Saul Rescues the City of Jabesh

11 Nahash^[a](A) the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead.^(B) And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty^(C) with us, and we will be subject to you.”

² But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition^(D) that I gouge^(E) out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace^(F) on all Israel.”

³ The elders^(G) of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue^(H) us, we will surrender^(I) to you.”

⁴ When the messengers came to Gibeah^(J) of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept^(K) aloud. ⁵ Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with everyone? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

⁶ When Saul heard their words, the Spirit^(L) of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. ⁷ He took a pair of oxen,^(M) cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel,^(N) proclaiming, “This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone^(O) who does not follow Saul and Samuel.” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one.^{(P) 8} When Saul mustered^(Q) them at Bezek,^(R) the men of Israel numbered three hundred thousand and those of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹ They told the messengers who had come, “Say to the men of Jabesh Gilead, ‘By the time the sun is hot tomorrow, you will be rescued.’” When the messengers went and reported this to the men of Jabesh, they were elated. ¹⁰ They said to the Ammonites, “Tomorrow we will surrender^(S) to you, and you can do to us whatever you like.”

¹¹ The next day Saul separated his men into three divisions;^(T) during the last watch of the night they broke into the camp of the Ammonites^(U) and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

Saul Confirmed as King

¹² The people then said to Samuel, “Who^(V) was it that asked, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ Turn these men over to us so that we may put them to death.”

¹³ But Saul said, “No one will be put to death today,^(W) for this day the Lord has rescued^(X) Israel.”

¹⁴ Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal^(Y) and there renew the kingship.^(Z)” ¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal^(AA) and made Saul king^(AB) in the presence of the Lord. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites held a great celebration.

Samuel’s Farewell Speech

12 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened^(AC) to everything you said to me and have set a king^(AD) over you. ² Now you have a king as your leader.^(AE) As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons^(AF) are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. ³ Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed.^(AG) Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey^(AH) have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe^(AI) to make me shut my eyes? If I have done^(AJ) any of these things, I will make it right.”^(AK)

⁴ “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵ Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness^(AL) against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything^(AM) in my hand.^(AN)”

“He is witness,” they said.

⁶ Then Samuel said to the people, “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought^(AO) your ancestors up out of Egypt. ⁷ Now then, stand^(AP) here, because I am going to confront^(AQ) you with evidence before the Lord as to all the righteous acts^(AR) performed by the Lord for you and your ancestors.

⁸ “After Jacob^(AS) entered Egypt, they cried^(AT) to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent^(AU) Moses and Aaron, who brought your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.

⁹ “But they forgot^(AV) the Lord their God; so he sold them^(AW) into the hand of Sisera,^(AX) the commander of the army of Hazor,^(AY) and into the hands of the Philistines^(AZ) and the king of Moab,^(BA) who fought against them. ¹⁰ They cried^(BB) out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken^(BC) the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths.^(BD) But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’ ¹¹ Then the Lord sent Jerub-Baal,^[b](BE) Barak,^[c](BF) Jephthah^(BG) and Samuel,^[d](BH) and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.

¹² “But when you saw that Nahash^(BI) king^(BJ) of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule^(BK) over us’—even though the Lord your God was your king. ¹³ Now here is the king^(BL) you have chosen, the one you asked^(BM) for; see, the Lord has set a king over you. ¹⁴ If you fear^(BN) the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel^(BO) against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God—good! ¹⁵ But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against^(BP) his commands, his hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.

¹⁶ “Now then, stand still^(BQ) and see^(BR) this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes! ¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest^(BS) now? I will call^(BT) on the Lord to send thunder^(BU) and rain.^(BV) And you will realize what an evil^(BW) thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

¹⁸ Then Samuel called on the Lord,^(BX) and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe^(BY) of the Lord and of Samuel.

¹⁹ The people all said to Samuel, “Pray^(BZ) to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die,^(CA) for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil;^(CB) yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless^(CC) idols.^(CD) They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake^(CE) of his great name^(CF) the Lord will not reject^(CG) his people, because the Lord was pleased to make^(CH) you his own. ²³ As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray^(CI) for you. And I will teach^(CJ) you the way that is good and right. ²⁴ But be sure to fear^(CK) the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart;^(CL) consider^(CM) what great^(CN) things he has done for you. ²⁵ Yet if you persist^(CO) in doing evil, both you and your king^(CP) will perish.”^(CQ)

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The Demand for a Sign^(A)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees^(B) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.^(C)

² He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.^{[a](D) 4} A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”^(E) Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

⁵ When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. ⁶ “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”^(F)

⁷ They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

⁸ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,^(G) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? ⁹ Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?^{(H) 10} Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?^{(I) 11} How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.^(J)

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(K)

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(L) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”^(M)

¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”^(N)

¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,^(O) but by my Father in heaven.^{(P) 18} And I tell you that you are Peter,^[b](Q) and on this rock I will build my church,^(R) and the gates of Hades^[c] will not overcome it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys^(S) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be^[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[e] loosed in heaven.”^{(T) 20} Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone^(U) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death^(V)

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem^(W) and suffer many things^(X) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(Y) and that he must be killed^(Z) and on the third day^(AA) be raised to life.^(AB)

²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!^(AC) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(AD) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^{(AE) 26} What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man^(AF) is going to come^(AG) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.^(AH)

²⁸ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The Transfiguration^(AI)(AJ)

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John^(AK) the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.^(AL) Listen to him!”^(AM)

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”^{(AN) 8} When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone^(AO) what you have seen, until the Son of Man^(AP) has been raised from the dead.”^(AQ)

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.^{(AR) 12} But I tell you, Elijah has already come,^(AS) and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished.^(AT) In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer^(AU) at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.^(AV)

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy^(AW)

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures^(AX) and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁰ He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith^(AY) as small as a mustard seed,^(AZ) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.^(BA) Nothing will be impossible for you.” ^[21] [g]

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

²² When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man^(BB) is going to be delivered into the hands of men. ²³ They will kill him,^(BC) and on the third day^(BD) he will be raised to life.”^(BE) And the disciples were filled with grief.

The Temple Tax

²⁴ After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax^(BF) came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

²⁵ “Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes^(BG)—from their own children or from others?”

²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. ²⁷ “But so that we may not cause offense,^(BH) go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”