1 Samuel 16
1 And Jehovah said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have
rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go: I will
send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided me a king among his
sons.
2 And Samuel said, How can 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.
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and
thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 And Samuel did that which Jehovah spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the
elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5 And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto Jehovah: sanctify
yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his
sons, and called them 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.
7 But Jehovah said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of
his stature; because I have rejected him: for [Jehovah seeth] not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said,
Neither hath Jehovah chosen this.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath Jehovah chosen
this.
10 And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto
Jesse, Jehovah hath not chosen these.
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There
remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel
said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come
hither.
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful
countenance, and goodly to look upon. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for
this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his
brethren: and the Spirit of Jehovah came mightily upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 Now the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah
troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God
troubleth thee.
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, that 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
shalt be well.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and
bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of
Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valor,
and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Jehovah is
with him.
19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son,
who is with 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 unto Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and
he became his armorbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for
he hath found favor in my sight.
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: so Saul was refreshed, and was
well, and the evil spirit departed from him.