< 1 Samuel 16 >

1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.
2 “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord.
3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.”
And send for Jesse to be present at the offering, and I will make clear to you what you are to do: and you are to put the holy oil on him whose name I give you.
4 So Samuel did what the LORD had said and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?”
And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?
5 “In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
And he said, In peace: I have come to make an offering to the Lord: make yourselves clean and come with me to make the offering. And he made Jesse and his sons clean, and sent for them to be present at the offering.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”
Now when they came, looking at Eliab, he said, Clearly the man of the Lord's selection is before him.
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not take note of his face or how tall he is, because I will not have him: for the Lord's view is not man's; man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
Then Jesse sent for Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.
9 Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
Then Jesse made Shammah come before him. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.
10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
And Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not taken any of these.
11 And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.
12 So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.”
So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on him, for this is he.
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.
14 After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.
15 Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.
And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.
16 Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”
Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.
17 And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.”
And Saul said to his servants, Then get me a man who is an expert player, and make him come to me.
18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
Then one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, and the Lord is with him.
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.
And Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.
21 When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.
And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.
22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.
23 And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.

< 1 Samuel 16 >