1And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

4And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?

5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.

7But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.

11And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.

12And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.

13And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

14And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.

15And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from ⁷⁰God troubles thee.

16Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from ⁷¹God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

17And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.

19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.

20And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.

23And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from ⁷²God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.