1Sa 16:1-6 | ESV | STEP | The Lord said to Samuel , How long will you grieve over Saul , since I have rejected him from being king over Israel ? Fill your horn with oil , and go . I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite , for I have provided for myself a king among his sons .

1 Samuel 16:1-6

David Anointed King

1 The Lord said to Samuel, ^a“How long will you grieve over Saul, since ^bI have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^cFill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, ^dfor 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, ^e‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. ^fAnd 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 ^gcame to meet him trembling and said, ^h“Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ⁱConsecrate 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 ^jEliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.”