| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
