1And the Lord said to Samuel, How long do you mourn for Saul, whereas I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and come, I will send you to Jessae, to Bethleem; for I have seen among his sons a king for me.

2And Samuel said, How can I go? whereas Saul will hear of it, and kill me: and the Lord said, Take a heifer in your hand and you shall say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

3And you shall call Jessae to the sacrifice, and I will make known to you what you shall do; and you shall anoint him whom I shall mention to you.

4And Samuel did all that the Lord told him; and he came to Bethleem: and the elders of the city were amazed at meeting him, and said, ¹⁰⁰Do you come peaceably, you Seer?

5And he said, ¹⁰¹Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and rejoice with me this day: and he sanctified Jessae and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.

6And it came to pass when they came in, that he saw Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.

7But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his ¹⁰²appearance, nor on his stature, for I have rejected him; for God ¹⁰³sees not as man looks; for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

8And Jessae called Aminadab, and he passed before Samuel: and he said, Neither has God chosen this one.

9And Jessae caused Sama to pass by: and he said, Neither has God chosen ¹⁰⁴this one.

10And Jessae caused his seven sons to pass before Samuel: and Samuel said, the Lord has not chosen these.

11And Samuel said to Jessae, ¹⁰⁵Have you no more sons? And Jessae said, There is yet ¹⁰⁶a little one; behold, he tends the flock. And Samuel said to Jessae, Send and fetch him for we may not sit down till he comes.

12And he sent and fetched him: and he was ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and ¹⁰⁷very goodly to behold. And the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, and anoint David, for he is good.

13And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord ¹⁰⁸came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel arose, and departed to Armathaim.

14And the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord ¹⁰⁹tormented him.

15And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from the Lord torments you.

16Let now your servants speak before you, and let them seek for our lord a man skilled to play on the harp; and it shall come to pass when an evil spirit comes upon you and he shall play on his harp, that you shall be well, and he shall refresh you.

17And Saul said to his servants, Look now out for me a ¹¹⁰skillful player, and bring him to me.

18And one of his servants answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jessae the Bethleemite, and ¹¹¹he understands playing on the harp, and the man is prudent, and a warrior, and wise in speech, and the man is handsome, and the Lord is with him.

19And Saul sent messengers to Jessae, saying, Send to me your son David who is with your flock.

20And Jessae took a homer of bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sent them by the hand of his son David to Saul.

21And David went in to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer.

22And Saul sent to Jessae, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me, for he has found grace in my eyes.

23And it came to pass when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took his harp, and played with his hand: and Saul was refreshed, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.