1 T he Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.

2 S amuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.

3 A nd invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.

4 A nd Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably?

5 A nd he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice.

6 W hen they had come, he looked on Eliab and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.

7 B ut the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

8 T hen Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one.

9 T hen Jesse made Shammah pass by. Samuel said, Nor has the Lord chosen him.

10 J esse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these.

11 T hen said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here.

12 J esse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said, Arise, anoint him; this is he.

13 T hen Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

14 B ut the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him.

15 S aul’s servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you.

16 L et our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.

17 S aul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.

18 O ne of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.

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

20 A nd Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul.

21 A nd David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer.

22 S aul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me.

23 A nd when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.