Thursday 17 January 2019

1Now there was a man of Benjamin,whose name was Kish the son of Abiel,the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath,the son of Aphiah,the son of a Benjamite,a mighty man of valor.2He had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man;and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he.From his shouldersand upward he was taller than any of the people.

3The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost.Kish said to Saul his son,“Now take one of the servants with you,and arise, go look for the donkeys.”4He passed through the hill country of Ephraim,and passed through the land of Shalishah,but they didn’t find them.Then they passed through the land of Shaalim,and they weren’t there.Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites,but they didn’t find them.

· · · verses 5–16 are not read17When Samuel saw Saul,the Lord said to him,“Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you!He will have authority over my people.”

18Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway,and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”

19Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer.Go up before me to the high place,for you are to eat with me today.In the morning I will let you goand will tell you all that is in your heart.

· · · some verses are not read1Then Samuel took the vial of oiland poured it on his head,then kissed him and said,“Hasn’t the Lord anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

6Oh come, let’s worship and bow down.Let’s kneel before the Lord, our Maker,7for he is our God.We are the people of his pasture,and the sheep in his care.Today, oh that you would hear his voice!

8Don’t harden your heart, as at Meribah,as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,9when your fathers tempted me,tested me, and saw my work.

10Forty long years I was grieved with that generation,and said, “They are a people who err in their heart.They have not known my ways.”11Therefore I swore in my wrath,“They won’t enter into my rest.”

40A leper came to him,begging him, kneeling down to him,and saying to him,“If you want to, you can make me clean.”

41Being moved with compassion,he stretched out his hand,and touched him, and said to him, “I want to.Be made clean.”42When he had said this,immediately the leprosy departed from himand he was made clean.43He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out,44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody,but go show yourself to the priestand offer for your cleansing the thingswhich Moses commanded,for a testimony to them.”

45But he went out, and began to proclaim it much,and to spread about the matter,so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city,but was outside in desert places.People came to him from everywhere.