¹ And 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, and go, I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. ² And Samuel said, How can I go ? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. ³ And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you will do: and you will anoint to me him who I name to you. ⁴ And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Come you peaceably? ⁵ And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to 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 it came to pass, when they came, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed [is] before him. ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused 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. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this. ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this. ¹⁰ Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The LORD has not chosen these. ¹¹ And Samuel said to Jesse, Are here all your children? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, and, see, he keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come here. ¹² And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this [is] he. ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the LORD came on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. ¹⁴ But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁵ And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command your servants, which are before you, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on a harp: and it will come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he will play with his hand, and you will be well. ¹⁷ And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring [him] to me. ¹⁸ Then answered one of the servants, and said, See, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a proper person, and the LORD [is] with him. ¹⁹ why Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me David your son, which is with the sheep. ²⁰ And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid , and sent them by David his son to Saul. ²¹ And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer . ²² And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray you, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight. ²³ And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was on Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.