1Sa 16:1 And 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.
1Sa 16:2 And 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.
1Sa 16:3 And 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.
1Sa 16:4 And 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?
1Sa 16:5 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.
1Sa 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and
said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
1Sa 16:7 But 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.
1Sa 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he
said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
1Sa 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord
chosen this.
1Sa 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel
said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these.
1Sa 16:11 And 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.
1Sa 16:12 And 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.
1Sa 16:13 Then 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.
1Sa 16:14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from
the Lord troubled him.
1Sa 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God
troubleth thee.
1Sa 16:16 Let 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.
1Sa 16:17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play
well, and bring him to me.
1Sa 16:18 Then 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.
1Sa 16:19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy
son, which is with the sheep.
1Sa 16:20 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.
1Sa 16:21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him
greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.
1Sa 16:22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before
me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
1Sa 16:23 And 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.