1 Samuel 16

1 And the Lord said to Samuel. How It long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to continue to mourn over Saul because I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your flask with olive oil and go. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons.”

2 And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

“How can I go and do that?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I've come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

3 And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to thee.

Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you have to do. Anoint for me the one I tell you to.”

4 Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?

Samuel did what the Lord had told him to and went to Bethlehem. When the town elders met him, they were afraid and asked him, “Do you come in peace?”

5 And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

“Yes, I come in peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord’s anointed before him?

When they arrived and Samuel saw Eliab, he said to himself, “This has got to be the Lord's anointed!”

7 And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don't look at his outward appearance or how tall he is because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not look as human beings do. Human beings only see with their eyes what's on the outside, but the Lord looks at the way people think deep inside.”

8 And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him come before Samuel, who said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”

9 And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

Then Jesse had Shammah come forward. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”

10 Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of these.

Jesse had seven of his sons come before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”

11 And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.

So he asked Jesse, “Don't you have any more sons?” “Well, there's still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is out looking after the sheep.” “Send for him and bring him here because we will not sit down and eat until he gets here,” Samuel told Jesse.

12 He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he.

So Jesse sent for him and brought him in. He had a red complexion with beautiful eyes, and looked handsome. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him, for he's the one.”

13 Then 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: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.

Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came on David in power from that day on. Then Samuel left and returned to Ramah.

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

The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

15 And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

Saul's servants told him, “It's definitely an evil spirit from God that's tormenting you.

16 Let our lord give orders, and thy servants who are before thee will seek out a man skillful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest bear it more easily.

Give us your servants here the order to find someone who is good at playing the harp so that when the evil spirit from God comes on you, he can play and you'll feel much better.”

17 And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.

Saul gave the order to his servants, “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him to me.”

18 And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skillful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.

One of the servants replied, “I know a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who is good at playing the harp. He is a brave man, a good fighter, well-spoken and handsome, and the Lord is with him.”

19 Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David thy son, who is in the pastures.

Saul sent messengers to Jesse, telling him, “Send me your son David who takes care of the sheep.”

20 And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of David his son to Saul.

So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.

David came to Saul and began working for him. Saul thought a great deal of him, and David became his armor-bearer.

22 And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath found favour in my sight.

Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, “Please allow David to continue working for me because I am pleased with him.”

23 So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.

So whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take his harp and play, and Saul would gain relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.