Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”

and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—

and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—

“‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him

But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.

When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger.

Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand

so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came on Saul’s men, and they also prophesied.

So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even on him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord.

So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.

Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, David! We are with you, son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.

Asa’s Reform

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.

Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”

The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me.

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.