Day 84 The Bible in a Year (Orthodox canon)

1 Samuel 12

1 And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all things that ye have said to me, and I have set a king over you. 2 And now, behold, the king goes before you; and I am grown old and shall rest; and, behold, my sons [are] among you; and, behold, I have gone about before you from my youth to this day. 3 Behold, [here am] I, answer against me before the Lord and before his anointed: whose calf have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom of you have I oppressed? or whom have I been violent with? or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, even [to] a sandal? bear witness against me, and I will make restitution to you. 4 And they said to Samuel, Thou hast not injured us, and thou hast not oppressed us; and thou hast not afflicted us, and thou hast not taken anything from any one's hand. 5 And Samuel said to the people, The Lord [is] witness among you, and his anointed [is] witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand: and they said, [He is] witness. 6 And Samuel spoke to the people, saying, The Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron [is] witness, who brought our fathers up out of Egypt. 7 And now stand still, and I will judge you before the Lord; and I will relate to you all the righteousness of the Lord, the things which he has wrought among you and your fathers. 8 When Jacob and his sons went into Egypt, and Egypt humbled them, then our fathers cried to the Lord, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron; and they brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he made them to dwell in this place. 9 And they forgot the Lord their God, and he sold them into the hands of Sisara captain of the host of Jabis king of Asor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and he fought with them. 10 And they cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord, and have served Baalim and the groves: and now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. 11 And he sent Jerobaal, and Barac, and Jephthae, and Samuel, and rescued us out of the hand of our enemies round about, and ye dwelt in security. 12 And ye saw that Naas king of the children of Ammon came against you, and ye said, Nay, none but a king shall reign over us; whereas the Lord our God [is] our king. 13 And now behold the king whom ye have chosen; and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If ye should fear the Lord, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not resist the mouth of the Lord, and ye and your king that reigns over you should follow the Lord, [well]. 15 But if ye should not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and ye should resist the mouth of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be upon you and upon your king. 16 And now stand still, and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 [Is it] not wheat-harvest to-day? I will call upon the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; and know ye and see, that your wickedness [is] great which ye have wrought before the Lord, having asked for yourselves a king. 18 And Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunders and rain in that day; and all the people feared greatly the Lord and Samuel. 19 And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants to the Lord thy God, and let us not die; for we have added to all our sins this iniquity, in asking for us a king. 20 And Samuel said to the people, Fear not: ye have [indeed] wrought all this iniquity; only turn not from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And turn not aside after the [gods] that are nothing, who will do nothing, and will not deliver [you], because they are nothing. 22 For the Lord will not cast off his people for his great name's sake, because the Lord graciously took you to himself for a people. 23 And far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will serve the Lord, and shew you the good and the right way. 24 Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and with all your heart, for ye see what great things he has wrought with you. 25 But if ye continue to do evil, then shall ye and your king be consumed.

1 Samuel 13

2 And Saul chooses for himself three thousand men of the men of Israel: and there were with Saul two thousand who were in Machmas, and in mount Bæthel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin: and he sent the rest of the people every man to his tent. 3 And Jonathan smote Nasib the Philistine that dwelt in the hill; and the Philistines hear of it, and Saul sounds the trumpet through all the land, saying, The servants have despised [us]. 4 And all Israel heard say, Saul has smitten Nasib the Philistine; now Israel had been put to shame before the Philistines; and the children of Israel went up after Saul in Galgala. 5 And the Philistines gather together to war with Israel; and then come up against Israel thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand by the seashore for multitude: and they come up, and encamp in Machmas, opposite Bæthoron southward. 6 And the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait so that they could not draw nigh, and the people hid themselves in caves, and sheepfolds, and rocks, and ditches, and pits. 7 And they that went over went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Galaad: and Saul was yet in Galgala, and all the people followed after him in amazement. 8 And he continued seven days for the appointed testimony, as Samuel told him, and Samuel came not to Galgala, and his people were dispersed from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither [victims], that I may offer whole-burnt-offerings and peace-offerings: and he offered the whole-burnt-offering. 10 And it came to pass when he had finished offering the whole-burnt-offering, that Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to meet him, [and] to bless him. 11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? and Saul said, Because I saw how the people were scattered from me, and thou wast not present as thou purposedst according to the set time of the days, and the Philistines were gathered to Machmas. 12 Then I said, Now will the Philistines come down to me to Galgala, and I have not sought the face of the Lord: so I forced myself and offered the whole-burnt-offering. 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; for thou hast not kept my command, which the Lord commanded thee, as now the Lord would have confirmed thy kingdom over Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not stand to thee, and the Lord shall seek for himself a man after his own heart; and the Lord shall appoint him to be a ruler over his people, because thou hast not kept all that the Lord commanded thee. 15 And Samuel arose, and departed from Galgala, and the remnant of the people went after Saul to meet [him] after the men of war, when they had come out of Galgala to Gabaa of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son, and the people that were found with them, halted in Gabaa of Benjamin; and they wept: and the Philistines had encamped in Machmas. 17 And men came forth to destroy out of the land of the Philistines in three companies; one company turning by the way of Gophera toward the land of Sogal, 18 and another company turning the way of Bæthoron, and another company turning by the way of Gabae that turns aside to Gai of Sabim. 19 And there was not found a smith in all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make themselves sword or spear. 20 And all Israel went down to the land of the Philistines to forge every one his reaping-hook and his tool, and every one his axe and his sickle. 21 And it was near the time of vintage: and their tools were [valued at] three shekels for a ploughshare, and there was the same rate for the axe and the sickle. 22 And it came to pass in the days of the war of Machmas, that there was not a sword or spear found in the hand of all the people, that were with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and Jonathan his son was there found. 23 And there went out some from the camp of the Philistines to the place beyond Machmas.

1 Samuel 14

1 And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to Messab of the Philistines that is on the other side yonder; but he told not his father. 2 And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred men. 3 And Achia son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, [was] the priest of God in Selom wearing an ephod: and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. 4 And in the midst of the passage whereby Jonathan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one [was] Bases, and the name of the other Senna. 5 The one way [was] northward to one coming to Machmas, and the other way [was] southward to one coming to Gabae. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, let us go over to Messab of these uncircumcised, if [peradventure] the Lord may do something for us; for the Lord is not straitened to save by many or by few. 7 And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that thine heart inclines toward: behold, I [am] with thee, my heart [is] as thy heart. 8 And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them. 9 If they should say thus to us, Stand aloof there until we shall send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them. 10 [But] if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands; this [shall be] a sign to us. 11 And they both went in to Messab of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their caves, where they had hidden themselves. 12 And the men of Messab answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing: and Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel. 13 And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he smote them, and his armour-bearer did smite [them] after him. 14 And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field. 15 And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in Messab, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terror-struck, and there was dismay from the Lord. 16 And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gabaa of Benjamin, and, behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side. 17 And Saul said to the people with him, Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you: and they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not found. 18 And Saul said to Achia, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel. 19 And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hands. 20 And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they come to the battle: and, behold, [every] man's sword was against his neighbour, a very great confusion. 21 And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 And all the Israelites who were hidden in mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gather themselves after them to battle: and the Lord saved Israel in that day; and the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men. 23 And the battle extended itself to every city in the mount Ephraim. 24 And Saul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he lays a curse on the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who shall eat bread before the evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy: and none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining. 25 And Jaal was a wood abounding in swarms of bees on the face of the ground. 26 And the people went into the place of the bees, and, behold, they continued speaking; and, behold, there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath of the Lord. 27 And Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes recovered their sight. 28 And one of the people answered and said, Thy father solemnly adjured the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who shall eat bread to-day. And the people were very faint, 29 and Jonathan knew it, and said, My father has destroyed the land: see how my eyes have received sight [now] that I have tasted a little of this honey. 30 Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater. 31 And on that day he smote some of the Philistines in Machmas; and the people were very weary. 32 And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and slew them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood. 33 And it was reported to Saul, saying, The people have sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood: and Saul said, Out of Getthaim roll a great stone to me hither. 34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring hither every one his calf, and every one his sheep: and let them slay it on this [stone] and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood: and the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they slew [them] there. 35 And Saul built an altar there to the Lord: this was the first altar that Saul built to the Lord. 36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder among them till the day break, and let us not leave a man among them. And they said, Do all that is good in thy sight: and the priest said, Let us draw nigh hither to God. 37 And Saul enquired of God, If I go down after the Philistines, wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? And he answered him not in that day. 38 And Saul said, Bring hither all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day. 39 For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die. And there was no one that answered out of all the people. 40 And he said to all the men of Israel, Ye shall be under subjection, and I and Jonathan my son will be under subjection: and the people said to Saul, Do that which is good in thy sight. 41 And Saul said, O Lord God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? [is] the iniquity in me, or in Jonathan my son? Lord God of Israel, give clear [manifestations]; and if [the lot] should declare this, give, I pray thee, to thy people Israel, give, I pray, holiness. And Jonathan and Saul are taken, and the people escaped. 42 And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and my son Jonathan: whomsoever the Lord shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die: and the people said to Saul, This thing is not [to be done]: and Saul prevailed against the people, and they cast [lots] between him and Jonathan his son, and Jonathan is taken by lot. 43 And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done: and Jonathan told him, and said, I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand, and, lo! I [am to] die. 44 And Saul said to him, God do so to me, and more also, thou shalt surely die to-day. 45 And the people said to Saul, Shall he that has wrought this great salvation in Israel be put to death this day? [As] the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of God have wrought successfully this day. And the people prayed for Jonathan in that day, and he died not. 46 And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines departed to their place. 47 And Saul received the kingdom, by lot he inherits the office [of ruling] over Israel: and he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against the children of Edom, and against Bæthæor, and against the king of Suba, and against the Philistines: whithersoever he turned, he was victorious. 48 And he wrought valiantly, and smote Amalec, and rescued Israel out of the hand of them that trampled on him. 49 And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jessiu, and Melchisa: and [these were] the names of his two daughters, the name of the first-born Merob, and the name of the second Melchol. 50 And the name of his wife was Achinoom, the daughter of Achimaa: and the name of his captain of the host was Abenner, the son of Ner, son of a kinsman of Saul. 51 And Kis [was] the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abenner, [was] son of Jamin, son of Abiel. 52 And the war was vehement against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.