1 Samuel 28-29

New International Version

28 In those days the Philistines gathered^(A) their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.”

²David said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”

Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard^(B) for life.”

Saul and the Medium at Endor

³Now Samuel was dead,^(C) and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah.^(D) Saul had expelled^(E) the mediums and spiritists^(F) from the land.

⁴The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem,^(G) while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa.^(H) ⁵When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror^(I) filled his heart. ⁶He inquired^(J) of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams^(K) or Urim^(L) or prophets.^(M) ⁷Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium,^(N) so I may go and inquire of her.”

“There is one in Endor,^(O)” they said.

⁸So Saul disguised^(P) himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult^(Q) a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

⁹But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off^(R) the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap^(S) for my life to bring about my death?”

¹⁰Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.”

¹¹Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”

“Bring up Samuel,” he said.

¹²When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me?^(T) You are Saul!”

¹³The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”

The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure^[a] coming up out of the earth.”^(U)

¹⁴“What does he look like?” he asked.

“An old man wearing a robe^(V) is coming up,” she said.

Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.

¹⁵Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”

“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed^(W) from me. He no longer answers^(X) me, either by prophets or by dreams.^(Y) So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”

¹⁶Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has departed from you and become your enemy? ¹⁷The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn^(Z) the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. ¹⁸Because you did not obey^(AA) the Lord or carry out his fierce wrath^(AB) against the Amalekites,^(AC) the Lord has done this to you today. ¹⁹The Lord will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons^(AD) will be with me. The Lord will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.”

²⁰Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.

²¹When the woman came to Saul and saw that he was greatly shaken, she said, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life^(AE) in my hands and did what you told me to do. ²²Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way.”

²³He refused^(AF) and said, “I will not eat.”

But his men joined the woman in urging him, and he listened to them. He got up from the ground and sat on the couch.

²⁴The woman had a fattened calf^(AG) at the house, which she butchered at once. She took some flour, kneaded it and baked bread without yeast. ²⁵Then she set it before Saul and his men, and they ate. That same night they got up and left.

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered^(AH) all their forces at Aphek,^(AI) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.^(AJ) ²As the Philistine rulers marched with their units of hundreds and thousands, David and his men were marching at the rear^(AK) with Achish. ³The commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?”

Achish replied, “Is this not David,^(AL) who was an officer of Saul king of Israel? He has already been with me for over a year,^(AM) and from the day he left Saul until now, I have found no fault in him.”

⁴But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send^(AN) the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn^(AO) against us during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men? ⁵Isn’t this the David they sang about in their dances:

“‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands’?”^(AP)

⁶So Achish called David and said to him, “As surely as the Lord lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in the army. From the day^(AQ) you came to me until today, I have found no fault in you, but the rulers^(AR) don’t approve of you. ⁷Now turn back and go in peace; do nothing to displease the Philistine rulers.”

⁸“But what have I done?” asked David. “What have you found against your servant from the day I came to you until now? Why can’t I go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”

⁹Achish answered, “I know that you have been as pleasing in my eyes as an angel^(AS) of God; nevertheless, the Philistine commanders^(AT) have said, ‘He must not go up with us into battle.’ ¹⁰Now get up early, along with your master’s servants who have come with you, and leave^(AU) in the morning as soon as it is light.”

¹¹So David and his men got up early in the morning to go back to the land of the Philistines, and the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

Footnotes

1 Samuel 28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods

Isaiah 14

New International Version

14 The Lord will have compassion^(A) on Jacob;
    once again he will choose^(B) Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.^(C)
Foreigners^(D) will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
²Nations will take them
    and bring^(E) them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations^(F)
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives^(G) of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.^(H)

³On the day the Lord gives you relief^(I) from your suffering and turmoil^(J) and from the harsh labor forced on you,^(K) ⁴you will take up this taunt^(L) against the king of Babylon:^(M)

How the oppressor^(N) has come to an end!
    How his fury^[a] has ended!
⁵The Lord has broken the rod^(O) of the wicked,^(P)
    the scepter^(Q) of the rulers,
⁶which in anger struck down peoples^(R)
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued^(S) nations
    with relentless aggression.^(T)
⁷All the lands are at rest and at peace;^(U)
    they break into singing.^(V)
⁸Even the junipers^(W) and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.”^(X)

⁹The realm of the dead^(Y) below is all astir
    to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed^(Z) to greet you—
    all those who were leaders^(AA) in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
    all those who were kings over the nations.^(AB)
¹⁰They will all respond,
    they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
    you have become like us.”^(AC)
¹¹All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,^(AD)
    along with the noise of your harps;^(AE)
maggots are spread out beneath you
    and worms^(AF) cover you.^(AG)

¹²How you have fallen^(AH) from heaven,
    morning star,^(AI) son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!^(AJ)
¹³You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend^(AK) to the heavens;
I will raise my throne^(AL)
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,^(AM)
    on the utmost heights^(AN) of Mount Zaphon.^[b]
¹⁴I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;^(AO)
    I will make myself like the Most High.”^(AP)
¹⁵But you are brought down^(AQ) to the realm of the dead,^(AR)
    to the depths^(AS) of the pit.^(AT)

¹⁶Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:^(AU)
“Is this the man who shook^(AV) the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
¹⁷the man who made the world a wilderness,^(AW)
    who overthrew^(AX) its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?”^(AY)

¹⁸All the kings of the nations lie in state,
    each in his own tomb.^(AZ)
¹⁹But you are cast out^(BA) of your tomb
    like a rejected branch;
you are covered with the slain,^(BB)
    with those pierced by the sword,^(BC)
    those who descend to the stones of the pit.^(BD)
Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
²⁰    you will not join them in burial,^(BE)
for you have destroyed your land
    and killed your people.

Let the offspring^(BF) of the wicked^(BG)
    never be mentioned^(BH) again.
²¹Prepare a place to slaughter his children^(BI)
    for the sins of their ancestors;^(BJ)
they are not to rise to inherit the land
    and cover the earth with their cities.

²²“I will rise up^(BK) against them,”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will wipe out Babylon’s name^(BL) and survivors,
    her offspring and descendants,^(BM)”
declares the Lord.
²³“I will turn her into a place for owls^(BN)
    and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,^(BO)”
    declares the Lord Almighty.^(BP)

²⁴The Lord Almighty has sworn,^(BQ)

“Surely, as I have planned,^(BR) so it will be,
    and as I have purposed, so it will happen.^(BS)
²⁵I will crush the Assyrian^(BT) in my land;
    on my mountains I will trample him down.
His yoke^(BU) will be taken from my people,
    and his burden removed from their shoulders.^(BV)”

²⁶This is the plan^(BW) determined for the whole world;
this is the hand^(BX) stretched out over all nations.
²⁷For the Lord Almighty has purposed,^(BY) and who can thwart him?
His hand^(BZ) is stretched out, and who can turn it back?^(CA)

A Prophecy Against the Philistines

²⁸This prophecy^(CB) came in the year^(CC) King Ahaz^(CD) died:

²⁹Do not rejoice, all you Philistines,^(CE)
    that the rod that struck you is broken;
from the root of that snake will spring up a viper,^(CF)
    its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.^(CG)
³⁰The poorest of the poor will find pasture,
    and the needy^(CH) will lie down in safety.^(CI)
But your root I will destroy by famine;^(CJ)
    it will slay^(CK) your survivors.^(CL)

³¹Wail,^(CM) you gate!^(CN) Howl, you city!
    Melt away, all you Philistines!^(CO)
A cloud of smoke comes from the north,^(CP)
    and there is not a straggler in its ranks.^(CQ)
³²What answer shall be given
    to the envoys^(CR) of that nation?
“The Lord has established Zion,^(CS)
    and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.^(CT)”

Footnotes

Isaiah 14:4 Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.
Isaiah 14:13 Or of the north; Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.

Hebrews 5-6

New International Version

5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,^(A) to offer gifts and sacrifices^(B) for sins.^(C) ²He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,^(D) since he himself is subject to weakness.^(E) ³This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.^(F) ⁴And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.^(G)

⁵In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory^(H) of becoming a high priest.^(I) But God said^(J) to him,

“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.”^[a]^(K)

⁶And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.^(L)”^[b]^(M)

⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions^(N) with fervent cries and tears^(O) to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard^(P) because of his reverent submission.^(Q) ⁸Son^(R) though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered^(S) ⁹and, once made perfect,^(T) he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest^(U) in the order of Melchizedek.^(V)

Warning Against Falling Away^(W)

¹¹We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹²In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths^(X) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!^(Y) ¹³Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^(Z) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature,^(AA) who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.^(AB)

6 Therefore let us move beyond^(AC) the elementary teachings^(AD) about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,^[c]^(AE) and of faith in God, ²instruction about cleansing rites,^[d]^(AF) the laying on of hands,^(AG) the resurrection of the dead,^(AH) and eternal judgment. ³And God permitting,^(AI) we will do so.

⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened,^(AJ) who have tasted the heavenly gift,^(AK) who have shared in the Holy Spirit,^(AL) ⁵who have tasted the goodness^(AM) of the word of God^(AN) and the powers of the coming age ⁶and who have fallen^[e] away, to be brought back to repentance.^(AO) To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God^(AP) all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. ⁷Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. ⁸But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.^(AQ) In the end it will be burned.

⁹Even though we speak like this, dear friends,^(AR) we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^(AS) ¹¹We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope^(AT) for may be fully realized. ¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate^(AU) those who through faith and patience^(AV) inherit what has been promised.^(AW)

The Certainty of God’s Promise

¹³When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,^(AX) ¹⁴saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”^[f]^(AY) ¹⁵And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.^(AZ)

¹⁶People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.^(BA) ¹⁷Because God wanted to make the unchanging^(BB) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^(BC) he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^(BD) we who have fled to take hold of the hope^(BE) set before us may be greatly encouraged. ¹⁹We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,^(BF) ²⁰where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.^(BG) He has become a high priest^(BH) forever, in the order of Melchizedek.^(BI)