Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 22:6-9 (New Living Translation) 6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 22:18-19 (New Living Translation) 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You do it.” So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. 19 Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 17:48-51 (New Living Translation) 48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 8:10-18 (New International Version) 10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (New Living Translation) 22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 3:17-18 (New Living Translation) 17 “What did the Lord say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!”18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the Lord’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.” Sometimes even […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 3:7 (New International Version) Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. This chapter in 1 Samuel describes the first calling of Samuel by the Lord, i.e., their first conversation. Samuel was to be a great prophet in Israel, someone […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 3:1 (New International Version) The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. Such is the lament about the state of life in Israel when Samuel was a boy. Prophets were not having visions; they were not telling […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 11:1-2 (New Century Version) 1 About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army surrounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But he answered, “I will make a treaty with you only if […]

[Read more →]

1 Samuel 2:12 (New International Version) Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD. This is the first line in a (hi)story about the sons of  the priest Eli. The details that follow are not of much importance. Given this first line, one thing is sure – the story can’t end […]

[Read more →]