1 Samuel 16

1 And the LORD said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go, I will send you to Jesse 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 can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with you, and 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 call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.

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 And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Come you peaceably?

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, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse 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 it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.

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

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on 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 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has 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 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this.

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

10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The LORD has not chosen 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 Jesse, Are here all your children? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come here.

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 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and with of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, 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 middle of his brothers: and the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

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 Saul’s servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.

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

16 Let our lord now command your servants, which are before you, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.

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 now a 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 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, 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 Why Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, which is with the sheep.

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

20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by 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 greatly; and he became his armor bearer.

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 Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favor 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 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was on Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and 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.