1 Samuel 16

1 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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?

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 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.

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

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

7 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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

16 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.

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 Saul then saide vnto his seruantes, Prouide me a man, I pray you, that 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 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.

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

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

20 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.

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 Dauid came to Saul, and stoode before him: and he loued him verie well, and he was his armour 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 Ishai, saying, Let Dauid nowe remaine with me: for he hath found fauour in my sight.

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

23 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.

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.