1 Samuel 16
16
1 # Ps 151.4. One day he said, “Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil#16.1 olive oil: See the note at 9.16. in a small container#16.1 small container: Hebrew “horn”; animal horns were sometimes hollowed out and used as containers. and go visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king.”
2Samuel answered, “If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed.”
“Take a calf with you,” the Lord replied. “Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me, 3then invite Jesse to the sacrifice.#16.3 sacrifice: A sacrifice often involved a dinner where the meat from the sacrificed animal would be served. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head.”
4Samuel did what the Lord told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, “Is this a friendly visit?”
5“Yes, it is!” Samuel answered. “I've come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Get yourselves ready#16.5 Get yourselves ready: The people of Israel sometimes had to perform certain ceremonies to make themselves acceptable to God. to take part in the sacrifice and come with me.” Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.
6When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's oldest son, Eliab. “He has to be the one the Lord has chosen,” Samuel said to himself.
7 # Ps 151.5. But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”
8Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, “No, the Lord hasn't chosen him.”
9Next, Jesse sent his son Shammah to him, and Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen him either.”
10One by one, Jesse told all seven of his sons to go over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel said, “Jesse, the Lord hasn't chosen any of these young men. 11#Ps 151.1. Do you have any other sons?”
“Yes,” Jesse answered. “My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep.”
“Send for him!” Samuel said. “We won't start the ceremony until he gets here.”
12Jesse sent for David. He was a healthy, good-looking boy with a sparkle in his eyes. As soon as David came, the Lord told Samuel, “He's the one! Get up and pour the olive oil on his head.”#16.12 olive oil on his head: See the note at 9.16.
13Samuel poured the oil on David's head while his brothers watched. At that moment, the Spirit of the Lord took control of David and stayed with him from then on.
Samuel returned home to Ramah.
David Plays the Harp for Saul
14The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was terrifying him. 15“It's an evil spirit from God that's frightening you,” Saul's officials told him. 16“Your Majesty, let us go and look for someone who is good at playing the harp. He can play for you whenever the evil spirit from God bothers you, and you'll feel better.”
17“All right,” Saul answered. “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp and bring him here.”
18“A man named Jesse who lives in Bethlehem has a son who can play the harp,” one official said. “He's a brave warrior, he's good-looking, he can speak well, and the Lord is with him.”
19Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Tell your son David to leave your sheep and come here to me.”
20Jesse loaded a donkey with bread and a goatskin full of wine,#16.20 wine: Wine was sometimes kept in bottles made of goatskin sewn up with the fur on the outside. then he told David to take the donkey and a young goat to Saul. 21David went to Saul and started working for him. Saul liked him so much that he put David in charge of carrying his weapons. 22Not long after this, Saul sent another message to Jesse: “I really like David. Please let him stay with me.”
23 # Ps 151.2. Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.
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1 Samuel 16: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Samuel 16
16
Samuel Anoints David
1The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul,#1Sm 15:35 since I have rejected him as king over Israel?#1Sm 13:13–14; 15:23 Fill your horn with oil#1Sm 9:16; 10:1; 2Kg 9:1 and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem#Ru 4:17–22 because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”
2Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”
The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’#1Sm 20:29 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do.#Ex 4:15; Ac 9:6 You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”#Dt 17:14–15; 1Sm 9:16
4Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem.#Gn 48:7; Lk 2:4 When the elders of the town met him, they trembled#16:4 LXX reads were astonished and asked, “Do#16:4 DSS, LXX read “Seer, do you come in peace?” #1Kg 2:13; 2Kg 9:22; 1Ch 12:17–18
5“In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves#Gn 35:2; Ex 19:10 and come with me to the sacrifice.”#16:5 LXX reads and rejoice with me today Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab#1Sm 17:13 and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees,#16:7 LXX reads God does not see as a man sees for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”#1Kg 8:39; Jr 17:10; Lk 16:15; Jn 2:24–25
8Jesse called Abinadab#1Sm 17:13 and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. 9Then Jesse presented Shammah,#1Sm 17:13 but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” 10After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” 11Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,”#1Sm 17:12; 2Sm 13:3 he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” 12So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy,#16:12 Or ruddy handsome appearance.#1Sm 17:42
Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”#1Sm 9:17 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him#1Sm 10:1 in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward.#Ps 51:10–12; Ezk 36:27; Ac 2:1–17 Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
David in Saul’s Court
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul,#1Sm 11:6; 18:12; 28:15 and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him, 15so Saul’s servants said to him, “You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better.”#1Sm 18:10; 19:9; 2Kg 3:15
17Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
18One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man,#1Sm 17:32–36 a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”#1Sm 3:19; 18:12–14
19Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.#1Sm 10:4,27; Pr 18:16 21When David came to Saul#Gn 41:46; Pr 22:29 and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me.” 23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul,#1Sm 16:14–16 David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
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