Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 10:25 (New Living Translation) Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again. At long last, God’s people had an earthly king. This didn’t work out that well, […]

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1 Samuel 3:19 (English Standard Version) And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. I love the phrase here about words falling to the ground and how God prevented this from happening with Samuel. Other translations use the phrase that Samuel’s words were reliable. […]

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1 Samuel 1:7 (New Living Translation) Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. Peninnah and Hannah were wives of Elkanah of Ramah. Elkanah brought his wives and children to Shiloh once a year […]

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1 Samuel 18:17 (New Living Translation) 17 One day Saul said to David, “I am ready to give you my older daughter, Merab, as your wife. But first you must prove yourself to be a real warrior by fighting the Lord’s battles.” For Saul thought, “I’ll send him out against the Philistines and let them […]

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1 Samuel 15:23 (New Living Translation) Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” Here is another one of those passages that must have lost something in translation, or there must be some other […]

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1 Samuel 14:52 (New Living Translation) The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army. As predicted, if Israel had a King, the King would take the young men into war. I guess God knew what […]

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1 Samuel 6:10-12 (New Living Translation) 10 So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen. 11 Then the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart. 12 And sure […]

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1 Samuel 4:6-8 (New Living Translation) 6 “What’s going on?” the Philistines asked. “What’s all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?” When they were told it was because the Ark of the Lord had arrived, 7 they panicked. “The gods have come into their camp!” they cried. “This is a disaster! We have never […]

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1 Samuel 3:19 (New Living Translation) As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. Samuel was a prophet. He is the definition of a prophet in that what he predicted came true or, as in this verse, “proved to be reliable.” This is pretty simple, yet […]

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1 Samuel 30:3-6 (New Living Translation) 3 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families, 4 they wept until they could weep no more. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel, were among those captured. 6 David was now […]

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