The First Book of Samuel (WEB)
16: 1Yahweh said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from
being king over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Beth-lehemite;
for I have provided me a king among his sons. 16:2Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he
will kill me. Yahweh said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh.
16:3Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me
him whom I name to you. 16:4Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The
elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably? 16:5He said,
Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the
sacrifice. He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 16:6It happened, when
they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him. 16:7But
Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have
rejected him: for Yahweh sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but
Yahweh looks at the heart." 16:8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He
said, Neither has Yahweh chosen this. 16:9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, Neither
has Yahweh chosen this. 16:10Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to
Jesse, Yahweh has not chosen these. 16:11Samuel said to Jesse, Are here all your children? He said,
There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send
and get him; for we will not sit down until he come here. 16:12He sent, and brought him in. Now he
was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, Arise, anoint him;
for this is he. 16:13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers:
and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and
went to Ramah. 16:14Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh
troubled him. 16:15Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. 16:16Let
our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful
player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play
with his hand, and you shall be well. 16:17Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man who can
play well, and bring him to me. 16:18Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have
seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a
man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Yahweh is with him. 16:19Therefore
Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. 16:20Jesse
took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to
Saul. 16:21David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his
armor bearer. 16:22Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Please let David stand before me; for he has found
favor in my sight. 16:23It happened, when the evil spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the
harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed
from him.
World English Bible