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1 耶和華對撒母耳說:「我既厭棄掃羅作以色列的王,你為他悲傷要到幾時呢?你將膏油盛滿了角,我差遣你往伯利恆人耶西那裏去;因為我在他眾子之內,預定一個作王的。」
And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long will thou mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill thy horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for me a king among his sons.
2 撒母耳說:「我怎能去呢?掃羅若聽見,必要殺我。」耶和華說:「你可以帶一隻牛犢去,就說:『我來是要向耶和華獻祭。』
And Samuel said, How do I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah.
3 你要請耶西來吃祭肉,我就指示你所當行的事。我所指給你的人,你要膏他。」
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shall do. And thou shall anoint to me him whom I name to thee.
4 撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行。到了伯利恆,那城裏的長老都戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他,問他說:「你是為平安來的嗎?」
And Samuel did that which Jehovah spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do thou come peaceably?
5 他說:「為平安來的,我是給耶和華獻祭。你們當自潔,來與我同吃祭肉。」撒母耳就使耶西和他眾子自潔,請他們來吃祭肉。
And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 他們來的時候,撒母耳看見以利押,就心裏說,耶和華的受膏者必定在他面前。
And it came to pass, when they came, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.
7 耶和華卻對撒母耳說:「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大,我不揀選他。因為,耶和華不像人看人:人是看外貌;耶和華是看內心。」
But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not look on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For Jehovah sees not as man sees, for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart.
8 耶西叫亞比拿達從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「耶和華也不揀選他。」
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this man.
9 耶西又叫沙瑪從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「耶和華也不揀選他。」
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this man.
10 耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過,撒母耳說:「這都不是耶和華所揀選的。」
And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these men.
11 撒母耳對耶西說:「你的兒子都在這裏嗎?」他回答說:「還有個小的,現在放羊。」撒母耳對耶西說:「你打發人去叫他來;他若不來,我們必不坐席。」
And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all thy sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.
12 耶西就打發人去叫了他來。他面色光紅,雙目清秀,容貌俊美。耶和華說:「這就是他,你起來膏他。」
And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and fine to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him, for this is he.
13 撒母耳就用角裏的膏油,在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起,耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 耶和華的靈離開掃羅,有惡魔從耶和華那裏來擾亂他。
Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
15 掃羅的臣僕對他說:「現在有惡魔從上帝那裏來擾亂你。
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
16 我們的主可以吩咐面前的臣僕,找一個善於彈琴的來,等上帝那裏來的惡魔臨到你身上的時候,使他用手彈琴,你就好了。」
Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp. And it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shall be well.
17 掃羅對臣僕說:「你們可以為我找一個善於彈琴的,帶到我這裏來。」
And Saul said to his servants, Provide for me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.
18 其中有一個少年人說:「我曾見伯利恆人耶西的一個兒子善於彈琴,是大有勇敢的戰士,說話合宜,容貌俊美,耶和華也與他同在。」
Then one of the young men answered, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely man, and Jehovah is with him.
19 於是掃羅差遣使者去見耶西,說:「請你打發你放羊的兒子大衛到我這裏來。」
Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send to me David thy son, who is with the sheep.
20 耶西就把幾個餅和一皮袋酒,並一隻山羊羔,都馱在驢上,交給他兒子大衛,送與掃羅。
And Jesse took a donkey with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 大衛到了掃羅那裏,就侍立在掃羅面前。掃羅甚喜愛他,他就作了掃羅拿兵器的人。
And David came to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.
22 掃羅差遣人去見耶西,說:「求你容大衛侍立在我面前,因為他在我眼前蒙了恩。」
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.
23 從上帝那裏來的惡魔臨到掃羅身上的時候,大衛就拿琴,用手而彈,掃羅便舒暢爽快,惡魔離了他。
And it came to pass, when the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

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