1 Samuel 16

1 And the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you go on mourning over Saul, when I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and come — let me send you to Jesse in Bethlehem, because I have seen among his sons one to be king for me.” [a] 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer from the herd in your hand, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And you are to call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you are to do; and you are to anoint the one I name to you.”

4 And Samuel did everything the Lord told him, and he came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city were alarmed at meeting him, and they said, “Is your coming peace, seer?” [b] 5 And he said, “Peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Make yourselves holy, and be glad with me today.” And he made Jesse and his sons holy, and called them to the sacrifice. [c]

6 And when they came in, he saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the Lord is his anointed one.” [d] 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance, or at how tall he stands, because I have rejected him. For God does not see the way a man sees: a man looks at the face, but God looks at the heart.” [e] 8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed by in front of Samuel; and Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 And Jesse brought Shammah past; and he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen in this one.” [f] 10 And Jesse brought his seven sons past in front of Samuel; and Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen among these.”

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are the boys all here?” And he said, “There is still the little one; look, he is out shepherding the flock.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him, because we will not sit down until he comes.” [g] 12 So he sent and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and good to look at before the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Get up and anoint David, because he is good.” [h] 13 And Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the middle of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord leaped upon David from that day and afterward. And Samuel got up and went away to Ramathaim. [i]

14 And the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord choked him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Look now — the Lord’s evil spirit is choking you. [j] 16 Let your slaves speak now before you, and let them look for a man for our lord who knows how to play the lyre; and when the evil spirit is on you, he will play on his lyre, and it will be well with you, and he will give you rest.” [k] 17 And Saul said to his servants, “Look out for me a man who plays well, and bring him to me.” 18 And one of his young men answered and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and he knows how to play; and the man understands, and the man is a fighter, and wise in speech; and the man is good to look at, and the Lord is with him.”

19 And Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send me your son David, the one out with your flock.” [l] 20 And Jesse took two quarts of bread and a skin of wine and one young goat, and sent them to Saul by the hand of his son David. [m] 21 And David came in to Saul and stood in front of him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became the man who carried his weapons. [n] 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand in front of me, I ask you, because he has found favor in my eyes.” 23 And whenever the evil spirit was on Saul, David would take the lyre and play with his hand; and Saul would be revived, and it would be well with him, and the evil spirit would leave him.