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[1]The Lord then said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil and come, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
[2]And Samuel said, How can I go? For if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me. Then the Lord answered, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to do sacrifice to the Lord.
[3]And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do, and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
[4]So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Beth-lehem, and the elders of the town were astonied at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
[5]And he answered, Yea: I am come to do sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
[6]And when they were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's Anointed is before him.
[7]But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him: for God seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.
[8]Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
[9]Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.
[10]Again Jesse made his seven sons to come before Samuel: and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.
[11]Finally, Samuel said unto Jesse, Are there no more children but these? And he said, There remaineth yet a little one behind, that keepeth the sheep. Then Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and set him: for we will not sit down, till he be come hither.
[12]And he sent, and brought him in: and he was ruddy, and of a good countenance, and comely visage. And the Lord said, Arise, and anoint him: for this is he.
[13]Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the spirit of the Lord came upon David, from that day forward: then Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
[14]But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit sent of the Lord vexed him.
[15]And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, the evil spirit of God vexeth thee.
[16]Let our Lord therefore command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek a man that is a cunning player upon the harp: that when the evil spirit of God cometh upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest be eased.
[17]Saul then said unto his servants, Provide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, and bring him to me.
[18]Then answered one of his servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, a Beth-lehemite, that can play, and is strong, valiant and a man of war and wise in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
[19]Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son which is with the sheep.
[20]And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a flagon of wine and a kid, and sent them by the hand of David his son unto Saul.
[21]And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him very well, and he was his armor bearer.
[22]And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David now remain with me: for he hath found favor in my sight.
[23]And so when the evil spirit of God came upon Saul, David took an harp and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was eased: for the evil spirit departed from him.
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