1Sa 16 | AB | STEP | And 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, and go; I will send you to Jesse, to Bethlehem; for I have seen among his sons a king for Me.

1 Samuel 16

1 And 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, and go; I will send you to Jesse, to Bethlehem; for I have seen among his sons a king for Me. 2 And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer in your hand, and you shall say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3 And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you shall do; and you shall anoint him whom I shall name to you. 4 And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city were trembling at meeting him, and said, Do you come peaceably, O Seer? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and rejoice with me this day. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him. 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. 8 And Jesse called Abinadab, and he passed before Samuel. And he said, Neither has God chosen this one. 9 And Jesse caused Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has God chosen this one. 10 And Jesse caused his seven sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said, the Lord has not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, Have you no more sons? And Jesse said, There is yet a little one; behold, he tends the flock. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we may not sit down till he comes. 12 And he sent and fetched him. And he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and very good looking. And the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, and anoint David, for he is good. 13 And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose, and departed to Ramah. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, and evil spirit from the Lord torments you. 16 Let now your servants speak before you, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon you, and he shall play on his harp, that you shall be well, and he shall refresh you. 17 And Saul said to his servants, Now look for me a skillful player, and bring him to me. 18 And one of his servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, and he understands playing on the harp, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and the Lord is with him. 19 And Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, Send to me your son David who is with your flock. 20 And Jesse took a homer of bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul. 21 And David went in to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes. 23 And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand. And Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.