1The 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 Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a King among his sons.
2And 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.
3And 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.
4So Samuel did that the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the town were astonished at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
5And 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.
6And when they were come, he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s Anointed is before him.
7But 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.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, Neither yet hath the Lord chosen him.
10Again Jesse made his seven sons to come before Samuel, and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath chosen none of these.
11Finally, 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 fet him: for we will not sit down, till he be come hither.
12And 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.
13Then 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.
14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit sent of the Lord, vexed him.
15And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, the evil spirit of God vexeth thee.
16Let 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.
17Saul then said unto his servants, Provide me a man, I pray you, that can play well, and bring him to me.
18Then answered one of his servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, 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.
19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.
20And 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.
21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him very well, and he was his armor bearer.
22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David now remain with me: for he hath found favor in my sight.
23And 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.