1 Samuel 31 1-1 Samuel 31 5
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 Malchishua, 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 armorbearer,“ Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it.And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him.
Deuteronomy 32:15-44
“ But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger.They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.“ And when the Lord saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters.And He said:‘ I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith.They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.For a fire is kindled in my anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.‘ I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them.They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust.The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within For the young man and virgin, The nursing child with the man of gray hairs.I would have said,“ I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,”Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say,“ Our hand is high; And it is not the Lord who has done all this.”’“ For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them.Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the Lord had surrendered them?For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges.For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter.Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras.‘ Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures?Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’“ For the Lord will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.He will say:‘ Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge?Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.‘ Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.For I raise My hand to heaven, And say,“ As I live forever,If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me.I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.”’“ Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people.
