1 Samuel 16:1-23 AMPC

[1] 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; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons. [2] 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, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. [3] And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you. [4] And Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming and said, Have you come peaceably? [5] And he said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. [6] When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him. [7] But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. [8] Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. But Samuel said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. [9] Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. Samuel said, Nor has the Lord chosen him. [10] Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. [11] Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here. [12] Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he. [13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. [14] But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented and troubled him. [15] Saul's servants said to him, Behold, an evil spirit from God torments you. [16] Let our lord now command your servants here before you to find a man who plays skillfully on the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well. [17] Saul told his servants, Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me. [18] One of the young men said, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who plays skillfully, a valiant man, a man of war, prudent in speech and eloquent, an attractive person; and the Lord is with him. [19] So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. [20] And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a kid and sent them by David his son to Saul. [21] And David came to Saul and served him. Saul became very fond of him, and he became his armor-bearer. [22] Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David remain in my service, for he pleases me. [23] And when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a lyre and played it; so Saul was refreshed and became well, and the evil spirit left him.