1 Samuel 7 Cross References - ISV

¹ The Ark is Stored in Kiriath-JearimThe men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the LORD. They brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to care for the Ark of the LORD.
² A long time passed—it was twenty years—from the time the Ark came to reside in Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel mourned because of the LORD.
³ The Philistines are Defeated at EbenezerThen Samuel told the whole house of Israel, “If you’re returning to the LORD with all your heart, then remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, direct your hearts back to the LORD, and serve him only. Then he will deliver you from the control of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelis removed the Baals and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.
⁵ Samuel said, “Bring all Israel together at Mizpah, and I’ll pray to the LORD on your behalf.” ⁶ So they came together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out in the LORD’s presence.
On that day they fasted there and said, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Then Samuel judged the Israelis at Mizpah. ⁷ When the Philistines heard that the Israelis had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine lords came up against Israel. When the Israelis heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines.
⁸ The Israelis told Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the LORD our God for us that he may deliver us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Samuel cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. ¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But that day the LORD thundered against the Philistines and threw them into panic, and they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹ The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as a point below Beth-car. ¹² Then Samuel took a stone, placed it between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer. He said, “The LORD has helped us this far.” ¹³ The Philistines were subdued, and they did not continue to enter the territory of Israel.
The LORD continued to oppose the Philistines all during Samuel’s life time. ¹⁴ The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ He went on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places. ¹⁷ He would return to Ramah because his house was there, and judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the LORD there.

¹⁴ From there the boundary changed direction, turning southward on the western side opposite Beth-horon, terminating at Kiriath-baal (also known as Kiriath-jearim), which belongs to Judah. This formed the western boundary.

²¹ They sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath-jearim, who told them, “The Philistines have returned the Ark of the LORD. Come down and take it up with you.”

² Then David and all the people with him set out from Baal-judah to bring up from there the Ark of God, who is called the Name, the name of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, and who is enthroned on the cherubim. ³ They mounted the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab’s home in Gibeah, with Abinadab’s sons Uzzah and Ahio driving the new cart. ⁴ As they left Abinadab’s house in Gibeah accompanied by the Ark of God, Ahio was walking ahead of the ark.

⁵ So David assembled all of Israel—from the Shihor River of Egypt to Lebo-hamath—in order to bring the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.
⁶ David, accompanied by all of Israel, went up to Baalah (the former name of Kiriath-jearim), which belonged to Judah, to bring from there the Ark of God, the LORD, who sits enthroned on the cherubim, and who is called the Name. ⁷ They mounted the Ark of God on a new cart, bringing it from Abinadab’s home, with Uzzah and Ahio driving the cart.

⁶ We heard about it in Ephrata; we found it in the fields of Jaar.

¹¹ “Depart! Depart! Go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

⁴ Because the angel of the LORD said these things to all of the Israelis, the people wept out loud,

¹³ ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God, and have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree. But you haven’t obeyed me,’ declares the LORD.

²² God Calls for Repentance“Turn back, unfaithful people, and I’ll heal your unfaithfulness.”
Israel Replies “Look, we’re coming to you because you are the LORD our God. ²³ Truly the hills are a deception, and the mountains are confusion. Truly, in the LORD our God is Israel’s salvation.” ²⁴ Since our youth the false gods have consumed the products of our ancestors’ hard work, their sheep and their cattle, their sons and their daughters. ²⁵ “Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us, because both we and our ancestors have sinned against the LORD our God from our youth until this present time. We haven’t obeyed the LORD our God.”

⁹ They’ll come crying, and I’ll lead them as they pray for mercy. I’ll make them walk by streams of water, along a straight path on which they won’t stumble. For I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

¹⁰ I will pour out on the house of David and on the residents of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and of supplications, and they will look to me—the one whom they pierced.’”
Mourning in JerusalemThen they will mourn for him, as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him, as for a firstborn son. ¹¹ At that time, Jerusalem will mourn deeply, like the mourning about Hadad-rimmon that took place in the plain of Megiddo.

⁴ “How blessed are those who mourn, because it is they who will be comforted!

¹⁰ For having sorrow in a godly way results in repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
¹¹ See what great earnestness godly sorrow has produced in you! How ready you are to clear yourselves, how indignant, how alarmed, how full of longing and enthusiasm, how eager to seek justice! In every way you have demonstrated that you are innocent in this matter.

² Jacob announced to his household and to everyone with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that you’ve kept among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.

¹³ Fear the LORD your God, serve him, and make your oaths in his name.

²⁰ You are to fear the LORD your God and serve him. Cling to him and swear by his name.

⁴ You must follow the LORD your God, fear him, observe his commandments, listen to his voice, serve him, and cling to him.

² and when you—you and your descendants, that is—will have returned to him and obeyed all the commands that I’m giving you today with all your heart and soul, ³ then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and will show compassion to you. He will gather you from among the peoples where he had scattered you. ⁴ Even if the LORD had banished you to the ends of the heavens, the LORD your God will gather you from there ⁵ and he’ll bring you to the land that your ancestors inherited. You’ll possess it, you’ll prosper, and you’ll greatly multiply more than your ancestors did. ⁶ Then the LORD your God will circumcise both your hearts and those of your descendants so that you can love him with your heart and with your soul and therefore live. ⁷ Then the LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate and persecute you.”
⁸ Prosperity in Obedience“So now, return and obey the LORD your God and observe all his commands that I’m giving you today, ⁹ and the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all that you do, along with your children, your livestock, and the produce of your fields, because the LORD your God will again be delighted with you for good, just as he was delighted with your ancestors, ¹⁰ if you obey him and keep his commands and statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, and if you return to him with all your heart and soul.

¹⁴ “Now you must fear the LORD and serve him in faithfulness and truth. Throw away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Instead, serve the LORD.

²³ Joshua said, “Therefore abandon the foreign gods that are among you, and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

¹³ As a result, they abandoned the LORD by serving both Baal and Ashtaroth.

⁶ Israel Descends into ApostasyLater on, the Israelis again practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by serving the Baals, the stars, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the descendants of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. In doing so, they ignored the LORD and wouldn’t serve him.

¹⁶ When they put away their foreign gods and served the LORD, he brought Israel’s misery to an end.

¹⁰ They put Saul’s weapons in the temple of Asherah and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth-shan.

⁴⁸ if they return to you with all of their heart and with all of their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, as they pray to you in the direction of their land that you have given to their ancestors and to the city that you have chosen, and to the Temple that I have built for your name,

¹⁹ So set your minds and hearts to seek the LORD your God, to get up, and to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be stored in a temple built for the name of the LORD.”

⁹ David Addresses Solomon Directly“Now as for you, my son Solomon, get to know the God of your father. Serve him with a sound heart and a devoted soul, because the LORD is searching every heart, every plan and thought. He will be found by you, assuming you are seeking him, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you forever.

³ Nevertheless, a few good things have been found in you, in that you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have disciplined yourself to seek God.”

¹⁹ everyone who prepares his own heart to seek God, the LORD God of his ancestors, even though he does so inconsistent with the laws of consecration.”

¹³ Zophar Counsels Job to Repent“Now for you, if you will prepare your heart, spread out your hands to him. ¹⁴ If you have any iniquity, throw it far away. Don’t let evil live in your residence.

¹ Wisdom’s Blessings People do the planning, but the end result is from the LORD.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous person his thoughts. Let him return to the LORD, So he’ll have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he’ll pardon abundantly.

³ For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, “Break up your unplowed ground, and don’t sow among thorns. ⁴ Circumcise yourselves to the LORD and remove the foreskin of your heart, you men of Judah and residents of Jerusalem, or else my wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to put it out, because of your evil deeds.”

³¹ Stop your transgressing—the deeds by which you’ve rebelled—and then make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, you house of Israel?

¹ A Call for Israel to Repent “Come, let us return to the LORD; even though he has torn us, he will heal us. Even though he has wounded us, he will bind our wounds. ² After two days, he will restore us to life, on the third day he will raise us up, and we will live in his presence.

¹ A Call to Repentance “Return, Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have fallen due to your own iniquity.

¹² Repentance and Restoration“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Turn back to me with your whole heart, with fasting, tears, and mourning. ¹³ Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! Because it is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

²⁴ God and Riches
“No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”

⁸ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

⁸ But Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”

²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

¹¹ The Rise of the JudgesSo the Israelis practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by worshiping Canaanite deities.

¹⁵ The Israelis replied to the LORD, “We have sinned, so do to us anything that’s right to do in your opinion, just please deliver us right now.” ¹⁶ When they put away their foreign gods and served the LORD, he brought Israel’s misery to an end.

³³ I’m doing this because they have abandoned me and worshipped that Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They haven’t lived my way by doing what I consider to be right and observing my statutes and my ordinances, like his father David did.

³ Assyria won’t save us; we won’t be riding on horses, Nor will we be saying anymore to the work of our hands, “You are our God.” Indeed, in you the orphan finds mercy.’

⁸ “Ephraim, what have I in common with idols? I have listened and will pay attention to him. I am like a flourishing cypress; in me will your fruit be found.”

³⁸ Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel,

¹ The Israelis Attack the Tribe of BenjaminThen the entire Israeli nation—from Dan to Beer-sheba, including the territory of Gilead—came out for war. The army assembled as one united force to God at Mizpah.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone, placed it between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer. He said, “The LORD has helped us this far.”

¹⁶ He went on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷ Saul is Proclaimed KingSamuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah.

²³ Now as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I’ll also instruct you in the way that is good and right.

²³ When all the captains of the armies, along with their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, these men visited Gedaliah at Mizpah: Nethaniah’s son Ishmael, Kareah’s son Johanan, Tanhumeth the Netophathite’s son Seraiah, and Jaazaniah, who was descended from the Maacathites.

¹ The People Confess Their SinsOn the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelis gathered together while fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering themselves with dust.

¹⁶ Gather the people! Dedicate the congregation! Bring in the elders. Gather the youngsters and even the nursing infants. Call the bridegroom from his wedding preparations, and the bride from her dressing room.

⁴⁰ Return from Captivity“Nevertheless, when they confess their iniquity, the iniquity of their ancestors, and their unfaithfulness by which they acted unfaithfully against me by living life contrary to me—

¹⁰ The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he governed Israel. When Othniel went out to battle, the LORD handed king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim into his control, and Othniel’s domination of Cushan-rishathaim was strong.

¹⁰ Then the Israelis cried out to the LORD and told him, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned our God to serve the Baals.”

¹⁵ “No, sir!” Hannah replied. “I’m a deeply troubled woman. I’ve drunk neither wine nor beer. I’ve been pouring out my soul in the LORD’s presence.

¹⁴ After all, even though we all die, and we’re all like water being spilled on the ground that cannot be recovered, nevertheless God doesn’t take away life, but carries out his plans so as not to cast away permanently from him those who are presently estranged.

⁴⁷ if they turn their hearts back to you in the land where they have been taken captive, repent, and pray to you—even if they do so in the land of their captivity—confessing, ‘We have sinned, we have committed abominations, and practiced wickedness,’

³ In mounting fear, Jehoshaphat devoted himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a period of fasting throughout all of the territory of Judah,

²¹ Then I called for a fast there at the Ahava River so we could humble ourselves before our God and seek from him an appropriate way for us and our little ones to live, and how we should guard our personal wealth, ²² because I was ashamed to ask the king for a contingent of soldiers and cavalry to protect us from enemies we might encounter on the way. After all, we had told the king, “The hand of our God seeks the good of all who seek him, but his power and anger are against everyone who forsakes him.” ²³ So we fasted and asked our God about this, and he listened to us.

⁵ Ezra’s Prayer of RepentanceAt the time of the evening sacrifice, I arose from my discouragement. Still in my torn garment and robe, I fell to my knees with my hands outstretched to the LORD my God, ⁶ and said, “My God, I am too ashamed and hurt to turn to you, because we’re in our iniquities over our heads. Furthermore, my God, our sins have grown as high as the heavens. ⁷ We have lived in great sin from the days of our ancestors even until today, and because of those iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered over to foreign kings, for execution, for captivity, for plunder, and for humiliation, as is the case today. ⁸ Though now, for a moment, grace has been shown from the LORD our God, leaving a few survivors to escape, and providing us a secure hold in his Holy Place, so that our God might enlighten us and give us relief from our servitude. ⁹ Even though we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in our slavery. Instead, he has extended gracious love to us in the presence of the kings of Persia, to grant us revival, to set up the Temple of our God, to repair its damage, and to give us a protective wall for Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁰ Now, our God, what can we say besides this? Because we have abandoned your commandments

¹ The People Confess Their SinsOn the twenty-fourth day of this same month, the Israelis gathered together while fasting, wearing sackcloth, and covering themselves with dust. ² The remnant of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners. Then they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. ³ While they stood there, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one fourth of the day, and they confessed and worshipped the LORD their God for another fourth of the day.

²⁷ So you delivered them into the control of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed, they cried out to you, and you heard from heaven. In your great compassion you gave them deliverers who rescued them from the control of their enemies.

²⁰ My friends mock me, while my eyes overflow with tears to God,

²⁷ The Song of the Ransomed“He’ll sing to mankind with these words: ‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right. Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.

⁴ “I must look insignificant to you! How can I answer you? I’m speechless.

⁶ As a result, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

⁶ I am weary from my groaning. Every night my couch is drenched with tears, my bed is soaked through.

³ My body is unhealthy due to your anger, and my bones have no rest due to my sin. ⁴ My iniquities loom over my head; like a cumbersome burden, they are too heavy for me. ⁵ My wounds have putrefied and festered because of my foolishness. ⁶ I am bent over and walk about greatly bowed down; all day long I go around mourning. ⁷ My insides are burning and my body is unhealthy. ⁸ I am weak and utterly crushed; I cry out in distress because of my heart’s anguish.

³ My tears have been my food day and night, while people keep asking me all day long, “Where is your God?”

⁸ People, in every situation put your trust in God; pour out your heart before him; for God is a refuge for us. Interlude

⁶ We have sinned, along with our ancestors; we have committed iniquity and wickedness.

¹³⁶ My eyes shed rivers of tears, when others do not obey your instruction.

¹³ ‘Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God, and have scattered your favors to strangers under every green tree. But you haven’t obeyed me,’ declares the LORD.
¹⁴ “Return, unfaithful people,” declares the LORD, “for I am your husband. I’ll take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I’ll bring you to Zion.

¹ The LORD’s Sorrow for His People “Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, for then I would cry day and night for those of my people who have been killed.

¹⁹ Indeed, after I turned away, then I repented. And after I came to understand, I slapped my forehead. I was both ashamed and humiliated because I bear the disgrace of my youth.’”

¹¹ My eyes are worn out from crying, my insides are churning, My emotions pour out in grief because my people are destroyed— Children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

¹⁸ Cry out from your heart to the Lord, wall of fair Zion! Let your tears run down like a river day and night. Allow yourself no rest, and don’t stop crying. ¹⁹ Get up and cry aloud in the night, at the beginning of every hour. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord! Lift up your hands toward him for the lives of your children, who are fainting away at every street corner.

⁴⁹ My tears pour down ceaselessly; I am far from relief

⁴ “Will you judge them? Son of Man, will you indeed judge them? Teach them about the detestable things that their ancestors did.

³ “So I turned my attention to the Lord God, seeking him in prayer and supplication, accompanied with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. ⁴ I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing and saying: ‘Lord! Great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and gracious love for those who love him and obey his commandments, ⁵ we’ve sinned, we’ve practiced evil, we’ve acted wickedly, and we’ve rebelled, turning away from your commands and from your regulations.

¹² Repentance and Restoration“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Turn back to me with your whole heart, with fasting, tears, and mourning.

¹ The LORD Again Calls Jonah to Go to NinevehThis message from the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ² “Get up and go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” ³ So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh to do what the LORD had ordered.
Now Nineveh was a very large city, requiring a three-day journey to cross through it. ⁴ As Jonah started into the city on the first day’s journey, he proclaimed the message, “40 days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!”
⁵ The City of Nineveh RepentsThe people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least important. ⁶ When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his royal garments, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat down in ashes. ⁷ Then he had this proclamation published throughout Nineveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or animal, herd or flock, is to taste anything, graze, or drink water. ⁸ Instead, let both man and animal clothe themselves with sackcloth and cry out to God forcefully. Let every person turn from his evil ways and from his tendency to do violence. ⁹ Who knows but that God may relent, have compassion, and turn from his fierce anger, so that we are not exterminated?”
¹⁰ God took note of what they did—that they turned from their evil ways. Because God relented concerning the trouble about which he had warned them, he did not carry it out.

¹⁸ I will get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and you.

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelis looked up, and there were the Egyptians bearing down on them! Extremely frightened, the Israelis cried out to the LORD.

⁶ When the men of Israel saw that they were in distress (for the people were in a tight spot), the people hid themselves in caves, in thickets, in crags, in tombs, and in pits.

¹¹ When Saul and all the Israelis heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very frightened.

¹⁹ Then all the people told Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we don’t die, because we made all our sins worse by asking for a king for ourselves.”
²⁰ Samuel told all the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have done all this evil. Yet don’t turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Don’t turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or deliver because they’re useless. ²² Indeed, the LORD won’t abandon His people for the sake of His great name, for the LORD desires to make you a people for himself. ²³ Now as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. I’ll also instruct you in the way that is good and right. ²⁴ Only, fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Indeed, consider what great things he has done for you.

⁴ Perhaps the LORD your God will hear the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, sent to mock the living God, and perhaps he will rebuke the words that the LORD your God has heard. So lift up a prayer for the remnant that still survives in this city.”

¹ The Vindication of Jerusalem “And I won’t remain silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I won’t stay quiet, until her vindication shines out like brightness, and her salvation like a burning torch.

⁶ “Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; all day and all night they won’t remain silent. You who make mention of the LORD, take no rest, ⁷ and give him no rest until he prepares, establishes and makes Jerusalem a song of praise throughout the earth.

¹⁶ Therefore, make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

²⁶ and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this stronghold in an orderly manner. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering using the wood from the Asherah that you’ll be cutting down.”

²⁸ When the leading men of the city got up early the next morning, the altar to Baal had been torn down, along with the Asherah that had stood beside it, and the second bull had been offered on the altar that had been erected.

¹⁴ The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh, and stopped there. In that place there was a large stone. They broke up the wood from the cart, and offered up the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. ¹⁵ The descendants of Levi took down the Ark of the LORD, along with the box that was with it, containing the objects of gold, and they put them on the large stone. The men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the LORD that day.

¹⁷ He would return to Ramah because his house was there, and judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the LORD there.

¹² They answered them: “Yes, he’s right there ahead of you. Hurry, for he came to town just today because there is a sacrifice for the people on the high place today.

⁸ You are to go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and then I’ll come down to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You are to wait seven days until I come to you to let you know what you are to do.”

² Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear about this and kill me!”
The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD.’

³⁰ Eventually, Elijah told everybody, “Come here!” So everybody approached him, and he repaired the LORD’s altar that had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob’s descendants, to whom the message from the LORD had come that “Israel is to be your name.” ³² So Elijah used the stones to build an altar to the name of the LORD. But then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures of seed. ³³ Then he laid the wood in order, cut the bull into pieces, and laid them on top of the wood.
“Fill four pitchers with water,” he ordered. “Then pour them out on the burnt offering and the wood.”
³⁴ “Do it a second time,” he ordered. So they did it a second time.
“Do it a third time,” he said. So they did it a third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and completely filled the trench.
³⁶ Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer by FireAs the time for the evening offering arrived, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word. ³⁷ Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people may know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning back their hearts again.”
³⁸ Right then the LORD’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and even the water that was in the trench!

¹⁵ Call on me in the day of distress; I will deliver you, and you will glorify me.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those who invoked his name. When they called on the LORD, he answered them.

¹ The Destiny of the JudgedThen the LORD told me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me, I wouldn’t be favorably disposed toward this people. Send them out of my presence! Let them go!

²³ When Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.
²⁴ There was very heavy hail, and lightning was flashing continuously in the midst of the hail. There had not been anything like it in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. ²⁵ The hail struck everything, including people and animals, outside in the fields throughout the land of Egypt. The hail struck all the vegetation of the fields and shattered all the trees in the orchards.

³ He will say to them, ‘Listen, Israel! You’re about to go into battle today against your enemies. Don’t be faint-hearted. Don’t be afraid, don’t panic, and don’t be terrified to face them. ⁴ For the LORD your God will be with you, fighting on your behalf against your enemies in order to grant you victory.’

¹⁰ The LORD threw the Amorites into a panic right in front of the army of Israel, which then slaughtered many of them at Gibeon. The Israeli army chased them along the road that goes up to Beth-horon, striking them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah.

¹⁵ and the LORD threw Sisera, all the chariots, and his entire army into a panic right in front of Barak. Then Sisera abandoned his chariot and escaped on foot

⁸ New gods were chosen, then war came to the city gates, but there wasn’t a shield or spear to be seen among 40,000 soldiers of Israel.

²⁰ The stars fought from heaven; they fought against Sisera from their orbits.

¹⁰ The LORD will shatter his enemies —those who contend against him. Who is holy? The one who will thunder against them in the heavens. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth, he will give strength to his king, and he will increase the strength of His anointed one.”

¹⁷ Is it not the wheat harvest today? I’ll call upon the LORD, and he will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and understand that you have done a great evil in the sight of the LORD by asking for a king for yourselves.”

¹⁴ The LORD roared from heaven! The Most High let his voice be heard! ¹⁵ He launched his arrows and scattered them— his lightning routed them.

¹¹ He made darkness his hiding place, his canopy surrounding him was dark waters and thick clouds. ¹² The brightness before him scattered the thick clouds, with hail stones and flashes of fire. ¹³ Then the LORD thundered in the heavens, and the Most High sounded aloud, calling for hail stones and flashes of fire. ¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered them; with many lightning bolts he frightened them.

¹⁶ The waters saw you, God; the waters saw you and writhed. Indeed, the depths of the sea quaked. ¹⁷ The clouds poured rain; the skies rumbled. Indeed, your lightning bolts flashed. ¹⁸ Your thunderous sound was in a whirlwind; your lightning lights up the world; the earth becomes agitated and quakes.

³ Fire goes out from his presence to consume his enemies on every side. ⁴ His lightning bolts light the world; the earth sees and shakes.

⁶ The LORD’s First Charge to ZerubbabelThen he replied to me, “This is this message from the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by valor nor by strength, but only by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

¹⁸ There were flashes of lightning, noises, peals of thunder, and a powerful earthquake. There has never been such a powerful earthquake since people have been on the earth. ¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine filled with the fury of his wrath. ²⁰ Every island vanished, and the mountains could no longer be found. ²¹ Huge hailstones, each weighing about a talent, fell from the sky on people, who cursed God because the plague of hail was so terrible.

¹⁴ Abraham named that place, “The LORD Will Provide,” as it is told this day, “On the LORD’s mountain, he will provide.”

¹⁸ When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the stone that he had used for his pillow, set it up as a pillar, drenched it with oil, ¹⁹ and named the place Beth-el, although previously the city had been named Luz.

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar. ⁴⁶ Then Jacob told his relatives, “Go gather some stones.” So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones. ⁴⁷ Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.
⁴⁸ Then Laban said, “This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today.” That’s how the place came to be named Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD watch between you and me, when we are estranged from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
⁵¹ “Look!” Laban added, “Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I’ve set up between you and me. ⁵² This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm.

¹⁴ Jacob erected a pillar of stone at that very place where God had spoken to him. He poured a drink offering over it, anointed it with oil,

¹⁵ Moses built an altar and named it “The LORD is My Banner.”

⁹ Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan River at the location where the feet of the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant had been standing, and they remain there to this day.

²⁰ Joshua set up the twelve stones that they had removed from the Jordan River at Gilgal. ²¹ Then he told the Israelis, “When your descendants ask their parents in years to come, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’ ²² you are to tell your descendants: ‘Israel crossed this Jordan River on dry ground ²³ because the LORD your God dried up the water of the Jordan River right in front of you, until you had crossed over, just as the LORD your God had done to the Reed Sea—which he had dried up in front of us until we had crossed it also.’ ²⁴ Do this so that all of the people of the earth may know how strong the power of the LORD is, and so that you may fear the LORD your God every day.”

²⁶ He wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God, took a large stone, moved it under the shade of the oak tree that was near the sanctuary of the LORD, ²⁷ and then told all of the people, “Look! This stone will testify for us, because it has heard everything that the LORD has spoken to us. So it will stand as a witness against you in the event that you deny your God.”

¹ The Philistines Capture the ArkWhat Samuel had to say was directed to all Israel, and Israel went out to engage the Philistines in battle. The Israelis were camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines were camped at Aphek.

¹ The Philistines’ Troubles because of the ArkThe Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

⁶ I depended on you since birth, when you brought me from my mother’s womb; I praise you continuously.

¹⁷ God, you taught me from my youth, so I am still declaring your awesome deeds.

¹⁹ At that time, there will be an altar to the LORD of the Heavenly Armies in the heart of the land of Egypt, and a monument to the LORD at its border.

³ “Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all you remnant of the house of Israel, who have been upheld from before your birth, and who have been carried from the womb. ⁴ Even until your old age, I am the one, and I’ll carry you even until your gray hairs come. It is I who have created, and I who will carry, and it is I who will bear and save.

²² I’ve had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

¹⁰ He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will continue to rescue us. Yes, he is the one on whom we have set our hope, and he will rescue us again,

¹ The Birth of Samson, Israel’s Twelfth JudgeSome time later, the Israelis again practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, so the LORD handed them over into the domination of the Philistines for 40 years.

⁵ because—surprise!—you’re going to conceive and give birth to a son! Don’t put a razor to his head, because the young man will be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from inside the womb. He will begin to deliver Israel from domination by the Philistines.”

¹ Saul’s Battles against the PhilistinesSaul was 30 years old when he began to reign, and he ruled for 42 years over Israel. ² Saul chose for himself 3,000 men from Israel. There were 2,000 with Saul in Michmash and the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. He had sent the rest of the people home.
³ Jonathan attacked the Philistine garrison in Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout the land: “Listen, Hebrews!” ⁴ All Israel heard the report, “Saul has attacked the Philistine garrison and Israel has also become repulsive to the Philistines.” Then the people were summoned to Saul at Gilgal.
⁵ The Philistines assembled to fight against Israel with 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen, and people as numerous as the sand on the seashore. And they advanced and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

⁶ Jonathan told his armor bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. Perhaps the LORD will work for us, since nothing prevents the LORD from delivering, whether by many or by a few.”
⁷ His armor bearer told him, “Do whatever you want. Let’s move out! I’m right here with you, as you wish.”
⁸ Jonathan said, “Look, we’re going over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Stay there until we come to you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up and fight us,’ then we will go up, for the LORD has given them into our hands, and this will be the sign for us.”
¹¹ When the two of them showed themselves to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have been hiding.”
¹² The men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer: “Come up and fight us, and we will show you something.”
Jonathan then told his armor bearer, “Follow me, for the LORD has given them into Israel’s control.”
¹³ Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer who was behind him also killed some. ¹⁴ In the initial attack, Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area of about half an acre of land. ¹⁵ There was terror in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders were terrified. The earth shook, and there was even greater terror.
¹⁶ Saul’s sentries in Gibeah of Benjamin watched as the camp was in disarray, going this way and that.

²⁰ Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled and went into battle. Now the swords of all the Philistines were against each other, and there was very great confusion. ²¹ The Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines, who had gone up with them from the surrounding areas to the camp, even they joined Israel and those who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² All the Israelis who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, and even they pursued the Philistines in the battle. ²³ On that day the LORD delivered Israel, and the battle moved past Beth-aven.

⁴⁹ David reached his hand into the bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine in his forehead. The stone sunk into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. ⁵⁰ David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone; he struck down the Philistine and killed him, and there was no sword in David’s hand. ⁵¹ David ran and stood over the Philistine. He took the Philistine’s sword, pulled it from its sheath, killed him, and then he cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. ⁵² The men of Israel and Judah got up with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines fell along the way to Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron. ⁵³ The Israelis returned from pursuing the Philistines and plundered their camp.

³ Saul and the Medium at EndorNow Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.
⁴ The Philistines assembled, moved out, and camped at Shunem, while Saul assembled all Israel and camped at Gilboa. ⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine camp, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly.

¹ Saul Killed by the Philistines
The Philistines fought against Israel, and the army of Israel fled before the Philistines. They fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines pursued Saul and his sons. The Philistines struck down Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchi-shua, Saul’s sons. ³ The heaviest fighting was directed toward Saul, and when the bowmen who were shooting located Saul, he was severely wounded by them.
⁴ Saul told his armor bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it, or these uncircumcised people will come and run me through and make sport of me.” But his armor bearer did not want to do it because he was very frightened, so Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ As a result, Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and all his men died together that day. ⁷ When the men of Israel who were across the valley and who were across the Jordan saw that the army of Israel had fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled, and the Philistines came and occupied them.

² So when the LORD your God delivers them to you and you have defeated them, then utterly destroy them. You are not to make any covenant with them nor be gracious to them.

¹⁶ You are to utterly destroy everyone whom the LORD your God will deliver to you. Don’t have pity on them nor serve their gods. Otherwise, they will become a snare for you.”

¹⁷ Heber’s Wife Jael Kills SiseraMeanwhile, Sisera had escaped on foot to a tent belonging to Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, since there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the household of Heber the Kenite.

³⁴ They never destroyed the people, as the LORD had commanded them.

¹⁶ Then the LORD raised up leaders, who delivered Israel from domination by their marauders.

¹⁰ The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he governed Israel. When Othniel went out to battle, the LORD handed king Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim into his control, and Othniel’s domination of Cushan-rishathaim was strong. ¹¹ As a result, the land was quiet for 40 years. Then Kenaz’ son Othniel died.

⁶ So they came together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out in the LORD’s presence.
On that day they fasted there and said, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Then Samuel judged the Israelis at Mizpah.

¹ Samuel’s FarewellThen Samuel told all Israel, “Take note! I’ve listened to you, to everything you have told me, and I’ve appointed a king over you.

¹¹ Then the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel and he delivered you from the hand of your enemies on every side, so that you lived securely.

¹ The Death of SamuelSamuel died and all Israel assembled to mourn for him. They buried him at his home in Ramah.
David, Nabal, and AbigailDavid got up and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

²⁰ for about 450 years.
“After that, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. ²¹ When they demanded a king, God gave them Kish’s son Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.

¹⁰ “Speak up, you who ride white donkeys, sitting on cloth saddles while you travel on your way!

⁴ His 30 sons rode on 30 donkeys, controlling 30 cities in the territory of Gilead named Havvoth-jair to this day.

¹⁴ He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who rode on 70 donkeys. He governed Israel for eight years.

² “At the time that I choose I will judge the righteous.

³ “Defend the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the afflicted and the poor. ⁴ Rescue the poor and the needy, delivering them from the power of the wicked.

⁷ Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I’ll give this land to your descendants.” So Abram built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. ⁸ From there Abram traveled on to the hill country east of Bethel and set up his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD.

²⁰ set up an altar, and named it El-elohe-israel.

⁷ He built an altar there to God and named the place El Beth-el, because God had revealed himself there when he was fleeing from his brother.

⁴ The next day, the people got up early, built an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. ⁵ The Israelis asked themselves, “Who didn’t come up in our assembly in the LORD’s presence from among all of the tribes of Israel?” They had taken a solemn oath concerning those who didn’t come up to meet with the LORD at Mizpah that “They will certainly be executed.”

¹ The Birth of SamuelA certain man lived in Ramathaim-zophim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim. He was Jeroham’s son Elkanah, the grandson of Elihu and grandson of Tohu, who was the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

¹⁹ They got up early the next morning and worshipped in the LORD’s presence, and then they returned and came to their house at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

⁴ All the elders of Israel gathered together, and came to Samuel at Ramah.

¹⁵ So all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul king in the LORD’s presence in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings in the LORD’s presence, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

¹⁸ Saul Prophesies at Ramah and David EscapesDavid escaped and fled. He came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went and stayed at Naioth. ¹⁹ It was reported to Saul saying, “David is at Naioth in Ramah right now.” ²⁰ Saul sent messengers to take David, and they saw a group of prophets caught up in prophetic ecstasy, with Samuel standing beside them leading them. Then the Spirit of God came on Saul’s messengers, and they also were caught up in prophetic ecstasy.
²¹ They reported this to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also were caught up in prophetic ecstasy. ²² Then Saul himself went to Ramah, and he arrived at the large well that is in Secu. He asked, “Where are Samuel and David?”
Someone replied, “They’re at Naioth in Ramah.” ²³ Saul went to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came on him also. He continued in prophetic ecstasy until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

³⁰ Eventually, Elijah told everybody, “Come here!” So everybody approached him, and he repaired the LORD’s altar that had been torn down. ³¹ Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes of Jacob’s descendants, to whom the message from the LORD had come that “Israel is to be your name.” ³² So Elijah used the stones to build an altar to the name of the LORD. But then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two measures of seed. ³³ Then he laid the wood in order, cut the bull into pieces, and laid them on top of the wood.
“Fill four pitchers with water,” he ordered. “Then pour them out on the burnt offering and the wood.”
³⁴ “Do it a second time,” he ordered. So they did it a second time.
“Do it a third time,” he said. So they did it a third time. ³⁵ The water ran down around the altar and completely filled the trench.
³⁶ Elijah’s Prayer and God’s Answer by FireAs the time for the evening offering arrived, Elijah the prophet approached and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I, your servant, have done all of this in obedience to your word.