1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” (1Sa 10:1; 1Sa 15:23; 1Sa 15:26; 1Sa 15:35; Ps 78:70; Ps 89:19; Ac 13:22)2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ (1Sa 9:12; 1Sa 20:29)3And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” (1Sa 9:16)4Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” (1Sa 21:1; 1Ki 2:13; 2Ki 9:22)5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. (Jos 3:5)6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” (1Sa 17:13)7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1Ki 8:39; 1Ch 28:9; Ps 7:9; Ps 147:10; Jer 11:20; Jer 17:10; Jer 20:12; Ac 1:24)8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” (1Sa 17:13)9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” (1Sa 16:8)10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”11Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,[1] but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” (1Sa 17:13; 2Sa 7:8; 2Sa 13:3; 1Ch 2:13; Ps 78:70)12And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” (1Sa 9:17; 1Sa 17:42)13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah. (Jud 3:10; 1Sa 10:1; 1Sa 10:6; 1Sa 10:10; 1Sa 11:6; 1Sa 16:1; Ps 89:20)
David in Saul’s Service
14Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. (Jud 9:23; Jud 16:20; 1Sa 18:10; 1Sa 18:12; 1Sa 19:9; 1Sa 28:15)15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you.16Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” (1Sa 16:21; 1Sa 18:10; 1Sa 19:9; 1Ki 10:8; 2Ki 3:15)17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”18One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” (1Sa 3:19; 1Sa 17:32; 1Sa 17:34; 1Sa 18:12; 1Sa 18:14)19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” (1Sa 16:11; 1Sa 17:15; 1Sa 17:34)20And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. (1Sa 17:18)21And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. (1Sa 16:16)22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.”23And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. (1Sa 16:14; 1Sa 16:16)
1 Samuel 16
King James Version
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' 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' 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.