CHAPTER 16
1 And the Lord said to Samuel, How long bewailest thou Saul, since I have cast him away, that he reign not upon Israel; fill thine horn with oil, and come, that I send thee to Jesse of Bethlehem; for among his sons I have purveyed a king to me.
2 And Samuel said, How shall I go? for Saul shall hear, and he shall slay me. And the Lord said, Thou shalt take a calf of the drove in thy hand, and thou shalt say, I came to make sacrifice to the Lord.
3 And thou shalt call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I shall show to thee, what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint whomever I shall show to thee.
4 Then Samuel did, as the Lord spake to him; and he came into Bethlehem, and the elder men of the city wondered, and came to him, and said, Whether thine entry be peaceable?
5 And he said, It is peaceable; I came to make sacrifice to the Lord; be ye hallowed, and come ye with me, that I make sacrifice. Therefore he hallowed Jesse, and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and said, in his heart, Whether before the Lord is his christ, or his anointed?
7 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold thou not his cheer, neither the highness of his stature; for I have cast him away, and I deem not by man’s sight; for man seeth those things that be open, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.
8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel; and he said, Neither the Lord hath chosen this.
9 And Jesse brought forth Shammah; of whom Samuel said, Also the Lord hath not chosen this.
10 And so Jesse brought forth his seven sons before Samuel; and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Whether thy sons be now filled? And Jesse answered, Yet there is another little child, and he pastureth sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send ye, and bring him hither; for we shall not sit to meat, before that he come hither.
12 Therefore Jesse sent, and brought him; soothly he was ruddy, and fair in sight, and of seemly face. And the Lord said, Rise thou, and anoint him; for it is he.
13 Therefore Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord was dressed [or full sent] into David from that day forth. And Samuel rose up, and went into Ramah.
14 And so the Spirit of the Lord went away from Saul, and a wicked spirit of the Lord travailed Saul.
15 And the servants of Saul said to him, Lo! an evil spirit of the Lord travaileth thee;
16 our lord the king command, and thy servants, that be before thee, shall seek a man, that can sing with an harp, and when the evil spirit of the Lord taketh thee, he harp with his hand, and thou bear it more easily.
17 And Saul said to his servants, Purvey ye to me some man singing well, and bring ye him to me.
18 And one of his children answered and said, Lo! I saw a son of Jesse of Bethlehem, knowing how to sing, and most strong man, and a man able to battle, and prudent in words, and a fair man; and the Lord is with him.
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send thou to me David thy son, that is keeping thy beasts.
20 And so Jesse took an ass charged with loaves, and a gallon of wine, and a goat kid; and he sent those by the hand of David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he was made his squire.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, and said, David stand in my sight, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.
23 Then whenever the evil spirit of the Lord travailed Saul, David took his harp, and harped with his hand, and Saul was comforted, and he had it more lightly; for the evil spirit went away from him.