Rediscovering Hope: Experiencing God’s Healing to Expect Again

Life to the Full: A Study on Whole-Life Generosity

Friend in High Places: 5-Day Devotional

Faith-Fueled Leadership: Embracing Gratitude and Grace

Watch Your Mouth!

It Is Christmas: The Journey of the Nativity

Fervent Still

Promises

Romans

Come Away: Learning to Rest With Jesus

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
 <div class="book bk1SA">
 <div class="chapter ch7" data-usfm="1SA.7">
 <div class="label">7</div><div class="nb"> 1So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab&#8217;s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. 2The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time&#8212;twenty years in all.</div><div class="s1">Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah</div><div class="p">Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3So Samuel said to all the Israelites, &#8220;If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.&#8221; 4So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.</div><div class="p"> 5Then Samuel said, &#8220;Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.&#8221; 6When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, &#8220;We have sinned against the Lord.&#8221; Now Samuel was serving as leader#7:6 Traditionally judge; also in verse 15 of Israel at Mizpah.</div><div class="p"> 7When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8They said to Samuel, &#8220;Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.&#8221; 9Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel&#8217;s behalf, and the Lord answered him.</div><div class="p"> 10While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. 11The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.</div><div class="p"> 12Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,#7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help. saying, &#8220;Thus far the Lord has helped us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 13So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel&#8217;s territory. Throughout Samuel&#8217;s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.</div><div class="p"> 15Samuel continued as Israel&#8217;s leader all the days of his life. 16From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch8" data-usfm="1SA.8">
 <div class="label">8</div><div class="s1">Israel Asks for a King</div><div class="p"> 1When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel&#8217;s leaders.#8:1 Traditionally judges 2The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.</div><div class="p"> 4So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5They said to him, &#8220;You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead#8:5 Traditionally judge; also in verses 6 and 20 us, such as all the other nations have.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6But when they said, &#8220;Give us a king to lead us,&#8221; this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord told him: &#8220;Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 10Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11He said, &#8220;This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle#8:16 Septuagint; Hebrew young men and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19But the people refused to listen to Samuel. &#8220;No!&#8221; they said. &#8220;We want a king over us. 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22The Lord answered, &#8220;Listen to them and give them a king.&#8221;</div><div class="p">Then Samuel said to the Israelites, &#8220;Everyone go back to your own town.&#8221;</div>
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<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch9" data-usfm="1SA.9">
 <div class="label">9</div><div class="s1">Samuel Anoints Saul</div><div class="p"> 1There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. 2Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.</div><div class="p"> 3Now the donkeys belonging to Saul&#8217;s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, &#8220;Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.&#8221; 4So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.</div><div class="p"> 5When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, &#8220;Come, let&#8217;s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6But the servant replied, &#8220;Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let&#8217;s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 7Saul said to his servant, &#8220;If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 8The servant answered him again. &#8220;Look,&#8221; he said, &#8220;I have a quarter of a shekel#9:8 That is, about 1/10 ounce or about 3 grams of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.&#8221; 9(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, &#8220;Come, let us go to the seer,&#8221; because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)</div><div class="p"> 10&#8220;Good,&#8221; Saul said to his servant. &#8220;Come, let&#8217;s go.&#8221; So they set out for the town where the man of God was.</div><div class="p"> 11As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, &#8220;Is the seer here?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 12&#8220;He is,&#8221; they answered. &#8220;He&#8217;s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. 13As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 14They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.</div><div class="p"> 15Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16&#8220;About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, &#8220;This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 18Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, &#8220;Would you please tell me where the seer&#8217;s house is?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 19&#8220;I am the seer,&#8221; Samuel replied. &#8220;Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 21Saul answered, &#8220;But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 22Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited&#8212;about thirty in number. 23Samuel said to the cook, &#8220;Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 24So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, &#8220;Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, &#8216;I have invited guests.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221; And Saul dined with Samuel that day.</div><div class="p"> 25After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, &#8220;Get ready, and I will send you on your way.&#8221; When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, &#8220;Tell the servant to go on ahead of us&#8221;&#8212;and the servant did so&#8212;&#8220;but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.&#8221;</div>
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New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
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 <div class="chapter ch13" data-usfm="LUK.13.1+LUK.13.2+LUK.13.3+LUK.13.4+LUK.13.5+LUK.13.6+LUK.13.7+LUK.13.8+LUK.13.9+LUK.13.10+LUK.13.11+LUK.13.12+LUK.13.13+LUK.13.14+LUK.13.15+LUK.13.16+LUK.13.17+LUK.13.18+LUK.13.19+LUK.13.20+LUK.13.21">
 <div class="p">1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, &#8220;Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them&#8212;do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 6Then he told this parable: &#8220;A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, &#8216;For three years now I&#8217;ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven&#8217;t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?&#8217;</div><div class="p"> 8 &#8220;&#8198;&#8216;Sir,&#8217; the man replied, &#8216;leave it alone for one more year, and I&#8217;ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.&#8217;&#8198;&#8221;</div><div class="s1">Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath</div><div class="p"> 10On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, &#8220;Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.&#8221; 13Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.</div><div class="p"> 14Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, &#8220;There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 15The Lord answered him, &#8220;You hypocrites! Doesn&#8217;t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 17When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.</div><div class="s1">The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast</div><div class="p"> 18Then Jesus asked, &#8220;What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.&#8221;</div><div class="p"> 20Again he asked, &#8220;What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds#13:21 Or about 27 kilograms of flour until it worked all through the dough.&#8221;</div>
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