1 Samuel 31; 1 Corinthians 11; Ezekiel 9; Psalm 48

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1 Samuel 31

The Death of Saul

uNow the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain von Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down wJonathan and xAbinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. yThe battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. zThen Saul said to his armor-bearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these auncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me. But his armor-bearer would not, bfor he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword cand fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, dto carry the good news eto the house of their idols and to the people. 10 fThey put his armor in the temple of gAshtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of hBeth-shan. 11 iBut when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 jall the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh kand burned them there. 13 And they took their bones land buried them under mthe tamarisk tree in Jabesh and nfasted seven days.


1 Corinthians 11

zBe imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Head Coverings

Now I commend you abecause you remember me in everything and bmaintain the traditions ceven as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that dthe head of every man is Christ, ethe head of a wife1 is her husband,2 and fthe head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife3 who prays or gprophesies hwith her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same ias if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since jhe is the image and glory of God, but kwoman is the glory of man. For lman was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but mwoman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.4 11 Nevertheless, nin the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And oall things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 pIf anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do qthe churches of God.

The Lord’s Supper

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, rI hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,5 19 for sthere must be factions among you in order tthat those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, uanother gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise vthe church of God and whumiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For xI received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that ythe Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is my body, which is for6 you. Do this in remembrance of me.7 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death zuntil he comes.

27 aWhoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord bin an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning cthe body and blood of the Lord. 28 dLet a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some ehave died.8 31 fBut if we judged9 ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, gwe are disciplined10 so that we may not be hcondemned along with the world.

33 So then, my brothers,11 when you come together to eat, wait for12 one another 34 iif anyone is hungry, jlet him eat at homeso that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things kI will give directions lwhen I come.


Ezekiel 9

Idolaters Killed

Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Bring near the executioners of the city, zeach with his destroying weapon in his hand. And behold, six men came from the direction of athe upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was ba man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside cthe bronze altar.

Now dthe glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to ethe threshold of the house. And he called to bthe man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. And the Lord said to him, Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and fput a mark on the foreheads of the men who gsigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it. And to hthe others he said in my hearing, Pass through the city after him, and strike. iYour eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. jKill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but ktouch no one on whom is the mark. And lbegin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were before the house. Then he said to them, mDefile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out. So they went out and struck in the city. And while they were striking, and I was left alone, nI fell upon my face, and cried, oAh, Lord God! pWill you destroy all the remnant of Israel qin the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?

Then he said to me, rThe guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. sThe land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For tthey say, The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see. 10 As for me, umy eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; vI will bring their deeds upon their heads.

11 And behold, wthe man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, I have done as you commanded me.


Psalm 48

Zion, the City of Our God

A Song. A Psalm of kthe Sons of Korah.

lGreat is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in mthe city of our God!

His nholy mountain, obeautiful in elevation,

is pthe joy of all the earth,

Mount Zion, in the far north,

qthe city of the great King.

Within her citadels God

has made himself known as a fortress.

For behold, rthe kings assembled;

they came on together.

As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;

they were in panic; they took to flight.

sTrembling took hold of them there,

anguish tas of a woman in labor.

By uthe east wind you vshattered

the ships of wTarshish.

As we have heard, so have we seen

in the city of the Lord of hosts,

in mthe city of our God,

which God will xestablish forever. Selah

We have thought on your ysteadfast love, O God,

in the midst of your temple.

10  As your zname, O God,

so your praise reaches to athe ends of the earth.

Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11  Let Mount bZion be glad!

Let bthe daughters of Judah rejoice

because of your judgments!

12  Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

13  consider well her cramparts,

go through her citadels,

dthat you may tell the next generation

14  that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will eguide us forever.1