1 Samuel 16

1 And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.

And the Lord seide to Samuel, Hou long biweilist thou Saul, sithen Y castide hym awey, that he regne not on Israel; fille thin horn with oile, and come, that Y sende thee to Ysay of Bethleem; for among hise sones Y haue purueide a king to me.

2 And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

And Samuel seide, Hou schal Y go? for Saul schal here, and he schal sle me. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt take a calf of the droue in thi hond, and thou schalt seye, Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord.

3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

And thou schalt clepe Ysay to the sacrifice, and Y schal schewe to thee, what thou schalt do; and thou schalt anoynte, whom euere Y schal schewe to thee.

4 And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?

Therfor Samuel dide, as the Lord spak to hym; and he cam in to Bethleem, and the eldere men of the citee wondriden, and camen to hym, and seiden, Whether thin entryng is pesible?

5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

And he seide, It is pesible; Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord; be ye halewid, and come ye with me, that Y make sacrifice. Therfor he halewide Ysai, and hise sones, and clepide hem to the sacrifice.

6 And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.

And whanne thei hadden entrid, he siy Eliab, and seide, Whether bifor the Lord is his crist?

7 But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.

And the Lord seide to Samuel, Biholde thou not his cheer, nethir hiynesse of his stature; for Y castide hym awei, and Y demyde not bi `the siyt of man; for a man seeth tho thingis that ben opyn, but the Lord biholdith the herte.

8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

And Ysai clepide Amynadab, and brouyte hym bifor Samuel; which seide, Nether the Lord hath chose this.

9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

Forsothe Isay brouyte Samma; of whom Samuel seide, Also the Lord hath not chose this.

10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.

Therfor Isai brouyte hise seuene sones bifor Samuel; and Samuel seide to Ysai, The Lord hath `not chose of these.

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.

And Samuel seide to Isai, Whether thi sones ben now fillid? And Isai answeride, Yit `another is, a litil child, and lisewith scheep. And Samuel seide to Isai, Sende thou, and brynge hym; for we schulen not sitte to mete, bifor that he come hidur.

12 And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.

Therfor Ysai sente, and brouyte hym; sotheli he was rodi, and fair in siyt, and of semely face. And the Lord seide, Rise thou, and anoynte hym; for it is he.

13 And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

Therfor Samuel took the horn of oyle, and anoyntid hym in the myddis of his britheren; and the Spirit of the Lord was dressid in to Dauid fro that day `and afterward. And Samuel roos, and yede in to Ramatha.

14 And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.

And so the Spirit of the Lord yede awei fro Saul, and a wickid spirit of the Lord trauelide Saul.

15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.

And the seruauntis of Saul seiden to hym, Lo! an yuel spirit of the Lord traueilith thee;

16 Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a 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 shalt be well.

oure lord the kyng comaunde, and thi seruauntis that ben bifore thee, schulen seke a man, that kan synge with an harpe, that whanne the yuel spirit of the Lord takith thee, he harpe with his hond, and thou bere esiliere.

17 And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Puruey ye to me sum man syngynge wel, and brynge ye hym to me.

18 And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.

And oon of the children answeride and seide, Lo! Y siy the sone of Ysai of Bethleem, kunnynge to synge, and `strongeste in myyt, and `a man able to batel, and prudent in wordis, and a feir man; and the Lord is with hym.

19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.

Therfor Saul sente messangeris to Ysay, and seide, Sende thou to me Dauid thi sone, `which is in the lesewis.

20 And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul.

Therfor Isai took an asse `ful of looues, and a galoun of wyn, and a `kyde of geet; and sente bi the hond of Dauid his sone to Saul.

21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

And Dauid cam to Saul, and stood bifor hym; and Saul louyde hym greetli, and he was maad `his squyer.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.

And Saul sente to Isay, and seide, Dauid stonde in my siyt, for he foond grace in myn iyen.

23 And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

Therfor whanne euer the wickid spirit of the Lord took Saul, Dauid took the harpe, and smoot with his hond, and Saul was coumfortid, and he hadde liytere; for the wickid spirit yede awey fro hym.