Tuesday in Season after Pentecost

1Verse 1. When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 2Verse 2. The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba. 3Verse 3. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice. 4Verse 4. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5Verse 5. “Look,” they said, “you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king to judge us like all the other nations.” 6Verse 6. But when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” their demand was displeasing in the sight of Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7Verse 7. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. 8Verse 8. Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9Verse 9. Now listen to their voice; but you must solemnly warn them and show them the manner of the king who will reign over them.” 10Verse 10. So Samuel spoke all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11Verse 11. He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. 12Verse 12. He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13Verse 13. And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 14Verse 14. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants. 15Verse 15. He will take a tenth of your grain and grape harvest and give it to his officials and servants. 16Verse 16. And he will take your menservants and maidservants and your best cattle and donkeys and put them to his own use. 17Verse 17. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18Verse 18. When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you on that day.” 19Verse 19. Nevertheless , the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. 20Verse 20. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to judge us, to go out before us, and to fight our battles.” 21Verse 21. Samuel listened to all the words of the people and repeated them in the hearing of the LORD. 22Verse 22. “Listen to their voice,” the LORD said to Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Everyone must go back to his city.”

17Verse 17. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18Verse 18. “I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals. 19Verse 19. Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20Verse 20. So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21Verse 21. Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word. 22Verse 22. Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23Verse 23. Get two bulls for us. Let the prophets of Baal choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. And I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24Verse 24. Then you may call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The God who answers by fire, He is God.” And all the people answered, “What you say is good.” 25Verse 25. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26Verse 26. And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. 27Verse 27. At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” 28Verse 28. So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. 29Verse 29. Midday passed, and they kept on raving until the time of the evening sacrifice. But there was no response; no one answered, no one paid attention. 30Verse 30. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people approached him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. 31Verse 31. And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.” 32Verse 32. And with the stones, Elijah built an altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33Verse 33. Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, placed it on the wood, 34Verse 34. and said, “Fill four waterpots and pour the water on the offering and on the wood.” “Do it a second time,” he said, and they did it a second time. “Do it a third time,” he said, and they did it a third time. 35Verse 35. So the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 36Verse 36. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. 37Verse 37. Answer me, O LORD! Answer me, so that this people will know that You, the LORD, are God, and that You have turned their hearts back again.” 38Verse 38. Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water in the trench. 39Verse 39. When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!” 40Verse 40. Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let a single one escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered them there.