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.
I Samuel 16
16
David Anointed King
1Now the Lord said to Samuel, #1 Sam. 19:24“How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? #1 Sam. 15:23, 35Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to #1 Sam. 9:16; 10:1; 2 Kin. 9:1Jesse the Bethlehemite. For #Ruth 4:18–22I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, #Ps. 78:70, 71; Acts 13:22‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
4So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town #1 Sam. 9:12trembled at his coming, and said, #1 Sam. 21:1“Do you come peaceably?”
5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. #1 Kin. 2:13; 2 Kin. 9:22Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6So it was, when they came, that he looked at #Gen. 35:2; Ex. 19:10Eliab and #1 Sam. 17:13, 28said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, #1 Kin. 12:26“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. #Ps. 147:10For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man #Is. 55:8, 9looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the #2 Cor. 10:7heart.”
8So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the #1 Kin. 8:39sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was #2 Sam. 7:8; Ps. 78:70–72ruddy, #1 Sam. 17:42with bright eyes, and good-looking. #Gen. 39:6; Ex. 2:2; Acts 7:20And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and #1 Sam. 9:17the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
14#Num. 27:18; 1 Sam. 10:6, 9, 10But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and #Judg. 16:20; 1 Sam. 11:6; 18:12; 28:15a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will #Judg. 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:15, 16; 18:10; 19:9; 1 Kin. 22:19–22play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and #1 Sam. 18:10; 19:9; 2 Kin. 3:15the Lord is with him.”
19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20And Jesse #1 Sam. 3:19; 18:12, 14took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21So David came to Saul and #1 Sam. 10:4, 27; Prov. 18:16stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.