Then about a month after this, Nahash the Ammonite came up and put his forces in position for attacking Jabesh-gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Make an agreement with us and we will be your servants.

Then the responsible men of Jabesh said to him, Give us seven days, so that we may send men to every part of Israel: and then, if no one comes to our help, we will come out to you.

Now Saul came from the field, driving the oxen before him and he said, Why are the people weeping? And they gave him word of what the men of Jabesh had said.

And he took two oxen and, cutting them up, sent them through all the land of Israel by the hand of runners, saying, If any man does not come out after Saul and Samuel, this will be done to his oxen. And the fear of the Lord came on the people and they came out like one man.

Then he said to the representatives who had come, Say to the men of Jabesh-gilead, Tomorrow, by the time the sun is high, you will be made safe. And the representatives came and gave the news to the men of Jabesh and they were glad.

Now on the day after, Saul put the people into three bands, and in the morning watch they came to the tents of the Ammonites, and they went on attacking them till the heat of the day: and those who were not put to death were put to flight in every direction, so that no two of them were together.

And Saul said, Not a man is to be put to death today: for today the Lord has made Israel safe.

So all the people went to Gilgal and there in Gilgal they made Saul king before the Lord and peace-offerings were offered before the Lord and there Saul and all the men of Israel were glad with great joy.

And Samuel said to all Israel, You see that I have given ear to everything you said to me, and have made a king over you.

Here I am: give witness against me before the Lord and before the man on whom he has put the holy oil: whose ox or ass have I taken? to whom have I been untrue? who has been crushed down by me? from whose hand have I taken a price for the blinding of my eyes? I will give it all back to you.

Then he said, The Lord is witness against you, and the man on whom he has put the holy oil is witness this day that you have seen no wrong in me. And they said, He is witness.

Keep your places now, while I take up the argument with you before the Lord, and give you the story of the righteousness of the Lord, which he has made clear by his acts to you and to your fathers.

But they were false to the Lord their God, and he gave them up into the hands of Sisera, captain of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab, who made war against them.

So the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Barak and Jephthah and Samuel and took you out of the power of those who were fighting against you on every side, and made you safe.

Here, then, is the king marked out by you: the Lord has put a king over you.

But if you do not give ear to the voice of the Lord, but go against his orders, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and against your king for your destruction, as it was against your fathers.

Is it not now the time of the grain cutting? My cry will go up to the Lord and he will send thunder and rain: so that you may see and be conscious of your great sin which you have done in the eyes of the Lord in desiring a king for yourselves.

And all the people said to Samuel, Make prayer for us to the Lord your God so that death may not overtake us: for in addition to all our sins we have done this evil, in desiring a king.

And do not go from the right way turning to those false gods in which there is no profit and no salvation, for they are false.

And as for me, never will I go against the orders of the Lord by giving up my prayers for you: but I will go on teaching you the good and right way.

But if you still do evil, destruction will overtake you and your king.

***

And Jonathan made an attack on the armed force of the Philistines stationed at Gibeah and news was given to the Philistines that the Hebrews were turned against them. And Saul had a horn sounded through all the land,

And the Philistines came together to make war on Israel, three thousand war-carriages and six thousand horsemen and an army of people like the sands of the sea in number: they came up and took up their position in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

And a great number of the people had gone over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead but Saul was still in Gilgal, and all the people went after him shaking in fear.

Then Saul said, Come here and give me the burned offering and the peace-offerings. And he made a burned offering to the Lord.

And Samuel said, What have you done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were going away from me, and you had not come at the time which had been fixed, and the Philistines had come together at Michmash

And Samuel said to Saul, You have done a foolish thing: you have not kept the rules which the Lord your God gave you it was the purpose of the Lord to make your authority over Israel safe for ever.

Then Samuel went up from Gilgal and the rest of the people went up after Saul against the men of war, and they came from Gilgal to Gibeah in the land of Benjamin: and Saul took the number of the people who were with him, about six hundred men.

And three bands of men came out from the Philistines to make an attack one band went by the road which goes to Ophrah, into the land of Shual:

Now there was no iron-worker in all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, For fear the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears:

For they had instruments for putting an edge on their ploughs and blades and forks and axes, and for putting iron points on their ox-driving rods.

And the armed force of the Philistines went out to the narrow way of Michmash.

And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Beth-phage and Bethany, at the Mountain of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? say, The Lord has need of him and will send him back straight away.

And some of those who were there said to them, What are you doing, taking the ass?

And they took the young ass to Jesus, and put their clothing on him, and he got on his back.

And those who went in front, and those who came after, were crying, Glory: A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord:

And he went into Jerusalem into the Temple and after looking round about on all things, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

And seeing a fig-tree in the distance with leaves, he went to see if by chance it had anything on it: and when he came to it, he saw nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for the fruit.

And they came to Jerusalem and he went into the Temple, and sent out those who were trading there, overturning the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were offering doves for money

And he gave them teaching, and said to them, Is it not in the Writings, My house is to be named a house of prayer for all the nations? but you have made it a hole of thieves.

And every evening he went out of the town.

And Peter, having a memory of it, said to him, Master, see, the tree which was cursed by you is dead.

Truly I say to you, Whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and be put into the sea and has no doubt in his heart, but has faith that what he says will come about, he will have his desire.

And whenever you make a prayer, let there be forgiveness in your hearts, if you have anything against anyone so that you may have forgiveness for your sins from your Father who is in heaven.