1Sa 11, 1Sa 16 | ESV | STEP | Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh - gilead , and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash , Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.

1 ^aThen Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged ^bJabesh-gilead, and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, ^c“Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you.” 2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “On this condition I will make a treaty with you, ^dthat I gouge out all your right eyes, and thus ^ebring disgrace on all Israel.” 3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days’ respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you.” 4 When the messengers came to ^fGibeah of Saul, they reported the matter in the ears of the people, ^gand all the people wept aloud.

5 Now, behold, Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. And Saul said, “What is wrong with the people, that they are weeping?” So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 ^hAnd the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen ⁱand cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, ^j“Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out ^kas one man. 8 When he mustered them at ^lBezek, ^mthe people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand. 9 And they said to the messengers who had come, “Thus shall you say to the men of Jabesh-gilead: ‘Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have ⁿsalvation.’” When the messengers came and told the men of Jabesh, they were glad. 10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, ^o“Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you, and you may do to us whatever seems good to you.” 11 ^pAnd the next day Saul put the people ^qin three companies. And they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

The Kingdom Is Renewed

12 Then the people said to Samuel, ^r“Who is it that said, ‘Shall Saul reign over us?’ ^sBring the men, that we may put them to death.” 13 But Saul said, ^t“Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today ^uthe Lord has worked ^vsalvation in Israel.” 14 Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingdom.” 15 So all the people went to ^wGilgal, and there they made Saul king ^xbefore the Lord in Gilgal. There ^ythey sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

1 Samuel 16

David Anointed King

1 The Lord said to Samuel, ^z“How long will you grieve over Saul, since ^aaI have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^abFill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, ^acfor I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ^ad‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. ^aeAnd you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 4 Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city ^afcame to meet him trembling and said, ^ag“Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ^ahConsecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on ^aiEliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ^aj“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, ^akbut the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called ^alAbinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made ^amShammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, ^an“There remains yet the youngest, ^{▼▼Or smallest} but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, ^ap“Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ^aqruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, ^ar“Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took ^asthe horn of oil ^atand anointed him in the midst of his brothers. ^auAnd the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David in Saul’s Service

14 ^avNow the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, ^awand a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants ^axwho are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will ^ayplay it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, ^aza man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, ^baand the Lord is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, ^bbwho is with the sheep.” 20 ^bcAnd Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul ^bdand entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And ^bewhenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre ^bfand played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.