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 long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself 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 is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering 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 send for Jesse to be present at the offering, and I will make clear to you what you are to do: and you are to put the holy oil on him whose name I give you.

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?”

And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?

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, In peace: I have come to make an offering to the Lord: make yourselves clean and come with me to make the offering. And he made Jesse and his sons clean, and sent for them to be present at the offering.

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

Now when they came, looking at Eliab, he said, Clearly the man of the Lord's selection is 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.”

But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not take note of his face or how tall he is, because I will not have him: for the Lord's view is not man's; man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart.

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

Then Jesse sent for Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

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

Then Jesse made Shammah come before him. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

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

And Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not taken any 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.”

Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.

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.”

So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on 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 bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.

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

Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.

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

And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

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.”

Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.

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, Then get me a man who is an expert player, and make him come 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.”

Then one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, 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.”

So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.

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 Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.

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, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.

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

And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.

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.

And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.