Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 1 Samuel chapter
31 and 2 Samuel chapter 1, along with Psalm 18.
1 Samuel chapter 31 Now the Philistines fought
against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from
before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount
Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after
Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed
Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers
hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers.
Then Saul said to his armor -bearer, Draw your
sword and thrust me through with it, lest these
uncircumcised men come and thrust me through
and abuse me. But his armor -bearer would not,
for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took
a sword and fell on it. And when his armor -bearer
saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword
and died with him. So Saul, his three sons, his
armor -bearer, and all his men died together
that same day. And when the men of Israel, who
were on the other side of the valley, and those
who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw
that the men of Israel had fled, and that Saul
and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities
and fled. And the Philistines came and dwelt
in them. So it happened the next day, when the
Philistines came to strip the slain, that they
found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount
Gilboa. And they cut off his head and stripped
off his armor and sent word throughout the land
of the Philistines to proclaim it in the temple
of their idols and among the people. Then they
put his armor in the temple of the Ashtorethes
and they fastened his body to the wall of Beit
Shan. Now the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard
what the Philistines had done to Saul. All the
valiant men arose and traveled all night and
took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons
from the wall of Beit Shan and they came to Jabesh
and burned them there. Then they took their bones
and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh
and fasted seven days. Now it came to pass, after
the death of Saul, when David had returned from
the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had
stayed two days in Ziklag, on the third day,
behold, it happened that a man came from Saul's
camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head.
So it was, when he came to David, that he fell
to the ground and prostrated himself. And David
said to him, Where have you come from? So he
said to him, I have escaped from the camp of
Israel. Then David said to him, How did the matter
go? Please tell me. And he answered, The people
have fled from the battle. Many of the people
are fallen and dead. And Saul and Jonathan his
son are dead also. So David said to the young
man who told him, How do you know that Saul and
Jonathan his son are dead? Then the young man
who told him said, As I happened by chance to
be among Geboa, there was Saul, leaning on his
spear. And indeed the chariots and horsemen followed
hard after him. Now when he looked behind him,
he saw me and called to me. And I answered, Here
I am. And he said to me, Who are you? So I answered
him, I am an Amalekite. He said to me again,
Please stand over me and kill me, for anguish
has come upon me, but my life still remains in
me. So I stood over him and killed him, because
I was sure that he could not live after he had
fallen. And I took the crown that was on his
head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and
have brought them here to my lord. Therefore
David took hold of his own clothed and tore them
and so did all the men who were with him and
they mourned and wept and fasted until evening
for Saul and for Jonathan his son for the people
of the Lord and for the house of Israel because
they had fallen by the sword David said to the
young man who told him, Where are you from? And
he answered, I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite.
So David said to him, How was it you were not
afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the
Lord's anointed? Then David called one of the
young men and said, Go near and execute him.
And he struck him so that he died. So David said
to him, Your blood is on your own head, for your
own mouth has testified against you, saying,
I have killed the Lord's anointed. Then David
lamented with this lamentation over Saul and
over Jonathan his son. and he told them to teach
the children of Judah the song of the bow. Indeed,
it is written in the book of Jasher. The beauty
of Israel is slain on your high places, how the
mighty have fallen. Tell it not in Gath, proclaim
it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters
of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters
of the uncircumcised triumph. O mountains of
Gilboa, let there be no dew nor rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings, for the shield of the
mighty is cast away there. The shield of Saul,
not anointed with oil, from the blood of the
slain, from the fat of the mighty. The bow of
Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of
Saul did not return empty. Saul and Jonathan
were beloved and pleasant in their lives, and
in their death they were not divided. They were
swifter than eagles, they were stronger than
lions. O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet with luxury, who put
ornaments of gold on your apparel. How the mighty
have fallen in the midst of the battle! Jonathan
was slain in your high places. I am distressed
for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very
pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful,
surpassing the love of women. How the mighty
have fallen, and the weapons of war perished.
Psalm 18 Inscription To the Chief Musician A
Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who
spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the
day that the Lord delivered him from the hand
of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
And he said, I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my
shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be
praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies.
The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods
of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of
Sheol surrounded me. The snares of death confronted
me. In my distress I called upon the Lord and
cried out to my God. He heard my voice from his
temple, and my cry came before him even to his
ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The
foundations of the hills also quaked and were
shaken, because he was angry. Smoke went up from
his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth.
Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens
also and came down, with darkness under his feet.
And he rode upon a cherub and flew. He flew upon
the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret
place. His canopy around him was dark waters,
and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness
before him, his thick clouds passed with hailstones
and coals of fire. The Lord thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones
and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows and
scattered the foe. Lightnings in abundance, and
he vanquished them. Then the channels of the
sea were seen, and the foundations of the world
were uncovered. At your rebuke, O Lord, the blast
of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from
above. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
He delivered me from my strong enemy. from those
who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support. He also brought
me out into a broad place. He delivered me because
he delighted in me. The Lord rewarded me according
to my righteousness. According to the cleanness
of my hands, he has recompensed me. For I have
kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly
departed from my God. For all his judgments were
before me, and I did not put away his statutes
from me. I was also blameless before him, and
I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the
Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanliness of my hands in his
sight. With the merciful you will show yourself
merciful, with the blameless man you will show
yourself blameless, with the pure you will show
yourself pure, and with the devious you will
show yourself shrewd. For you will save the humble
people, but will bring down haughty looks. For
you will light my lamp. The Lord my God will
enlighten my darkness. For by you I can run against
a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall. As
for God, his way is perfect. The word of the
Lord is proven. He is a shield to all who trust
in him. For who is God except the Lord? And who
is a rock except our God? It is God who arms
me with strength and makes my way perfect. He
makes my feet like the feet of deer and sets
me on my high places. He teaches my hands to
make war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand has held me up. Your gentleness
has made me great. You enlarged my path under
me, so my feet did not slip. I have pursued my
enemies and overtaken them. Neither did I turn
back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded
them, so that they could not rise. They have
fallen under my feet, for you have armed me with
strength for the battle. You have subdued under
me those who rose up against me. You have also
given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed
those who hated me. They cried out, but there
was none to save, even to the Lord, but he did
not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as
the dust before the wind. I cast them out like
dirt in the streets. You have delivered me from
the strivings of the people. You have made me
the head of the nations. A people I have not
known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of
me, they obey me. The foreigners submit to me.
The foreigners fade away and come frightened
from their hideouts. The Lord lives. Blessed
be my rock. Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
It is God who avenges me and subdues the people
under me. He delivers me from my enemies. You
also lift me up above those who rise against
me. You have delivered me from the violent man.
Therefore, I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name.
Great deliverance he gives to his king and shows
mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants
forevermore. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.