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Saul Chosen to Be King

9There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. ²He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take one of the boys with you; go and look for the donkeys.’ ⁴He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them. ¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.’ ¹⁸Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate, and said, ‘Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?’ ¹⁹Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 10¹Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, ‘The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler^* over his heritage:

Psalm 21

Thanksgiving for Victory

To the leader. A Psalm of David.
¹ In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord,
   and in your help how greatly he exults!
² You have given him his heart’s desire,
   and have not withheld the request of his lips.
          Selah
³ For you meet him with rich blessings;
   you set a crown of fine gold on his head.
⁴ He asked you for life; you gave it to him—
   length of days for ever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great through your help;
   splendour and majesty you bestow on him.
⁶ You bestow on him blessings for ever;
   you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord,
   and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

Jesus Calls Levi

13 Jesus^* went out again beside the lake; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. ¹⁴As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

15 And as he sat at dinner^* in Levi’s^* house, many tax-collectors and sinners were also sitting^* with Jesus and his disciples—for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶When the scribes of^* the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax-collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat^* with tax-collectors and sinners?’ ¹⁷When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’