Bible Reading Plan

1 Samuel 15

Chapter 15

Saul Rejected as King

¹ Samuel told Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people Israel.^(a) Now, listen to the words of the Lord . ² This is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed^[a] what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them along the way as they were coming out of Egypt.^{(b) 3} Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have.^(c) Do not spare them. Kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"^(d)

⁴ Then Saul summoned the troops and counted them at Telaim: 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men from Judah. ⁵ Saul came to the city of Amalek and set up an ambush in the wadi. ⁶ He warned the Kenites,^(e) "Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came out of Egypt,^(f) go on and leave! Get away from the Amalekites, or I'll sweep you away with them." So the Kenites withdrew from the Amalekites.

⁷ Then Saul struck down the Amalekites^(g) from Havilah^(h) all the way to Shur,⁽ⁱ⁾ which is next to Egypt. ⁸ He captured Agag^(j) king of Amalek alive, but he completely destroyed all the rest of the people with the sword.^{(k) 9} Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, cattle, and choice animals,^[b] as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.

¹⁰ Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, ¹¹ "I regret that I made Saul king,^(l) for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions."^(m) So Samuel became angry and cried out to the Lord all night.⁽ⁿ⁾

¹² Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but it was reported to Samuel, "Saul went to Carmel^(o) where he set up a monument for himself. Then he turned around and went down to Gilgal."^{(p) 13} When Samuel came to him, Saul said, "May the Lord bless you.^(q) I have carried out the Lord 's instructions."

¹⁴ Samuel replied, "Then what is this sound of sheep^[c] and cattle I hear?"

¹⁵ Saul answered, "The troops brought them from the Amalekites and spared the best sheep and cattle in order to offer a sacrifice to the Lord your God,^(r) but the rest we destroyed."^(s)

¹⁶ "Stop!" exclaimed Samuel. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night."

"Tell me," he replied.

¹⁷ Samuel continued, "Although you once considered yourself unimportant,^(t) have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel ¹⁸ and then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.' ¹⁹ So why didn't you obey the Lord ? Why did you rush on the plunder^(u) and do what was evil in the Lord 's sight?"

²⁰ "But I did obey the Lord !" Saul answered.^[d] "I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. ²¹ The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder—the best of what was set apart for destruction—to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal."^(v)

²² Then Samuel said:

²⁴ Saul answered Samuel, "I have sinned.^(ab) I have transgressed the Lord 's command^(ac) and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. ²⁵ Now therefore, please forgive my sin^(ad) and return with me so I can worship the Lord ."

²⁶ Samuel replied to Saul, "I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord ,^(ae) the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." ²⁷ When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today^(af) and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.^{(ag) 29} Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel^(ah) does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind."^(ai)

³⁰ Saul said, "I have sinned. Please honor me^(aj) now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God."^{(ak) 31} Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord .

³² Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of Amalek."

Agag came to him trembling,^[e] for he thought, "Certainly the bitterness of death has come."^[f][g]

³³ Samuel declared:

Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

³⁴ Samuel went to Ramah,^(am) and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah^(an) of Saul. ³⁵ Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul.^(ao) Samuel mourned for Saul,^(ap) and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.

Psalms 60

Chapter 60

Psalm 60

Prayer in Difficult Times

For the choir director: according to "The Lily of Testimony."^[a] A Davidic Miktam for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, killing 12,000.^(a)

Romans 6

Chapter 6

The New Life in Christ

¹ What should we say then?^(a) Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?^{(b) 2} Absolutely not!^(c) How can we who died to sin^(d) still live in it? ³ Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized^(e) into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?^{(f) 4} Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death,^(g) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(h) by the glory of the Father,⁽ⁱ⁾ so we too may walk in a new way^[a] of life.^{(j) 5} For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death,^(k) we will certainly also be^[b] in the likeness of His resurrection. ⁶ For we know that our old self^[c](l) was crucified with Him^(m) in order that sin's dominion over the body^[d] may be abolished,⁽ⁿ⁾ so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, ⁷ since a person who has died^(o) is freed^[e] from sin's claims.^{[f] 8} Now if we died with Christ,^(p) we believe that we will also live with Him, ⁹ because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,^(q) will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him.^{(r) 10} For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin^(s) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.^[g]

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey^[h] its desires. ¹³ And do not offer any parts^[i] of it to sin^(t) as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God,^(u) and all the parts^[j] of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law^(v) but under grace.^(w)

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

¹⁵ What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace?^(x) Absolutely not!^{(y) 16} Don't you know that if you offer yourselves to someone^[k] as obedient slaves,^(z) you are slaves of that one you obey^(aa)—either of sin leading to death^(ab) or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,^(ac) you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred^[l] to,^{(ad) 18} and having been liberated from sin,^(ae) you became enslaved to righteousness. ¹⁹ I am using a human analogy^[m](af) because of the weakness of your flesh.^[n] For just as you offered the parts^[o] of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free from allegiance to righteousness.^{[p](ag) 21} So what fruit was produced^[q] then from the things you are now ashamed of?^(ah) For the end of those things is death.^{(ai) 22} But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God,^(aj) you have your fruit, which results in sanctification^[r](ak)—and the end is eternal life!^{(al) 23} For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(am)