7 So the people of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill.^(A) They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

Victory at Mizpah

² Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord. ³ Samuel told them, “If you^(B) are returning to the Lord^(C) with all your heart,^(D) get rid of the foreign gods^(E) and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him.^(F) Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths^(G) and only worshiped the Lord.

⁵ Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,^(H) and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”^{(I) 6} When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.^(J) They fasted that day,^(K) and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.”^(L) And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. ⁸ The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.”

⁹ Then Samuel took a young lamb^(M) and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.^{(N) 10} Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly^(O) against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.^{(P) 11} Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

¹² Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright^(Q) between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[a] explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued^(R) and^[b] did not invade Israel’s territory again.^(S) The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. ¹⁴ The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.^{(T) 16} Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations. ¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah^(U) because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

Israel’s Demand for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.^{(V) 2} His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba.^{(W) 3} However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.^(X)

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.^{(Y) 5} They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”^(Z)

⁶ When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.^{(AA) 8} They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me,^[c] since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. ⁹ Listen to them, but solemnly warn them^(AB) and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰ Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. ¹² He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties,^(AC) to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴ He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants.^{(AD) 15} He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. ¹⁶ He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle,^[d] and your donkeys and use them for his work. ¹⁷ He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves,^(AE) but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”^(AF)

¹⁹ The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. ²⁰ Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us,^(AG) and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. ²² “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”^(AH)

Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹ He also said, “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets^[a] to them. ¹³ Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered^(A) his estate in foolish living.^{(B) 14} After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing.^{[b] 15} Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.^{(C) 16} He longed to eat his fill from^[c] the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. ¹⁷ When he came to his senses,^[d] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger!^{[e] 18} I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned^(D) against heaven^(E) and in your sight. ¹⁹ I’m no longer worthy^(F) to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.^(G) He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed^(H) him. ²¹ The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe^(I) and put it on him; put a ring^(J) on his finger and sandals^(K) on his feet. ²³ Then bring the fattened calf^(L) and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ because this son of mine was dead and is alive again;^(M) he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ²⁷ ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’^[f]

²⁸ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets^[g] with prostitutes,^(N) you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’

³¹ “‘Son,’^[h] he said to him, ‘you are always with me,^(O) and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Psalm 51

A Prayer for Restoration

For the choir director. A psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone to Bathsheba.^(A)