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Chapter 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.
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| 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. |
| 3 |
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what
thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
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| 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? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 8 | Then Jesse called Abinadab, and
made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen
this. |
| 9 |
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath
the LORD chosen this. |
| 10 | Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass
before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen
these. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 14 | But the Spirit of the LORD departed from
Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. |
| 15 | And Saul's
servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth
thee. |
| 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. |
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17 | And Saul said unto his servants,
Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. |
| 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. |
| 19 |
Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me
David thy son, which is with the sheep. |
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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. |
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21 | And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and
he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. |
| 22 | And Saul
sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath
found favor in my sight. |
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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. |
