Dual Panel1THE LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve because I have rejected Saul as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and take it with you; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem; for I have chosen myself a king from among his sons.”
2Samuel answered, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” said the LORD; “say you have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD,
3and invite Jesse to the sacrifice; then I shall show you what you must do. You are to anoint for me the man whom I indicate to you.”
4Samuel did as the LORD had told him, and went to Bethlehem, where the elders came in haste to meet him, saying, “Why have you come? Is all well?”
5“All is well,” said Samuel; “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He himself purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they came, and Samuel saw Eliab, he thought, “Surely here, before the LORD, is his anointed king.”
7But the LORD said to him, “Pay no attention to his outward appearance and stature, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as a mortal sees; mortals see only appearances but the LORD sees into the heart.”
8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel, but he said, “No, the LORD has not chosen this one.”
9Next he presented Shammah, of whom Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen him.”
10Seven of his sons were presented to Samuel by Jesse, but he said, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
11Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” replied Jesse, “but he is looking after the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; we will not sit down until he comes.”
12So he sent and fetched him. He was handsome, with ruddy cheeks and bright eyes. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint him: this is the man.”
13Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the spirit of the LORD came upon David and was with him from that day onwards. Then Samuel set out on his way to Ramah.
14The spirit of the LORD had forsaken Saul, and at times an evil spirit from the LORD would seize him suddenly.
15His servants said to him, “You see how an evil spirit from God seizes you;
16sir, why do you not command your servants here to go and find someone who can play on the lyre? Then, when an evil spirit from God comes on you, he can play and you will recover.”
17Saul said to his servants, “Find me someone who can play well and bring him to me.”
18One of his attendants said, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who can play; he is a brave man and a good fighter, wise in speech and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
19Saul therefore dispatched messengers to ask Jesse to send him his son David, who was with the sheep.
20Jesse took a batch of bread, a skin of wine, and a kid, and sent them to Saul by his son David.
21David came to Saul and entered his service; Saul loved him dearly, and David became his armour-bearer.
22Saul sent word to Jesse: “Allow David to stay in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
23And whenever an evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his lyre and play it, so that relief would come to Saul; he would recover and the evil spirit would leave him alone.