I Samuel 16

¹The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons."

²Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

³Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you."

⁴Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?"

⁵He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him."

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for I see not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."

¹⁰Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these."

¹¹Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep." Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."

¹²He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. The Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵Saul's servants said to him, "See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

¹⁶Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. It shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well."

¹⁷Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me."

¹⁸Then one of the young men answered, and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a comely person; and the Lord is with him."

¹⁹Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep."

²⁰Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

²¹David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.

²²Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight."

²³It happened, when the spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

I Samuel 16

¹And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth–lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

²And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

³And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

⁴And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

⁵And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.

⁷But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

¹⁰Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.

¹¹And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

¹²And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

¹⁴But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

¹⁶Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

¹⁷And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

¹⁸Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth–lehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.

¹⁹Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

²⁰And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

²¹And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

²³And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.