1 T he Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you be filled with sorrow because of Saul, since I have turned away from him being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have chosen a king for Myself 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 B ut Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will kill me when he hears about it.” The Lord said, “Take a young cow with you, and say, ‘I have come to give a gift 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 sk Jesse to come when you give the gift, and I will show you what you should do. You will choose 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 S o Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. The leaders of the city came shaking with fear to meet him. They said, “Do you come in peace?”

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 S amuel said, “I have come in peace to give a gift to the Lord. Make yourselves holy and come with me as I give the gift.” He set apart Jesse and his sons also, and asked them to come to the gift-giving.

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, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “For sure he is the Lord’s chosen one who is standing 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, “Do not look at the way he looks on the outside or how tall he is, because I have not chosen him. For the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. A man looks at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at 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 in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one.”

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

9 N ext Jesse made Shammah pass by. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one.”

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 in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

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

11 T hen Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And Jesse said, “There is yet the youngest one. See, he is taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him. We will not sit down until he comes 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 S o he sent for him and brought him in. His youngest son had good color in his skin, beautiful eyes and was good-looking. The Lord said, “Rise up and choose him. For this is the one.”

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 poured the oil on him in front of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David with strength from that day on. And Samuel got up and went to Ramah. Saul’s Spirit Is Troubled

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 N ow the Spirit of the Lord left Saul. And a bad spirit sent from the Lord brought trouble upon 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, “See, a bad spirit from God is bringing you trouble.

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

16 L et our lord now tell your servants who are in front of you to look for a man who is a good player of the harp. When the bad spirit sent from God is upon you, he will play the harp, 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 o Saul said to his servants, “Find me a man who can play 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 music well. He is a man with strength of heart, a man of war, wise in his speaking, and good-looking. 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 men with news to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David who is with the sheep.”

Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, Send me David, thy son, who is with the sheep.

20 J esse took a donkey loaded with bread, a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them to Saul with David his son.

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 D avid came to Saul and served him. Saul loved him very much, and he became the man who carried Saul’s battle-clothes.

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

22 S aul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David serve me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”

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

23 W hen the bad spirit sent from God came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand. And Saul would receive new strength and be well. The bad spirit would leave 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.