1 Samuel 16
16
Samuel anoints David
1The LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to grieve over Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have found#16.1 Or seen my next king among his sons.”
2“How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “When Saul hears of it he’ll kill me!”
“Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say, ‘I have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make clear to you what you should do. You will anoint for me the person I point out to you.”
4Samuel did what the LORD instructed. When he came to Bethlehem, the city elders came to meet him. They were shaking with fear. “Do you come in peace?” they asked.
5“Yes,” Samuel answered. “I’ve come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Now make yourselves holy, then come with me to the sacrifice.” Samuel made Jesse and his sons holy and invited them to the sacrifice as well.
6When they arrived, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, That must be the LORD’s anointed right in front.
7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Have no regard for his appearance or stature, because I haven’t selected him. God#16.7 LXX; MT lacks God. doesn’t look at things like humans do. Humans see only what is visible to the eyes, but the LORD sees into the heart.”
8Next Jesse called for Abinadab, who presented himself to Samuel, but he said, “The LORD hasn’t chosen this one either.” 9So Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “No, the LORD hasn’t chosen this one.” 10Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD hasn’t picked any of these.” 11Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all of your boys?”
“There is still the youngest one,” Jesse answered, “but he’s out keeping the sheep.”
“Send for him,” Samuel told Jesse, “because we can’t proceed until he gets here.”#16.11 MT; LXX we won’t sit down (that is, to eat)
12So Jesse sent and brought him in. He was reddish brown, had beautiful eyes, and was good-looking. The LORD said, “That’s the one. Go anoint him.” 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him right there in front of his brothers. The LORD’s spirit came over David from that point forward.
Then Samuel left and went to Ramah.
David is introduced to Saul
14Now the LORD’s spirit had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15Saul’s servants said to him, “Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16If our master just says the word, your servants will search for someone who knows how to play the lyre. The musician can play whenever the evil spirit from God is affecting you, and then you’ll feel better.”
17Saul said to his servants, “Find me a good musician and bring him to me.”
18One of the servants responded, “I know that one of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a good musician. He’s a strong man and heroic, a warrior who speaks well and is good-looking too. The LORD is with him.”
19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the one who keeps the sheep.”
20Jesse then took a donkey and loaded it with a homer of bread,#16.20 LXX a jar of wine, and a young goat, and he sent it along with his son David to Saul. 21That is how David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked David very much,#16.21 Or David liked Saul very much. and David became his armor-bearer. 22Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Please allow David to remain in my service because I am pleased with him.” 23Whenever the evil spirit from God affected Saul, David would take the lyre and play it. Then Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him alone.
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1 Samuel 16: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 16
16
David Is Anointed
1Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long#Literally “Until when” will you mourn about Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel! Fill up your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen a king for myself among his sons.” 2But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “You must take a heifer from the herd with you,#Literally “in/with your hand” and you must say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 3You will invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will make known to you what you must do. You will anoint for me the one whom I tell you.”
4So Samuel did what Yahweh said. He came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city came trembling to meet him. They said, “Have you come in peace?”#Literally “Is your coming peace?” 5He said, “I come in peace. I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they came,#Literally “And it happened at their coming” he#That is, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely his anointed one is before Yahweh!” 7But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see what man sees, for a man looks on the outward appearance,#Literally “sees as far as the eyes” but Yahweh looks on the heart.”#Literally “sees as far as the heart” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel, and he said, “This one also Yahweh has not chosen.” 9So Jesse made Shammah pass before Samuel, but he said, “Yahweh also has not chosen this one.” 10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these.”
11Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?”#Literally “Are the boys finished?” And he said, “The youngest still remains, but look, he is shepherding the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, for we cannot sit down#Literally “turn”; for “sit down” see HALOT 739 s.v. 2.c until he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy with beautiful eyes and of handsome#Literally “good” appearance. And Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. Then the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David from that day on.#Literally “and forward” Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
Saul in Torment
14Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul and an evil spirit from Yahweh tormented him. 15So the servants of Saul said to him, “Look please, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Please, let our lord command your servants who are before you! Let them seek a man skilled in playing on the lyre. When#Literally “And it will happen that” the evil spirit from God is upon you, he can play on it#Literally “with his hand” and you will feel better.”#Literally “and it will be good for you” 17So Saul said to his servants, “Please select a man who plays a stringed instrument well#Literally “doing well to play a stringed instrument” and bring him to me.”
18One of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing a stringed instrument, a brave man, a warrior, prudent in speech, and handsome.#Literally “a hero of ability, a man of war, discerning of word, and a man of appearance” And Yahweh is with him.” 19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son who is with the sheep.” 20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a skin of wine and one young goat#Literally “kid of a goat” and sent them to Saul by the hand of David his son. 21So David came to Saul and entered his service.#Literally “stood before him” He#That is, Saul loved him greatly and he became Saul’s armor bearer.#Literally “he became for him a carrier of weapons” 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, because he has found favor in my sight.”#Literally “in my eyes” 23So whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the stringed instrument and play it with his hand. Then it would bring relief#Literally “it would be relieved” for Saul; he would feel better#Literally “it would be good for him” and the evil spirit would depart from him.
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