelites got rid of the Baals and the Ashtoreth images and served only Jehovah.
7.5 Then Samuel said: “Gather all Israel together at Mizpah, and I will pray to Jehovah in your behalf.”
7.6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, and they drew water and poured it out before Jehovah and kept a fast on that day. There they said: “We have sinned against Jehovah.” And Samuel began serving as judge over the Israelites in Mizpah.
7.7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.
7.8 So the Israelites said to Samuel: “Do not stop calling to Jehovah our God to help us and to save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
7.9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to Jehovah; and Samuel called to Jehovah for help in behalf of Israel, and Jehovah answered him.
7.10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines advanced for battle against Israel. Jehovah now caused it to thunder loudly on that day against the Philistines, and He threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.
7.11 At that the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down as far as south of Beth-car.
7.12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Jeshanah and named it Ebenezer, for he said: “Until now Jehovah has helped us.”
7.13 Thus the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come again into the territory of Israel; and the hand of Jehovah continued against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
7.14 Also, the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
7.15 Samuel kept on judging Israel throughout his life.
7.16 Each year he traveled in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.
7.17 But he would return to Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel. He built an altar there to Jehovah.

8.1 When Samuel had grown old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
8.2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.
8.3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they were inclined to pursue dishonest profit, they accepted bribes, and they perverted justice.
8.4 In time all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
8.5 They said to him: “Look! You have grown old, but your sons are not walking in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the other nations.”
8.6 But it displeased Samuel when they said: “Give us a king to judge us.” Then Samuel prayed to Jehovah,
8.7 and Jehovah said to Samuel: “Listen to everything the people say to you; for it is not you whom they have rejected, but it is I whom they have rejected as their king.
8.8 They are doing just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day; they keep forsaking me and serving other gods, and that is what they are doing to you.
8.9 Now listen to them. However, you should solemnly warn them; tell them what the king who rules over them will have the right to demand.”
8.10 So Samuel told the people who were asking him for a king all the words of Jehovah.
8.11 He said: “This is what the king who rules over you will have the right to demand: He will take your sons and put them in his chariots and make them his horsemen, and some will have to run before his chariots.
8.12 And he will appoint for himself chiefs over thousands and chiefs over fifties, and some will do his plowing, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.
8.13 He will take your daughters to be ointment mixers, cooks, and bakers.
8.14 He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and he will give them to his servants.
8.15 He will take the tenth of your grainfields and your vineyards, and he will give it to his court officials and his servants.
8.16 And he will take your male and female servants, your best herds, and your donkeys, and he will use them for his work.
8.17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you will become his servants.
8.18 The day will come when you will cry out because of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but Jehovah will not answer you in that day.”
8.19 However, the people refused to listen to what Samuel told them, and they said: “No, we are determined to have a king over us.
8.20 Then we will be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us and lead us and fight our battles.”
8.21 After Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the hearing of Jehovah.
8.22 Jehovah said to Samuel: “Listen to them, and appoint a king to reign over them.” Samuel then said to the men of Israel: “Each of you should return to his city.”

9.1 There was a man of Benjamin named Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite and a very wealthy man.
9.2 He had a son named Saul, who was young and handsome—there was no man among the Israelites more handsome than he—and he stood head and shoulders taller than all the people.
9.3 When the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish got lost, Kish said to his son Saul: “Please take with you one of the attendants and go look for the donkeys.”
9.4 They passed through the mountainous region of Ephraim and through the land of Shalishah, and they did not find them. They traveled through the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. They passed through the entire land of the Benjaminites, and they did not find them.
9.5 They came into the land of Zuph, and Saul said to his attendant who was with him: “Come, let us return, so that my father does not start worrying about us rather than the donkeys.”
9.6 But the attendant replied: “Look, there is a man of God in this city, a man who is held in honor. All that he says is sure to come true. Let us go there now. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”
9.7 At this Saul said to his attendant: “If we go, what can we take to the man? There is no bread in our bags; there is nothing to take as a gift to the man of the true God. What do we have?”
9.8 So the attendant answered Saul again: “Look! There is a quarter of a shekel of silver in my hand. I will give it to the man of the true God, and he will tell us which way to go.”
9.9 (In former times in Israel, this was what a man would say when going to seek God: “Come, and let us go to the seer.” For the prophet of today used to be called a seer in former times.)
9.10 Then Saul said to his attendant: “What you said is good. Let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of the true God was.
9.11 While they were going up the ascent to the city, they met girls going out to draw water. So they said to them: “Is the seer in this place?”
9.12 They answered: “He is. Look, he is just ahead of you. Hurry now, for today he has come to the city, because the people are making a sacrifice today on the high place.
9.13 As soon as you come into the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, for he is the one who blesses the sacrifice. Once that is done, those who are invited may eat. So now go up right away, and you will find him.”
9.14 So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the middle of the city, there was Samuel coming out to meet them to go up to the high place.
9.15 The day before Saul came, Jehovah had told Samuel:
9.16 “Tomorrow about this time, I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must anoint him as leader over my people Israel, and he will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen the affliction of my people, and their outcry has reached me.”
9.17 When Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah told him: “Here is the man of whom I said to you, ‘This is the one who will govern my people.’”
9.18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate and said: “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?”
9.19 Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, and you will eat with me today. I will send you away in the morning, and I will tell you all that you want to know.
9.20 As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And to whom does all that is desirable of Israel belong? Is it not to you and to the whole house of your father?”
9.21 At this Saul answered: “Am I not a Benjaminite of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the most insignificant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? So why have you spoken to me in this way?”
9.22 Then Samuel took Saul and his attendant and brought them to the dining hall and gave them a place at the head of those invited; there were about 30 men.
9.23 Samuel said to the cook: “Bring the portion that I gave you and told you, ‘Set it aside.’”
9.24 At that the cook lifted up the leg and what was on it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: “What has been reserved has been set before you. Eat, because they have reserved it for you for this occasion. For I told them, ‘I invited guests.’” So Saul ate with Samuel on that day.
9.25 Then they went down from the high place to the city, and he continued to speak with Saul on the housetop.
9.26 They rose early, and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying: “Get ready, so that I may send you away.” So Saul got ready and both he and Samuel went outside.
9.27 While they were descending toward the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul: “Tell the attendant to go on ahead of us,” so he went on ahead. “But you, stand still now, so that I may let you hear the word of God.”