1 Samuel 16

1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will thou mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for me a king among his sons.

2 And Samuel said, How do I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shall do. And thou shall anoint to me him whom I name to thee.

4 And Samuel did that which Jehovah spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do thou come peaceably?

5 And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6 And it came to pass, when they came, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.

7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For Jehovah sees not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart.

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this man.

9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this man.

10 And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these men.

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all thy sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.

12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he.

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

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

15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.

16 Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the 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 shall be well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

23 And it came to pass, when the spirit from God was upon 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.