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.

¶ And the LORD said unto 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 of Bethlehem for I have provided me 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.

And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul understands it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with thee and say, I am 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.

And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me the one whom I name unto thee.

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?

And Samuel did as the LORD said and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Comest thou 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.

And he said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified 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.

¶ And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab and said, Peradventure is the LORD’s anointed 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.

And the LORD replied unto Samuel, Do not look on his countenance or on the height of his stature because I have refused him, for it is 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.

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

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

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one.

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

Again, Jesse made his seven sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD has not chosen 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.

And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are all thy young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send for him, for we will not sit down to the table until he comes 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.

And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and of a beautiful countenance and handsome. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him, for 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.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him from among his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD prospered David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up 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.

¶ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

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

And Saul’s slaves said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.

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.

Let our lord now command thy slaves, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning 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 have relief.

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

And Saul said unto his slaves, Provide me now a man that can play 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.

Then one of the servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, that is cunning in playing and a mighty valiant man and a man of war and prudent in speech and handsome, 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.

Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, Send me David, thy 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.

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

And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armourbearer.

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

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

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.

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