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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1 Samuel 16: LEB
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1 Samuel 16
16
David is Anointed King
1The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you go on grieving over Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
2“How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!”
The LORD answered, “Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint as king the man I tell you to.”
4Samuel did what the LORD told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”
5“Yes,” he answered. “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me.” He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the LORD's presence is surely the one he has chosen.” 7But the LORD said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”
8Then Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, the LORD hasn't chosen him either.” 9Jesse then brought Shammah. “No, the LORD hasn't chosen him either,” Samuel said. 10In this way Jesse brought seven of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, “No, the LORD hasn't chosen any of these.” 11Then he asked him, “Have you any more sons?”
Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”
“Tell him to come here,” Samuel said. “We won't offer the sacrifice until he comes.” 12So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. The LORD said to Samuel, “This is the one — anoint him!” 13Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the Spirit of the LORD took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
David in Saul's Court
14The LORD's spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit sent by the LORD tormented him. 15His servants said to him, “We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you. 16So give us the order, sir, and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the evil spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again.”
17Saul ordered them, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.”
18One of his attendants said, “Jesse, of the town of Bethlehem, has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. The LORD is with him.”
19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep.” 20Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine. 21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons. 22Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: “I like David. Let him stay here in my service.” 23From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.