1 Samuel 16
16
1 And the Lord said to Samuel: "How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself."
2 And Samuel said: "How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death." And the Lord said: "You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, 'I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.'
3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you."
4 Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, "Is your arrival peaceful?"
5 And he said: "It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice." Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, "Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?"
7 And the Lord said to Samuel: "You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart."
8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."
9 Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, "And the Lord has not chosen this one."
10 And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these."
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, "Could the sons now be completed?" But he responded, "There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse: "Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here."
12 Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, "Rise up, anoint him! For it is he."
13 Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
15 And the servants of Saul said to him: "Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
16 May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily."
17 And Saul said to his servants, "Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me."
18 And one of the servants, responding, said: "Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him."
19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, "Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures."
20 And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.
21 And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: "Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes."
23 And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.
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1 Samuel 16: CPDV
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1 Samuel 16
16
1 THE Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.
2 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.
3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.
4 And Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably?
5 And 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 called them to the sacrifice.
6 When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one.
9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. Samuel said, Nor has the Lord chosen him.
10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these.
11 Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here.
12 Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him.
15 Saul's servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you.
16 Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.
17 Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.
18 One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him.
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer.
22 Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me.
23 And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation