1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt
thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from
reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and
go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for
I have provided me a king among his sons.
2And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it,
he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer
with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the
LORD.
3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will
shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint
unto me him whom
I name unto thee.
4And Samuel did that which the LORD spake,
and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town
trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou
peaceably?
5And 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.
6And it came to pass, when they were come,
that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S
anointed is before
him.
7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on
his countenance, or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him: for the
LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on
the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the
heart.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him
pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the
LORD chosen this.
9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he
said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass
before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD
hath not chosen these.
11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children?
And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and,
behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto
Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down
till he come hither.
12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal
of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.
And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and
anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the
Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day
forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from
Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
15And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold
now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
16Let our lord now command thy servants, which
are before thee, to seek out a man, who
is a cunning player on an 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.
17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me
now a man that can play well, and bring him to
me.
18Then answered one of the servants, and
said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the
Bethlehemite, that
is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant
man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a
comely person, and the LORD is with
him.
19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse,
and said, Send me David thy son, which is with
the sheep.
20And Jesse took an ass laden with
bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by
David his son unto Saul.
21And David came to Saul, and stood before
him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his
armourbearer.
22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David,
I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found
favour in my sight.
23And it came to pass, when the evil spirit
from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and
played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was
well, and the evil spirit departed from him.