1 Samuel 16
16
God Looks into the Heart
1 God addressed Samuel: “So, how long are you going to mope over Saul? You know I’ve rejected him as king over Israel. Fill your flask with anointing oil and get going. I’m sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I’ve spotted the very king I want among his sons.”
2-3“I can’t do that,” said Samuel. “Saul will hear about it and kill me.”
God said, “Take a heifer with you and announce, ‘I’ve come to lead you in worship of God, with this heifer as a sacrifice.’ Make sure Jesse gets invited. I’ll let you know what to do next. I’ll point out the one you are to anoint.”
4Samuel did what God told him. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the town fathers greeted him, but apprehensively. “Is there something wrong?”
5“Nothing’s wrong. I’ve come to sacrifice this heifer and lead you in the worship of God. Prepare yourselves, be consecrated, and join me in worship.” He made sure Jesse and his sons were also consecrated and called to worship.
6When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Here he is! God’s anointed!”
7But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
8Jesse then called up Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. Samuel said, “This man isn’t God’s choice either.”
9Next Jesse presented Shammah. Samuel said, “No, this man isn’t either.”
10Jesse presented his seven sons to Samuel. Samuel was blunt with Jesse, “God hasn’t chosen any of these.”
11Then he asked Jesse, “Is this it? Are there no more sons?”
“Well, yes, there’s the runt. But he’s out tending the sheep.”
Samuel ordered Jesse, “Go get him. We’re not moving from this spot until he’s here.”
12Jesse sent for him. He was brought in, the very picture of health—bright-eyed, good-looking.
God said, “Up on your feet! Anoint him! This is the one.”
13Samuel took his flask of oil and anointed him, with his brothers standing around watching. The Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life.
Samuel left and went home to Ramah.
David—An Excellent Musician
14At that very moment the Spirit of God left Saul and in its place a black mood sent by God settled on him. He was terrified.
15-16Saul’s advisors said, “This awful tormenting depression from God is making your life miserable. O Master, let us help. Let us look for someone who can play the harp. When the black mood from God moves in, he’ll play his music and you’ll feel better.”
17Saul told his servants, “Go ahead. Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.”
18One of the young men spoke up, “I know someone. I’ve seen him myself: the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, an excellent musician. He’s also courageous, of age, well-spoken, and good-looking. And God is with him.”
19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse requesting, “Send your son David to me, the one who tends the sheep.”
20-21Jesse took a donkey, loaded it with a couple of loaves of bread, a flask of wine, and a young goat, and sent his son David with it to Saul. David came to Saul and stood before him. Saul liked him immediately and made him his right-hand man.
22Saul sent word back to Jesse: “Thank you. David will stay here. He’s just the one I was looking for. I’m very impressed by him.”
23After that, whenever the bad depression from God tormented Saul, David got out his harp and played. That would calm Saul down, and he would feel better as the moodiness lifted.
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1 Samuel 16: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 16
16
1And יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “How long are you going to mourn for Sha’ul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Yisra’ĕl? Fill your horn with oil, and go, I am sending you to Yishai the Bĕyth Leḥemite. For I have seen among his sons a sovereign for Myself.”
2And Shemu’ĕl said, “How would I go? When Sha’ul hears it, he shall kill me.” And יהוה said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to slaughter to יהוה.’
3“And you shall invite Yishai to the slaughtering, then let Me show you what to do. And you shall anoint for Me the one I say to you.”
4And Shemu’ĕl did what יהוה said, and went to Bĕyth Leḥem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come in peace?”
5And he said, “In peace. I have come to slaughter to יהוה. Set yourselves apart, and you shall come with me to the slaughtering.” And he set Yishai and his sons apart, and invited them to the slaughtering.
6And it came to be, when they came, that he saw Eliyaḇ and thought, “The anointed of יהוה is indeed before Him.”
7But יהוה said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him, for not as man sees, for man looks at the eyes, but יהוה looks at the heart.”
8Then Yishai called Aḇinaḏaḇ, and made him pass before Shemu’ĕl. And he said, “Neither has יהוה chosen this one.”
9Next Yishai made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has יהוה chosen this one.”
10And Yishai made seven of his sons pass before Shemu’ĕl. And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “יהוה has not chosen these.”
11And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “Are these all the young men?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and see, he is tending the sheep.” And Shemu’ĕl said to Yishai, “Send and bring him, for we do not turn round till he comes here.”
12And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and handsome. And יהוה said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!”
13And Shemu’ĕl took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of יהוה came upon Dawiḏ from that day and onwards. And Shemu’ĕl arose and went to Ramah.
14And the Spirit of יהוה turned aside from Sha’ul, and an evil spirit from יהוה troubled him.
15And the servants of Sha’ul said to him, “Look, now, an evil spirit from Elohim is troubling you.
16“Please, let our master command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skilled player on the lyre. And it shall be that when the evil spirit from Elohim is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you be well.”
17And Sha’ul said to his servants, “Please get me a man that plays well, and bring him to me.”
18And one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Yishai the Bĕyth Leḥemite, who knows how to play, a brave one, and a man of battle, and skilled in words, and a handsome man. And יהוה is with him.”
19So Sha’ul sent messengers to Yishai, and said, “Send me your son Dawiḏ, who is with the sheep.”
20And Yishai took a donkey loaded with bread, and a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son Dawiḏ to Sha’ul.
21And Dawiḏ came to Sha’ul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armour-bearer.
22Sha’ul therefore sent to Yishai, saying, “Please let Dawiḏ stand before me, for he has found favour in my eyes.”
23And it came to be, whenever the evil spirit from Elohim was upon Sha’ul, that Dawiḏ would take a lyre and play it with his hand. Then Sha’ul would become refreshed and well, and the evil spirit would leave him.
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