1 Samuel 16

1 And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”

And YHWH says to Samuel, “Until when are you mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go, I send you to Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons a king for Myself.”

2 And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’

And Samuel says, “How do I go? When Saul has heard, then he has slain me.” And YHWH says, “You take a heifer of the herd in your hand, and have said, I have come to sacrifice to YHWH;

3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”

and you have called for Jesse in the sacrifice, and I cause you to know that which you do, and you have anointed for Me him of whom I speak to you.”

4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”

And Samuel does that which YHWH has spoken, and comes to Beth-Lehem, and [the] elderly of the city tremble to meet him, and [one] says, “Is your coming peace?”

5 And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.

And he says, “Peace; I have come to sacrifice to YHWH, sanctify yourselves, and you have come in with me to the sacrifice”; and he sanctifies Jesse and his sons, and calls them to the sacrifice.

6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”

And it comes to pass, in their coming in, that he sees Eliab and says, “Surely His anointed [is] here before YHWH.”

7 And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”

And YHWH says to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance, and at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for [it is] not as man sees—for man looks at the eyes, and YHWH looks at the heart.”

8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”

And Jesse calls to Abinadab, and causes him to pass by before Samuel; and he says, “Indeed, YHWH has not fixed on this [one].”

9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”

And Jesse causes Shammah to pass by, and he says, “Indeed, YHWH has not fixed on this [one].”

10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

And Jesse causes seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel says to Jesse, “YHWH has not fixed on these.”

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”

And Samuel says to Jesse, “Are the young men finished?” And he says, “Yet the youngest has been left; and behold, he delights himself among the flock”; and Samuel says to Jesse, “Send and take him, for we do not turn around until his coming in here.”

12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”

And he sends, and brings him in, and he [is] ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and of good appearance; and YHWH says, “Rise, anoint him, for this [is] he.”

13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.

And Samuel takes the horn of oil, and anoints him in the midst of his brothers, and the Spirit of YHWH prospers over David from that day and onward; and Samuel rises and goes to Ramath.

14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.

And the Spirit of YHWH turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from YHWH terrified him;

15 And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.

and the servants of Saul say to him, “Now behold, a spirit of sadness [from] God is terrifying you;

16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”

now let our lord command your servants before you [that] they seek a skillful man playing on a harp, and it has come to pass, in the spirit of sadness [from] God being on you, that he has played with his hand and [it is] well with you.”

17 And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”

And Saul says to his servants, “Now provide for me a man playing well—then you have brought [him] to me.”

18 And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”

And one of the servants answers and says, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skillful in playing, and a mighty, virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and YHWH [is] with him.”

19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”

And Saul sends messengers to Jesse and says, “Send to me your son David, who [is] with the flock.”

20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.

And Jesse takes a donkey, bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sends [them] by the hand of his son David to Saul.

21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.

And David comes to Saul, and stands before him, and he loves him greatly; and he is a bearer of his weapons.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”

And Saul sends to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found grace in my eyes.”

23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.

And it has come to pass, in the spirit of [sadness from] God being on Saul, that David has taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul has refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness has turned aside from off him.