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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1 Samuel 16: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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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