1 Samuel 16

1 Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected for myself a king among his sons.”

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.

2 Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.'

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.

3 Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you will do. You will anoint for me the one whom I tell you.”

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.

4 Samuel did as Yahweh said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the city were trembling as they came to meet him and said, “Are you coming in peace?”

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?

5 He said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Prepare to set yourselves apart and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he set apart Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

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.

6 When they came, he looked at Eliab and said to himself that Yahweh's anointed was certainly standing before him.

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

7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his outward appearance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him. For Yahweh does not see as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks on the heart.”

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.

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. Then Samuel said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”

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

9 Jesse then made Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”

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

10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these.”

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

11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all of your sons here?” He replied, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”

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.

12 Jesse sent and brought him in. Now this son was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him; for he is the one.”

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.

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. The Spirit of Yahweh rushed on David from that day forward. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

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.

14 Now the Spirit of Yahweh left Saul, and a harmful spirit from Yahweh troubled him instead.

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

15 Saul's servants said to him, “Look, a harmful spirit from God troubles you.

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

16 Let our master now command your servants who are before you to look for a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then when the harmful spirit from God is on you, he will play it and you will be well.”

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.

17 Saul said to his servants, “Find me a man that can play well and bring him to me.”

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

18 Then one of the young men answered, and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a strong, courageous man, a man of war, one prudent in speech, a handsome man; and Yahweh is with him.”

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.

19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

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

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

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.

21 Then David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

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

22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”

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

23 Whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the harp and played it. So Saul would be refreshed and well, and the harmful spirit would depart from him.

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.