1 Samuel 16

1 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.”

The Lord then saide vnto Samuel, Howe long wilt thou mourne for Saul, seeing I haue cast him away from reigning ouer Israel? fill thine horne with oyle and come, I will sende thee to Ishai the Bethlehemite: for I haue prouided mee a King among his sonnes.

2 “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.’

And Samuel sayde, Howe can I goe? for if Saul shall heare it, he will kill me. Then the Lord answered, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to doe sacrifice to the Lord.

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

And call Ishai to the sacrifice, and I will shewe thee what thou shalt doe, and thou shalt anoynt vnto me him whom I name vnto thee.

4 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?”

So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Beth-lehem, and the Elders of the towne were astonied at his comming, and sayd, Commest thou peaceablie?

5 “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.

And he answeared, Yea: I am come to doe sacrifice vnto the Lord: sanctifie your selues, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Ishai and his sonnes, and called them to the sacrifice.

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

And when they were come, hee looked on Eliab, and saide, Surely the Lordes Anointed is before him.

7 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.”

But the Lord said vnto Samuel, Looke not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I haue refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

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

Then Ishai called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he saide, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

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

Then Ishai made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.

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

Againe Ishai made his seue sonnes to come before Samuel: and Samuel saide vnto Ishai, The Lord hath chosen none of these.

11 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.

Finally, Samuel said vnto Ishai, Are there no more children but these? And hee sayde, There remaineth yet a litle one behinde, that keepeth the sheepe. Then Samuel saide vnto Ishai, Sende and set him: for we will not sit downe, till he be come hither.

12 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.”

And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddie, and of a good countenance, and comely visage. And the Lord saide, Arise, and anoynt him: for this is he.

13 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.

Then Samuel tooke the horne of oyle, and anoynted him in the middes of his brethren. And the Spirit of the Lord came vpon Dauid, from that day forwarde: then Samuel rose vp, and went to Ramah.

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

But the Spirite of the Lord departed from Saul, and an euill spirite sent of the Lord vexed him.

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

And Sauls seruants said vnto him, Beholde nowe, the euill spirite of God vexeth thee.

16 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.”

Let our Lord therefore command thy seruants, that are before thee, to seeke a man that is a cunning plaier vpon the harpe: that when the euil spirit of God commeth vpon thee, hee may play with his hand, and thou maiest be eased.

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

Saul then saide vnto his seruantes, Prouide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, and bring him to me.

18 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.”

Then answered one of his seruauntes, and sayde, Beholde, I haue seene a sonne of Ishai, a Bethlehemite, that can plaie, and is strong, valiant and a man of warre and wise in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.

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

Wherefore Saul sent messengers vnto Ishai, and said, Send me Dauid thy sonne which is with the sheepe.

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

And Ishai tooke an asse laden with breade and a flagon of wine and a kidde, and sent them by the hand of Dauid his sonne vnto Saul.

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

And Dauid came to Saul, and stoode before him: and he loued him verie well, and he was his armour bearer.

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

And Saul sent to Ishai, saying, Let Dauid nowe remaine with me: for he hath found fauour in my sight.

23 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.

And so when the euil spirite of God came vpon Saul, Dauid tooke an harpe and plaied with his hande, and Saul was refreshed, and was eased: for the euill spirit departed from him.