1 Samuel 16:1-13

New American Standard Bible 1995

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “^(A)How long will you grieve over Saul, since ^(B)I have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^(C)Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to ^(D)Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have ^(E)selected a king for Myself among his sons.” ² But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “^(F)Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ^(G)I will show you what you shall do; and ^(H)you shall anoint for Me the one whom I ^[a]designate to you.” ⁴ So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to ^(I)Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “^(J)Do you come in peace?” ⁵ He said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ^(K)Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they entered, he looked at ^(L)Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for ^[b]God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, ^(M)but the Lord looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called ^(N)Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Next Jesse made ^[c](O)Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ¹⁰ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “^(P)There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and ^[d]bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”

David Anointed

¹² So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with ^(Q)beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “^(R)Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and ^(S)anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and ^(T)the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.