Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Yahweh Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to ^(A)Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at ^(B)Gibeah of Saul. ^35 (C)So Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel ^(D)grieved over Saul. And Yahweh regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

David Anointed King

16 Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “^(E)How long will you be grieving over Saul? ^(F)I have rejected him from being king over Israel. ^(G)Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to ^(H)Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I ^(I)see among his sons a king for Me.” ² But Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and will kill me.” Then Yahweh said, “^(J)Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ ³ And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ^(K)I will make you know what you shall do; and ^(L)you shall anoint for Me the one whom I say to you.” ⁴ So Samuel did what Yahweh said and came to ^(M)Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “^(N)Do you come in peace?” ⁵ And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. ^(O)Set yourselves apart as holy and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also set apart Jesse and his sons as holy and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ Now it happened, when they entered, he looked at ^(P)Eliab and thought, “Surely the anointed of Yahweh is before Him.” ⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for ^[a]God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, ^(Q)but Yahweh looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called ^(R)Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Next Jesse made ^[b](S)Shammah pass by. And he said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one either.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.” ¹¹ And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the young men?” And he said, “^(T)There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is shepherding the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and ^[c]bring him, for we will not turn around until he comes here.” ¹² So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with ^(U)beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And Yahweh said, “^(V)Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and ^(W)anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and ^(X)the Spirit of Yahweh ^[d]came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Levi and Sinners Called

^27 (A)And after that He went out and noticed a tax collector named ^[a](B)Levi sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me.” ²⁸ And he ^(C)left everything behind, and rose up and began to follow Him.

²⁹ And ^(D)Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of ^(E)tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. ^30 (F)And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and ^[b]sinners?” ³¹ And Jesus answered and said to them, “^(G)It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”